Professor Alastair Morrison

Professor Alastair Morrison BA, MBA, PhD, CDME, CTME

Research Professor

Key details

Professor Alastair M Morrison

Research Professor

Professor Alastair M. Morrison is a Research Professor at the University of Greenwich in London, UK and has been associated with the university since 2015. He was formerly a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Purdue University, USA in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. In an analysis by Ryan (2005),

Professor Morrison was placed among the five most prolific contributors in the world to the academic journals in tourism and hospitality management. He has published approximately 300 academic articles and conference proceedings, as well as over 50 research monographs related to marketing and tourism. Approximately 115 of his full-length academic articles have been in SSCI-listed journals. He is the author of five books on tourism marketing and development, Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations, 2nd edition (Routledge, 2019); The Tourism System, 8th edition, (Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2018); Global Marketing of China Tourism (China Architectural & Building Press, 2012); Hospitality and Travel Marketing, 4th edition (Delmar Publishers, Inc., 2010); and Tourism: Bridges across Continents (McGraw-Hill Australia, 1998). In addition to English, his books are now available in Simplified Mandarin, Traditional Mandarin, Korean, Portuguese, Greek, and Slovak. He is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Tourism Cities. He also co-edited the Routledge Handbook of Tourism Cities (2020).

Professor Morrison received several teaching awards and honours at Purdue University. He is a Founding Member of the Purdue University Teaching Academy and his name has been entered in Purdue's Book of Great Teachers. He was awarded The Best Teacher Award from The Society of Professional Journalists and The Mary L. Matthews Award as the Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher in the College of Consumer and Family Sciences (CFS). Eta Sigma Delta twice selected him as the RHIT Professor of the Year. CFS chose him twice as its nominee for The Purdue University Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award. He was selected as one of the winners of Purdue University's Charles B. Murphy Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching, Purdue University's most prestigious award for undergraduate teaching. Gamma Sigma Delta, the honour society of Agriculture, Consumer and Family Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine, honoured him with the Award of Merit for outstanding teaching at Purdue University in March 2002. In 1998, the International Society of Travel & Tourism Educators (IST&TE) selected Professor Morrison as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to tourism education.  In addition, he has been elected as a Fellow of the world's most elite organization of tourism scholars, the International Academy for the Study of Tourism (IAST).

Professor Morrison has served as the President of the International Tourism Studies Association (ITSA), Chairman of the Travel & Tourism Research Association (TTRA) - Canada Chapter, Board member of the CenStates TTRA Chapter, Vice President of the International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators (IST%TE), and Chairman of Association of Travel Marketing Executives (ATME).  He was awarded the distinction as one of the first recipients of the Certified Travel Marketing Executive (CTME) designation from ATME. He has designed and presented the Destination Marketing Planning, Travel Information & Research, International Tourism & Convention Marketing, and Communications and Technology in Destination Management courses for the International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (IACVB) as part of its Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) Program. He is the Vice-Chair of the Expert Committee of the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF).

He is the former Associate Dean for Learning and Director of International Programs in the College of Consumer & Family Sciences (CFS) at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.  CFS had 2,200 students and Professor Morrison was responsible for undergraduate and graduate education.  His specific responsibilities included overseeing undergraduate student services, undergraduate instruction, curriculum planning, honours program, international programs and study abroad, multicultural programs, service learning, grade appeals, and other matters relating to the academic affairs of CFS.

In addition to having lived and worked in five different countries, Professor Morrison has had a wide variety of experience in the global tourism industry.  Most recently he has conducted training programs and provided marketing and development advice for approximately 40 countries around the world.  He has also developed and coordinated training programs held at Purdue University on behalf of the World Tourism Organization for eight South Asian countries and the China-Tibet Tourism Bureau.  He was a Visiting Professor at the Scottish Hotel School, University of Strathclyde and was the Queensland Tourist & Travel Corporation Visiting Lecturer at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia.  Prior to joining the Purdue faculty, he worked in Canada as a management consultant in hospitality and tourism, most recently as President of The Economic Planning Group of Canada.  In his consulting career, he specialised in tourism and hospitality marketing planning and research, project evaluation and feasibility studies, tourism planning and development.

