Impact in action
NEED CONTENT.
Featured projects
Collaboration with UN Tourism and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)
Led by Dr Anke Winchenbach and Professor Albert Kimbu.
To support policymakers, industry stakeholders, and organisations committed to gender inclusion, Dr Anke and Professor Alber are leading a groundbreaking project that highlights women’s roles, challenges, and opportunities within the transport sector. This pioneering research focuses on tourism-related employment across land (rail and road), water, and air passenger transport, helping pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable future in the industry.
Collaboration with Accor and Booking.com
Led by postgraduate researcher Safina Naz under the supervision of Professor Xavier Font, Dr Marion Karl and Pablo Pereira-Doel.
Our team, led by postgraduate researcher Safina Naz, harnessed cutting-edge neuromarketing technology to drive sustainable marketing across the hospitality industry. The project addressed a critical challenge: how can hospitality businesses communicate sustainability more effectively? Its insights have been widely shared across the industry, helping millions of hotels improve their sustainability messaging, enhance guest experiences, and support more responsible tourism practices.
Horizon Europe (2024-27) project
Research team led by Dr Nikolas Thomopoulos.
Dr Nikolas Thomopoulos, supported by Dr Tracy Xu, leads SWELL’s involvement in R-Map, a €3 million Horizon Europe project (2024–2027). This groundbreaking initiative explores how remote working shapes social, economic, and environmental outcomes across urban and rural regions. With Surrey as a key case study, the project drives forward policies that enable inclusive, flexible, and future-ready workplaces across Europe.
Research projects
Active projects
EXPERIENCE - Experiential tourism offer to extend the visitor season
Principal investigator: Professor Xavier Font
Sustainability evidence-based policy making
Principal investigator: Professor Xavier Font
Sustainable and efficient transportation
Principal investigators: Dr Scott Cohen, Dr Andrew Hares
Sustainable change management and corporate responsibility
Principal investigator: Professor Xavier Font
Completed projects
SusTPol (Sustainable Tourism evidence-informed Policy)
Principal investigators: Professor Xavier Font, Dr Anna Torres-Delgado
Start date:
End date:
Advancing knowledge: our leading publications
- Anuar, M. D. D. B. M., Itani, N., O'Connell, J. F., & Warnock-Smith, D. (2025). Investigating the impacts of ASEAN-EU comprehensive air transport agreement on the carriers’ competitive dynamics. Journal of Air Transport Management, 124, 102739.
- Ashton, M., & Filimonau, V. (2025). “Esprit de B Corps”: The rapid increase in B Corp accreditations across UK hospitality companies—a viewpoint on their collective potential and a future research agenda. Research in Hospitality Management, 15(1), 33-37.
- Ashton, M., Filimonau, V., & Tuomi, A. (2025). How the Metaverse can add new layers of hospitality services: a perspective of senior industry practitioners. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 37(4), 1231-1256.
- Bartl, E., Weigert, M., Bauer, A., Schmude, J., Karl, M. S., & Küchenhoff, H. (2025). Understanding travel behaviour patterns and their dynamics: Applying fuzzy clustering and age-period-cohort analysis on long-term data of German travellers. European journal of tourism research, 39.
- Castillo-Vizuete, D., Gavilanes-Montoya, A., Woosnam, K. M., Ribeiro, M. A., Chávez-Velásquez, C., Sarmiento, F. O., & Hollas, C. R. (2025). Intention to engage in ecotourism development: validation and extension of the Resident Empowerment through Tourism Scale (Version 2.1). Current Issues in Tourism, 28(10), 1531-1547.
- Cocolas, N., & Ruhanen, L. (2025). Governance of climate change and tourism. In Handbook on Tourism Governance (pp. 219-231). Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Dayour, F., Kimbu, A. N., & Afenyo-Agbe, E. A. (2025). “Women can withstand climate change’s stressors”: The Role of Community-based Ecotourism for Climate Resilience and Mitigation in Semi-arid Ghana. Tourism Planning & Development, 1–26.
- de Visser-Amundson, A., & Filimonau, V. (2025). How carbon warning and value labels influence menu choices in real-world settings. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1-20.
- Elhoushy, S., Elzek, Y., & Font, X. (2025). Sustainable tourism certification: a systematic literature review and suggested ways forward. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1-27.
