Demonstration of exponential random graph models in tourism studies: Is tourism a means of global peace or the bottom line?

• Published in: Annals of tourism research Vol. 69; pp. 31 - 41
• Main Author: Khalilzadeh, Jalayer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2018; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Exponential-family random graph models (ERGMs); Graph theory; Peace; Peace studies; Popularity; Prejudice; Racism; Social network analysis; Tourism; Tourist attractions; Tourism; Peace; Prejudice; Social network analysis; Racism; Exponential-family random graph models (ERGMs)
• ISSN: 0160-7383; 1873-7722
• DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2017.12.007

•Presents the applications of exponential random graph models (ERGMs) to tourism context.•Demonstrates dyadic hypotheses testing in tourism social network analysis.•Explains that prejudicial attitudes are among the major reasons for which visitors do not travel to a particular destination.•Shows that tourism is not the cause of peace and mutual understanding; rather, it is an outcome. Most social network analyses conducted in hospitality and tourism studies are merely descriptive. Despite the recent popularity of exponential-family of random graph models (ERGMs) in various scientific investigations, no studies have utilized these inferential methods of network analysis in hospitality and tourism studies. In some contexts, the power of these methods is undeniably superior to those of conventional statistical tests. Accordingly, in the current study, by using the controversial subject of tourism-peace, I demonstrated how ERGMs can be used in hypotheses testing and statistical modeling in hospitality and tourism context. The results of this study suggest that a change of perspective in tourism-peace discourse from tourism as a peacemaker to tourism as a peacekeeper can be a valid approach concerning the long-lasting debates on the relationship between tourism and peace.