Tourism, hospitality and events

Awards
  • 2003, Purdue University, Distinguished Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management
  • 2003, Purdue University, Purdue's Book of Great Teachers
  • 2001, International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus, Certified Destination Management Executive
  • 1997, Purdue University, Founding Member, Purdue Teaching Academy
  • 1990, Purdue University, Charles B. Murphy Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching
  • 1988, International Society of Travel & Tourism Educators, Lifetime Achievement Award

Recognition
  • Co-Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Tourism Cities
  • Executive Committee, International Tourism Studies Association
  • Fellow, International Academy for the Study of Tourism
  • Founding Academy Fellow, Hospitality and Tourism Management Academy
  • Expert Committee, World Tourism Cities Federation

Research / Scholarly interests

Professor Morrison's main research and scholarly interests are as follows:

  • Marketing and consumer behaviour, especially in the service sector and tourism and hospitality
  • Digital marketing and information communication technologies
  • Corporate social responsibility and sustainable development
  • Destination marketing and management
  • Destination image and selection decision making
  • Crises and crisis management and planning
  • International travel patterns and behaviour
  • Tourism policy making and planning
  • Food consumption behaviour of international and domestic travellers
  • Educational research and development

These interests are founded on an interdisciplinary platform of marketing, planning, and education and training. The research topics for which he has gained international recognition are hospitality and tourism marketing, destination marketing and management, destination image, consumer international travel behaviour, website design and evaluation, and crisis management research.

Key funded projects

Professor Morrison founded the Purdue Tourism & Hospitality Center (PTHRC) at Purdue University and was the Principal Investigator (PI) for approximately 30 research grants as its Director https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/htm/research/research_center/.

Sponsor: Regional Cooperation Council - Western Balkans Six (WB6)
Production of a Western Balkans tourism policy assessment and recommendations
This research was commissioned by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), through its Triple P Tourism project, in order to make an assessment of the tourism policy issues associated with the development and enhancement of cross-border tourism involving the 6 IPA II beneficiaries in the Western Balkans (WB6). The research for this project had a number of stages. Firstly, background research was carried out using the websites and published documents from the relevant government departments, tourism agencies and other key bodies in the region, relating to tourism development. This was supplemented with reports from international organisations, previous research commissioned by the RCC and pertinent academic studies of tourism in the WB6.

Sponsor: Swisscontact, Indonesia
Title: Development of a sustainable tourism destinations with focus on Destination Management for Professionals support – WISATA II
The overall objective of WISATA II is to "Contribute to economic development of Indonesia through sustainable tourism, which creates employment and income to improve the livelihood of the local population." WISATA II aims at achieving impact in four key areas. Firstly, targeted destinations are more competitive and generate more high-yield arrivals with increased average length of stay and increased average daily spending, of which more is retained locally. Secondly, tourism results in socio-economic and environmental benefits in target destinations. Thirdly, local communities are empowered, leading to recognition and active participation in tourism development. Fourthly, the formal tourism-related education and training systems is oriented towards industry needs.

Sponsor: COMCEC/Dinar Standard, Turkey/USA
Supporting institutional capacity of Al-Quds Tourism And Heritage Council, Palestine
The purpose of this project is to provide a well-functioning DMO by increasing the competencies of its staff as well as ensuring the DMO model is sustainable. The objectives of this project are to train the staff of Al Quds Tourism and Heritage Council (ATHC) and provide recommendations for a sustainable DMO. The following are the key objectives of the Study: 1. Determine ATHC personnel training needs 2. Develop training modules and deliver training programs 3. Recommend an organization structure and HR needs 4. Recommend sustainable self-funding opportunities.

Sponsor: COMCEC/Dinar Standard, Turkey/USA
Title: Developing multi-destination tourism corridors in the OIC member countries
The Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) works on enhancing economic and commercial cooperation among its 57 Member States.  COMCEC's Tourism Working Groups (TWG) focus on helping OIC member countries address opportunities and overcome obstacles faced in the area of tourism.  The project "Developing Multi-destination tourism corridors in the OIC Countries" was a research study on providing strategies that OIC member countries can adopt to develop multi-destination tourism corridors.

Recent publications

Books

  • Morrison, A.M. and Coca-Stefaniak, J.S. (Eds). 2020. Routledge Handbook of Tourism Cities. London: Routledge.
  • Morrison, A.M. 2019. Marketing and managing tourism destinations, 2nd ed. London: Routledge.
  • Morrison, A.M., Lehto, X.Y., and Day, J. 2018. The tourism system, 8th ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishing.
  • Morrison, A.M. 2012. Global marketing of China tourism. Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press.
  • Morrison, A.M. 2010. Hospitality and travel marketing, 4th ed. New York: Cengage.