- Eves, A., Kim, B., Hodgkins, C., Raats, M., & Timotijevic, L. (2025). Is it food or is it waste? Determinants of decisions to throw food away, Sustainable Production and Consumption. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.12.016
- Filimonau, V., Matute, J., Sezerel, H., & Balyalı, T. Ö. (2025). Food waste in group dining: the interplay of shame and conflict aversion in the “last piece of food” dilemma. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1-26.
- Galiakbarov, Y., Mazbayev, O., Onayeva, B., Bolatova, B., Filimonau, V., & Sezerel, H. (2025). Conquering heights, challenging norms: the motives and experiences of elite female climbers in a patriarchal society. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1-26.
- Gallego, I., Font, X., & Torres-Delgado, A. (2025). Balancing economic benefits and environmental costs: Introducing carbon footprint indicators in tourist market targeting. Tourism Management, 107, 105066.
- Guix, M., Sánchez, J. J. N., Priego, M. J. B., & Font, X. (2025). The changing institutional logics behind sustainability reports from the largest hotel groups in the world in 2014, 2018 and 2021. Tourism Management, 106, 105031.
- Handayani, B., Filimonau, V., & Ermolaev, V. A. (2025). Ethical Veganism as the Future of Tourist Consumption. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 1-34.
- He, L., Chen, Z., Zha, J., Tan, T., & Filimonau, V. (2025). Can Digital Inclusive Finance Make Tourism More Accessible to Households? Evidence From a Large‐Scale Micro Database. International Journal of Tourism Research, 27(3), e70051.
- Ibrahim, M. N., Ribeiro, M. A., & Kimbu, N.A. (2024). Redirecting Slack Resources to Social and Environmental Issues: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Tourism Firms Post-Crisis. Journal of Travel Research, 0(0).
- Jiang, Y, Fu, Q., Thomopoulos, N., Chen, J. (2025) Understanding the influence of past driving experience on Electric Vehicle purhase intention in China, Transport Policy, 162, pp.270-282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2024.11.025
- Kim, B., Liu, A., & Ling, E.C. (2025). Effects of disability employment on guest perceptions and behavioral intentions in the hotel sector. International Journal of Hospitality Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103993
- Kim, Y. R., Kimbu, N.A., Ramakrishnan, S., & Saha, P. (2024). Understanding the Travel Decision-Making Behaviors of Ethnic Minority Tourists: The Moderating Role of Psychological Empowerment. Journal of Travel Research, 0(0).
- Kimbu A.N., Ngoasong, M.Z. & de Jong, A. (2024). Gender, entrepreneurship and social policy in tourism: Tying the knot. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 32(3), 421-437.
- Koiwanit, J., & Filimonau, V. (2025). ‘Wasting food is normal!’: How food waste can become the (new) norm in casual dining restaurants. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 62, 1-13.
- Liu, Y., Chen, Y., Font, X., Zhang, Y., & Hu, J. (2025). Echoes of a destination: The representation of locality in souvenirs and their role in sustaining post-trip, tourist well-being. Tourism Management, 108, 105125.
- Martin-Rios, C., Ruiz-Molina, M. E., Filimonau, V., & Rogenhofer, J. B. (2025). Food waste as a sustainability challenge: educational strategies for aligning attitudes and behaviors. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.
- Montano, L. J., Font, X., Elsenbroich, C., & Ribeiro, M. A. (2025). Co-learning through participatory evaluation: An example using theory of change in a large-scale EU-funded tourism intervention. Journal of sustainable tourism, 33(4), 653-672.
- Narciso, G., Guix, M., Font, X., & Hu, Y. (2025). Decarbonising with a plan: The influence of post-growth configurations of hybridity. Annals of Tourism Research, 110, 103883.
- Ortega, B., & Ribeiro, M. A. (2025). An index of the economic dependence on Tourism. Tourism Economics, 31(3), 426-452.
- Pereira-Doel, P., Font, X., Wyles, K., & Pereira-Moliner, J. (2025). Reducing shower duration in tourist accommodations: A covert true experiment of continuous real-time eco-feedback and persuasive messaging. Journal of Travel Research, 64(5), 1100-1120.