Refereed Journal Articles

  • Chang, J., Morrison, A. M.,  Lin, H.-H, and Ho, C.-Y. 2020. How do food consumption motivations and emotions affect the experiential values and well-being of foodies? British Food Journal, in press.
  • Duan, J., Xie, C., and Morrison, A. M. 2020. Tourism crises and impacts on destinations: A systematic review of the tourism and hospitality literature. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, in press.
  • Zhang, J., Xie, C., Wang, J., Morrison, A . M., and Coca-Stefaniak. 2020.  Responding to a major global crisis: The effects of hotel safety leadership on employee safety behavior during COVID-19. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, in press.
  • He, J., Morrison, A. M., and Zhang, H. 2020. How high-performance HR practices and LMX impact employee engagement and creativity in hospitality. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, in press.
  • Xie, C., Zhang, J., and Morrison, A. M. 2020. Developing a scale to measure tourist perceived safety. Journal of Travel Research, in press. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287520946103
  • Mao, Y., He, J., Morrison, A. M., and Coca-Stefaniak, J. S. 2020. Effects of tourism CSR on employee psychological capital in the COVID-19 crisis: from the perspective of conservation of resources theory. Current Issues in Tourism,  https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1770706https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1770706
  • Wang, J., Xie, C. W., Huang, Q., and Morrison, A. M. 2020. Smart tourism destination experiences: The mediating impact of arousal levels. Tourism Management Perspectives, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100707
  • Xie, C., Zhang, J., Chen, Y., Morrison, A. M. and Lin, Z. 2020. Measuring hotel employee perceived job risk: dimensions and scale development. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(2), 730-748. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-01-2019-0022
  • Zhang, J., Xie, C. W., Morrison. A. M., and Zhang, K. 2020. Fostering resident pro-environmental behavior: The roles of destination image and Confucian culture. Sustainability, 12(2), 597, https://doi.org/10.3390/su12020597
  • Booth, P., Chaperon, S. A., Kennell, J. S., and Morrison, A.M. 2020. Entrepreneurship in island contexts: A systematic review of the tourism and hospitality literature. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 85, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102438
  • Deng, Z. T., Gao, Y., Bin, Liang, and Morrison, A. M. 2020. Efficiency evaluation of hotel operations in Mainland China based on the Super-efficiency SBM model. Tourism Economics, https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1354816618816787
  • Chao, H. C., Morrison, A. M., and Wu, B. 2019. All work and no play? Antecedents of the leisure involvement of Taiwan expatriate managers in Mainland China. International Journal of Manpower, 40(7), 1215-1238.
  • He, J., Zhang, H., and Morrison, A. M. 2019. The impacts of corporate social responsibility on organization citizenship behavior and task performance in hospitality: A sequential mediation model.
  • Krolikowska, E., Kuenzel, S., & Morrison, A. M. 2019. The ties that bind: an attachment theory perspective of social bonds in tourism. Current Issues in Tourism, https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2019.1677571
  • Lin, Y.-C., Hsin, J.-L., and Morrison, A. M. 2019. Social servicescape and Asian students: An analysis of spring break island bed and breakfast experiences in Taiwan.
  • Molinillo, S., Anaya-Sánchez, R., Morrison, A. M., and Coca-Stefaniak, J. A. 2019. Smart city communication via social media: Analysing residents' and visitors' engagement.
  • Shao, J., Ying, Q., Shu, S., Morrison, A. M., and Booth, E. 2019. Museum tourism 2.0: Experiences and satisfaction with shopping at the National Gallery in London. Sustainability, 11(24), 7108, https://doi.org/10.3390/su11247108
  • Stankov, U., Kennell, J., Morrison, A. M., and Vujičić, M. 2019. The view from above: The relevance of shared aerial drone videos for destination marketing.
  • Rydén, P., Kottika, E., Hossain, M., Skare, V., and Morrison, A. M. 2020. Threat or treat for tourism organizations? The Copenhagen Zoo social media storm. International Journal of Tourism Research, 22(1),  https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2322
  • Wang, M.-J., Chen, L.-H., Su, P.-A., and Morrison, A. M. 2019. The right brew? An analysis of the tourism experiences in rural Taiwan's coffee estates.
  • Liu, L., Zhang, J., Wu, B., and Morrison, A. M. 2018. The destination choice behavior of Chinese backpackers: From a perspective of identity theory. [In Chinese].
  • Pan, S.-L., Wu, H. C., Morrison, A.M., Huang, M.-T., and Huang, W.-S. 2018. The relationship among leisure involvement, organizational commitment, and well-being: Viewpoints from sports fan in Asia, 10(3), 740
  • Pan, S.-L., Chou, J., Morrison, A. M., Huang, W.-S., and Lin, M.-C. 2018. Will the future be greener? The environmental behavioral intentions of university tourism students. Sustainability, 10(3), 634; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10030634.
  • Park, J., Morrison, A. M., Wu, B., and Kong, Y. 2018. Korean Golf Tourism in China: Place, Perception and Narratives. Sustainability, 10(4), 1055; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10041055.