- Ribeiro, M. A. (2025). Cape Verde. In Encyclopedia of Tourism (pp. 133-134). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
- Ribeiro, M. A., Adam, I., Kimbu, A. N., Dayour, F., Adeola, O., & Tichaawa, T. M. (2025). Resilience in uncertainty: The impact of coping strategies on tourism entrepreneurs’ subjective well-being in sub-Saharan Africa. Tourism Management, 110.
- Salehi, M., Lin, M.S., Filimonau, S., Kim, B. & Lin, P. M. C. (2025). 'Bridging Knowledge and Practice: Applying the Behavior Change Wheel to Healthy and Sustainable Food Consumption in Tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2024.2431845
- Seraphin, H., Smith, S., Wyatt, B., Kozak, M., Kennell, J., & Mandić, A. (2025). Linear recruitment in tourism academia: when academic jobs “go sideways”. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 33(3), 558-583.
- Seyfi, S., Kimbu, N.A., Tavangar, M., Vo-Thanh, T., & Zaman, M. (2025). Surviving crisis: Building tourism entrepreneurial resilience as a woman in a sanctions-ravaged destination. Tourism Management, 106.
- Sezerel, H., & Filimonau, V. (2025). To be or to write to be (cited): Is that the question?. Annals of Tourism Research, 111, 103916.
- Sezerel, H., Kılıcaslan, H., Filimonau, V., & Dülger, E. (2025). The role of chefs’ creativity in food waste management in professional kitchens. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 128, 104183.
- Stankov, U., Carmer, A. B., Vujičić, M. D., Kennell, J., Lazić, L., Kalinić, Č., ... & Jovanović, S. (2025). “All the world’sa stage”–The Spatial Value of Destination DJ Videos. Geographica Pannonica, 29(1).
- Thomopoulos, N., Lin, G., Jagannath, S., Liu, X. (2025) Targeting change for Active Travel - Chapter 12, Lecture Notes in Intelligent Transportation and Infrastructure, Vol. II, pp. 154-180. Cham: Springer. ISBN: 978-3-031-82713-6
- Vernes, W. E., Zhang, W., Kimbu, A. N., & Hanna, P. (2025). Plus size people can and will travel too: body positivity in travel and leisure. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1–27.
- Wu, J., Font, X., & Liu, J. (2025). Failure to morally self-regulate: deindividuation and moral disengagement from pro-environmental behavioural intentions across tourism and home contexts. Current Issues in Tourism, 28(8), 1220-1239.
- Xu, X., Wang, L.X., & Kim, B. (2025). Exploring the Value Co-creation Mechanism in Online Travel Communities: Value Co-Creators, Engagement Activities, and Interactions. Journal of Travel Research.
- Yeon, J., Song, H., & Kim, B. (2025). Moral Imperative or Economic Necessity? The Role of Institutional Investors in the Corporate Social Responsibility—Financial Performance Relationship, Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020582
- Zheng, C., Zhang, X., Song, J., & Font, X. (2025). Informing facts or evoking feelings: how to communicate pro-environmental messages effectively to first-time vs repeat customers. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
- Bakır, M., & Itani, N. (2024). Modelling behavioural factors affecting consumers’ intention to adopt electric aircraft: A multi-method investigation. Sustainability, 16(19), 8467.
- Bakır, M., Atalık, Ö., & Itani, N. (2024). Service quality and repurchase intentions in the airline industry: a multiple mediation analysis through customer citizenship behaviour. Current issues in tourism, 1-22.
- Bonilla-Priego, M. J., Font, X., & Crabolu, G. (2024). Designing and testing a sustainability soft regulation system: rating and ranking the wild animal welfare practices of tourism distribution channels. Current Issues in Tourism, 1-17.
- Cocolas, N., Walters, G., Ruhanen, L., & Higham, J. (2024). Air travel and persuasive climate communications. Journal of sustainable tourism, 32(10), 2118-2140.
- Crabolu, G., Font, X., & Miller, G. (2024). The hidden power of sustainable tourism indicator schemes: Have we been measuring their effectiveness all wrong?. Journal of travel research, 63(7), 1741-1760.
- Dragin, A. S., Stankov, U., Mijatov-Ladičorbić, M., Vujičić, M. D., Kennell, J., & Calahorro-López, A. (2024). Breaking the bubble-addressing managers’ cultural biases in designing tourist experiences. Journal of the Geographical Institute" Jovan Cvijic", SASA, 74(1), 139-146.
- Font, C. M., & Font, X. (2024). Fast fashion consumption as a female competition strategy: implications for sustainable consumption. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal.
- Hui, T., Itani, N., & O'Connell, J. F. (2024). Examining Air Travellers' Willingness to Pay for Non-voluntary Environment-related Fees: The Case of SAF Surcharge and Carbon Taxes. Highlights of Sustainability, 3(31), 61.
- Kennell, J. S. (2024). More Than a Feeling: Storytelling, Memory, and National Myths at Dark Events. Event Management, 28(4), 655-659.
- Kim, B., & Lee, S. (2024). Restaurant Celebrity CEO and Risk-taking: The Moderating Role of CEO Origin and Franchising. Tourism Economics. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548166241264595
- Liu, Y., Ning, S., Zhang, M., Font, X., & Zeng, H. (2024). Can anthropomorphic interpretation cues motivate tourists to have civilized behavioral intentions? The roles of meaningful experience and narrative. Tourism Management, 103, 104905.
- Lupini, S., Bertella, G., & Font, X. (2024). A modus operandi for sustainable-tourism transformations. Current Issues in Tourism, 1-16.
- Lupini, S., Bertella, G., & Font, X. (2024). Reflexive monitoring for sustainable transformations: A game-based workshop methodology for participatory learning. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, 5(2), 100149.
- Montano, L. J., Elsenbroich, C., Font, X., & Ribeiro, M. A. (2024). Impact evaluation with process tracing: explaining causal processes in an EU-interreg sustainable tourism intervention. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1-23.
- Montano, L. J., Font, X., Elsenbroich, C., & Ribeiro, M. A. (2024). Harnessing the power of stories: Evaluating complex tourism interventions through a ‘most significant change’approach. Annals of tourism research empirical insights, 5(2), 100150.
- Mr, T. H. H., & O'Connell, J. F. (2024). Examining Air Travellers' Willingness to Pay for Non-voluntary Environment-related Fees: The Case of SAF Surcharge and Carbon Taxes. Highlights of Sustainability, 3(31), 61.
- Palanichamy, S., Mohanty, P., & Kennell, J. (2024). Shared mobility and India’s Generation Z: Environmental consciousness, risks, and attitudes. Sustainability, 16(12), 5258.
- Park, S., Kim, B., & Song, S. (2024). Generalist vs. specialist CEOs: Towards an understanding of CSR scheme in the restaurant industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103797
- Smyth, L., Morgan, N., & Vernes, W. (2024). Beyond grid girls and checkered flags: exploring sexual objectification at Motorsport events. Event management, 28(7), 1109-1113.
- Thomopoulos, N., Attard, M., Shiftan, Y. (2024) Sustainable Automated and Connected Transport, Transport & Sustainability Book Series, 19, Emerald.
- Thomopoulos, N., Guragain, A., Hagen-Zanker, A. (2024) Windsor Strategic Station Plan, Consultancy report, Institute for Sustainability, Guildford.
- Torres-Delgado, A., & Font, X. (2024). Outcome mapping the absorptive capacity of destination marketing/management organisations to use sustainability data to inform policy. Tourism Management, 102, 104879.
- Uthaisar, S., Eves, A., & Wang, X. L. (2024). Tourists’ online information search behaviour: Combined user-generated and marketer-generated content in restaurant decision making. Journal of travel research, 63(6), 1549-1573.
- Voss, S., Andre, H., Kock, F., Karl, M., & Josiassen, A. (2024). Guiding pro-environmental behaviour: examining the impact of cognitive and behavioural interventions on sustainable food choices in hospitality. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2024.2439983
- Wu, J. S., Barbrook-Johnson, P., Font, X., & Torres-Delgado, A. (2024). Combining realist evaluation and appreciative inquiry: A participatory, learning-focused methodology for tourism interventions. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, 5(2), 100152.
- Wu, J., Font, X., & Liu, J. (2024). Failure to morally self-regulate: deindividuation and moral disengagement from pro-environmental behavioural intentions across tourism and home contexts. Current Issues in Tourism, 1-20
- De Jong, A., Ngoasong, M. Z., & Kimbu, A.N. (Eds) (2025). Gender, Tourism Entrepreneurship and Social Policy. London: Routledge / Taylor & Francis.