  • MacLeod, N. E., Shelley, J., Morrison, A. M. 2018. The touring reader: Understanding the bibliophile's experience of literary tourism. Tourism Management, 67, 388-398.
  • Zhang, J., Morrison, A. M., Tucker, H., and Wu, B. (2018). Am I a backpacker? Factors indicating the social identity of Chinese backpackers. Journal of Travel Research, 57(4), 525-39.
  • Zhang, J., Wu, B., Morrison, A. M., Tseng, C., and Chen, Y.-C. (2018). How country image affects tourists' destination evaluations: A moderated mediation approach. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 42(6), in press.
  • Backer, E., and Morrison, A. M. 2017. VFR travel: Is it still underestimated. International Journal of Tourism Research, 19(4), 395-399.
  • de Noronha, I., Coca-Stefaniak, J. A., and Morrison, A. M. 2017. Confused branding? An exploratory study of place branding practices among place management professionals. Cities, 66, 91-98.
  • Gao, Y., Deng, Z., and Morrison, A. M. 2017. Can city lake recreational pressure be measured? The impacts of urbanization on Wuhan's lakes. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12061-017-9241-7.
  • Paulauskaite, D, Powell, R., Coca-Stefaniak, J. A. and Morrison, A.M. (2017). Living like a local: Authentic tourism experiences and the sharing economy. International Journal of Tourism Research, 19(6), 619-628.
  • Shao, J., Chang, X., & Morrison, A. M. (2017). How can big data support smart scenic area management? An analysis of travel blogs on Huashan. Sustainability, 9(12), 2291; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122291.
  • Zhang, J., Tucker, H., Morrison, A. M., and Wu, B. (2017). Becoming a backpacker in China. Annals of Tourism Research, 64,114-125.
  • Hao, X., Wu, B., Morrison, A. M., and Wang, F. (2016). Worth thousands of words? Visual content analysis and photo interpretation of an outdoor tourism spectacular performance in Yangshuo-Guilin, China. Anatolia: An International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research, 27(2), 201-213.
  • Li, J, Pearce, P. L., Morrison, A. M., and Wu, B. (2016). Up in smoke? The impact of smog on risk perception and satisfaction of international tourists in Beijing. International Journal of Tourism Research, 18, 373-386.
  • Park, J., Wu, B., Morrison, A. M., Shen, Y., Cong, L., and Li, M. (2016). The tourism system research categorization framework. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 21(9), 968-1000.
  • Shao, J., Li, X. Morrison, A. M., and Wu, B. (2016). Social media micro-film marketing by Chinese destinations: The case of Shaoxing. Tourism Management, 54, 439-451.
  • Zhang, J., Gui, Y., Wu, B., and Morrison, A. M. (2016). Is DMO microblogging in China delivering? An empirical analysis of information supply against consumer information needs. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 22(1), 68-85.
  • Cong, L., Newsome, D., Wu, B., and Morrison, A. M. (2015). Wildlife tourism in China: a review of the Chinese research literature. Current Issues in Tourism, 18, 1-24.
  • Park, J., Wu, B., Morrison, A. M., Shen, Y., and Li, M. (2015). An integrated analysis of international tourism research patterns for the period of 2003−2012 [in Chinese]. Tourism Tribune, 30(7), 108-118.
  • Tseng, C., Wu, B., Morrison, A. M., Zhang, J., and Chen, Y.-C. (2015). Travel blogs on China as a destination information agent: A qualitative analysis using Leximancer. Tourism Management, 46, 347-358.
  • Wu, B., Liu, L., Shao, J., and Morrison, A. M. (2015). The evolution and space patterns of hutongtels in Beijing historic districts. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 10(2), 129-150.
  • Zhang, J. R., Chen, Y. Z., Zeng, Q., Wu, B. H., and Morrison, A. M. (2015). An integrative model of destination image in a country context: A case study based on international tourists in Beijing [in Chinese]. Tourism Tribune, 30 (3), 13-22.
  • Zhong, L., Wu, B., and Morrison, A. M. (2015). Research on China's tourism: A 35-year review and authorship analysis. International Journal of Tourism Research, 17(1), 25-34.
  • Cong, L., Wu, B., Morrison, A. M., Shu, H., and Wang, M. (2014). Analysis of wildlife tourism experiences with endangered species: An exploratory study of encounters with giant pandas in Chengdu, China. Tourism Management, 40, 300-310.
  • Park, J., Wu, B., Shen, Y., Morrison, A. M., and Kong, Y. (2014). The great halls of China? Meeting planners' perceptions of Beijing as an international convention destination. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 15(4), 244-270.
  • Shen, Y., Morrison, A. M., Wu, B., Park, J., Cong, L., and Li, M. (2014). Where in the world? A geographic analysis of a decade of research in tourism, hospitality and leisure journals. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 29,  1096348014563394.
  • Tang, L., Chiang, L., Morrison, A. M., & Manthiou, A. (2014). A comparative study of generational preferences for trip-planning resources: A case study of international tourists to Shanghai. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism, 15(1), 78-99.
  • Wu, B., Morrison, A. M., Yang, J., and Zhou, J. (2014). Cracks in the ivory tower? A survey-based analysis of undergraduate tourism education and educators in China. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 14(1), 26-38.

Presentations
  • Coca-Stefaniak, J.S., Shen, Y., and Morrison, A.M. (2018). I Do tourists, residents and local businesses evaluate a destination in the same way? A case study of Vadstena (Sweden). International Tourism Studies Association, Tshwane, South Africa.
  • Cong, L., Lee, D., Wu, B., and Morrison, A. M. (2014). Tourist perception of risk: Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding (CRBGPB). CAUTHE Conference, 380-396.
  • Park, J., Wu, B., and Morrison, A. M. (2014). Analysis of destination images in Korean golfers' travel blogs: Six main regions in China as golf-tour destinations. Proceedings of the 5th International Tourism Studies Association Conference, 187-201.
  • So, S.-I., Morrison, A. M., Cai, L. A., and Dioko, L. N. (2006). Multi-destination travelers: A theoretical framework. Tourism and the New Asia: Implications for Research, Policy and Practice, 536-545.
  • Choi, S., Lehto, X., and Morrison, A. M. (2006). Segmenting Chinese tourists by information sourcing variables: Focusing on the first-time visitors to Macau. Tourism and the New Asia: Implications for Research, Policy and Practice, 763-764. Best Paper Award.
  • Morrison, A. M., Zhang, S., and Yan, C. (2006). Destination Marketing in China and the USA: A Comparative Analysis. Tourism and the New Asia: Implications for Research, Policy and Practice, 796-797.
  • Brey, E., and Morrison, A. M. (2006). International tourists' consumption of golf: Confounding levels of satisfaction. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Volume 11, Proceedings of the Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.
  • Chen, Y., and Morrison, A. M. (2006). Industrial tour providers' perceptions of their performance. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Volume 10, Proceedings of the Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.
  • Kim, D. Y., Lehto, X. Y., and Morrison, A. M. (2006). Tourist emotional engagement online: Concepts, evolving themes, and conceptual framework. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Volume 11, Proceedings of the Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.
  • Kim, D. Y., Park, O, Morrison, A. M., and Casanova, M. B. (2006). The pattern of meeting planners' attitudes toward and adaptation of technology by work and online experience. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Volume 11, Proceedings of the Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.
  • Lee, J. K., Morrison, A. M., Kline, S. F., and Adler, H. (2006). Brand extensions in the hospitality industry. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Volume 11, Proceedings of the Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.
  • Stepchenkova, S., Kirilenko, A. P., and Morrison, A. M. (2006). Facilitating Statistical Analysis of Digital Textual Data: A Two-Step Approach. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Volume 11, Proceedings of the Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.
  • Tang, L., and Morrison, A. M. (2006). Website effectiveness for Chinese tourism bureaus. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Volume 11, Proceedings of the Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.
  • Tang, L., and Morrison, A. M. (2006). Icons as tourist attractions: An international comparative study. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Volume 11, Proceedings of the Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.
  • Tang, L., and Morrison, A. M. (2006). An exploratory study on the development of individuals as tourist attractions. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Volume 11, Proceedings of the Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.
  • Yan, C., and Morrison, A. M. (2006). Profiles of heritage tourists and the case of Huangshan, Xidi, and Hongcun in Southern Anhui, China. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Volume 11, Proceedings of the Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.