- Swart, M.P., Cai, W., Yang, E.C.L., & Kimbu, A.N. (Eds.). (2024). Routledge Handbook on Gender in Tourism: Views on Teaching, Research and Praxis (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003286721
- De Jong, A., Ngoasong, M.Z. & Kimbu, A.N. (2025). Introduction to Gender, Tourism Entrepreneurship and Social Policy. In A. De Jong, M.Z. Ngoasong, & A.N. Kimbu (Eds) (2025). Gender, Tourism Entrepreneurship and Social Policy. London: Routledge / Taylor & Francis.
- De Jong, A., Ngoasong, M.Z. & Kimbu, A.N. (2025). The Gendered Dynamics of Financing Tourism Entrepreneurship. In A. De Jong, M.Z. Ngoasong, & A.N. Kimbu (Eds) (2025). Gender, Tourism Entrepreneurship and Social Policy. London: Routledge / Taylor & Francis.
- De Jong, A., & Kimbu, A.N. (2025). Conclusion: The Imperative of Gender and Social Policy in Tourism Entrepreneurship Research. In A. De Jong, M.Z. Ngoasong, & A.N. Kimbu (Eds) (2025). Gender, Tourism Entrepreneurship and Social Policy. London: Routledge / Taylor & Francis.
- Adeola, O., Kimbu, A.N. (2024) Gendered Ubuntu: Exploring the Intersection of Ubuntu, Gender Equity and Tourism Development in Africa. In ECL Yang, AN Kimbu, W Cai, MPN Swart (eds.) Routledge Handbook on Gender in Tourism: Views on Teaching, Research and Praxis. Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.4324/9781003286721-12
- Cai, W., Kimbu, A.N., Swart, M.P.N., & Yang, E.C.L. (2024). Unveiling the Gender Lens in Tourism. In ECL Yang, AN Kimbu, W Cai, MPN Swart (eds.) Routledge Handbook on Gender in Tourism: Views on Teaching, Research and Praxis, Taylor & Francis. DOI: 10.4324/9781003286721-2
- Ewoenam, A., Adam, I., Kimbu, A.N., Dayour, F. (2024). Gender and Ethnicity Interplays in Migrant Tourism Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Ghana. In ECL Yang, AN Kimbu, W Cai, MPN Swart (eds.) Routledge Handbook on Gender in Tourism: Views on Teaching, Research and Praxis. Taylor & Francis. DOI: 10.4324/9781003286721-22
- Yang, E.C.L., Kimbu, A.N., Cai, W., & Swart, M.P.N. (2024). We are Breaking the Glass Ceiling, but Can We Shatter the Concrete Roof: What is Next for Gender Studies in Tourism? In ECL Yang, AN Kimbu, W Cai, MPN Swart (eds.) Routledge Handbook on Gender in Tourism: Views on Teaching, Research and Praxis. Taylor & Francis. DOI: 10.4324/9781003286721-26
- Derqui, B., & Filimonau, V. (2024). The (de) motives for using food waste reduction apps among hospitality providers. Sustainable Development, 32(6), 7262-7277.
- Bakır, M., & Itani, N. (2024). Modelling behavioural factors affecting consumers’ intention to adopt electric aircraft: A multi-method investigation. Sustainability, 16(19), 8467.
- Bhaskara, G. I., Filimonau, V., Kusumawardhana, I., Darma Putra, I. N., Sucita Yanthy, P., & Nur Hakim, I. (2024). Environmental habitus of chefs and food waste management in hospitality operations. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1-27.
- Gavilanes-Montoya, A., Castillo-Vizuete, D., Hollas, C. R., Woosnam, K. M., Ribeiro, M. A., Chávez-Velásquez, C., & Sarmiento, F. O. (2025). Sociodemographic and socioeconomic heterogeneity in considering residents’ empowerment from ecotourism. Journal of Ecotourism, 1-17.
- Cocolas, N., & Ruhanen, L. (2025). Governance of climate change and tourism. In Handbook on Tourism Governance (pp. 219-231). Edward Elgar Publishing.