Though a lot of studies have analysed the impact of the pandemic on the tourism industry and several suggestions have been made to revive the sector, tourism education is largely overlooked. Tourism and cognate courses offered by higher educational institutions are essentially a part of the tourism system. This study aims to emphasize the perspective of tourism educators with respect to upcoming challenges in the tourism discipline and ways to reinvent and reboot the tourism education in the post-COVID-19 phase. The study adopted a qualitative approach and a total of 22 responses were interpreted. A thematic analysis using the Nvivo 12 plus software was done. Even though there was variability in the respondents’ background, a significant emphasis on curriculum design, industry collaboration, and excellence in research was mutually suggested by the educators. The study suggests that ambidextrous management in tourism education be adopted in post-COVID-19 phase. In other words, educators must become adept at the delivery of courses in a variety of modalities that would enable them to cope with the short and medium-term impacts of teaching in a COVID-19 (incremental innovation), while providing by anticipation of future demands (from industry and students), cutting edge curriculum (radical innovation).

The understanding of spirituality has come far from the traditional viewpoint of being a subset of religion. Consequently, contemporary spiritual tourism includes a vast realm of experiences to cater to heterogeneous spiritual tourists. Young travellers worldwide are increasingly attracted to spirituality. The research’s principal objective is to determine the factors driving urban millennials in India to travel for spirituality. This objective was achieved through phenomenological analysis of their interviews which renders a meaningful understanding of their travel choices and behaviour. The push factors such as mental morbidities, corporate pressure, or curiosity shape the spiritual tourists’ motivations, which are further manifested in the kind of activities they opt for during their journey. Therefore, the study identifies the prominent push factors and the motivations of the Indian Urban Millennial Spiritual Tourist (UMST). Further, the authors highlight the most desirable traits the spiritual tourists look for in a destination.

COVID-19 has caused radical changes in the lives of people as well as economies. These changes are deemed as evolutionary and would bring a new phase of transformation. However, current practices of both people and businesses might cease once the crisis disappears. In the tourism context, going back to unsustainable and irresponsible practices would lead to the re-emergence of tourism aversion. This research note addresses the possibility that COVID-19 has only brought a temporary halt to the pre-existing issue of over-tourism and its related unsustainable practices. Even though the travel restrictions imposed by several countries amidst the spread of coronavirus have created a situation of “zero tourism”, the tourism sector has now resumed its operations in most of the world. By presenting a conceptual framework, this note stresses that if the sector continues to act in the same way as before the virus, the situation of overtourism will re-emerge in the post-COVID-19 phase. Therefore, to prevent this issue, emphasising quality tourism, inculcating responsible behaviour, and the incorporation of technology are suggested.

This study scrutinizes India’s growing appeal as a tourist destination, accentuated by government initiatives and innovative tourism policies like the e-visa program, Incredible India Campaign 2.0 and digital advancements in the travel sector. With the diminishing impact of COVID-19, there is a noticeable surge in various forms of tourism – inbound, outbound and domestic. The primary focus is to understand the driving factors behind the choice of India as a destination for inbound tourists. This research delves into these motivations, providing a global perspective on India’s attractiveness. A mixed-method approach was employed, utilizing convenience sampling for data collection. The quantitative analysis was based on a survey, informed by a literature review, comprising 390 respondents from 10 diverse Indian destinations. Additionally, 25 qualitative interviews were conducted, aiming to enrich and triangulate the quantitative findings. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed five predominant motivations among inbound tourists: culinary interests, spiritual pursuits, budget-consciousness, cultural curiosity and natural allure. These findings were substantiated through thematic analysis. The outcomes have significant practical ramifications for destination managers and tourism policy developers in India. By understanding these key motivators, they can devise targeted strategies for enhancing the appeal of India to these specific tourist segments. This study not only aids in refining tourism promotion efforts but also contributes to the academic discourse on tourist motivation offering a fresh international perspective on India’s image as a tourist destination.

Pandemia COVID-19 spowodowała radykalne zmiany w codziennym życiu ludzi oraz funkcjonowaniu gospodarek. Uważa się, iż zmiany te mają charakter ewolucyjny i zapoczątkują nową fazę transformacji, jednak praktyki stosowane obecnie zarówno przez osoby prywatne, jak i przez firmy mogą zostać zaniechane, gdy kryzys dobiegnie końca. W kontekście podróżowania powrót do nieodpowiedzialnych zachowań doprowadziłby do ponownego pojawienia się niechęci do turystyki. Celem niniejszej notatki jest rozważenie, czy pandemia COVID-19 jedynie czasowo rozwiązała istniejący wcześniej problem nadmiernej turystyki (overtourism) i związanego z nią braku stosowania zrównoważonych praktyk. Mimo iż ograniczenia w podróżowaniu wprowadzane przez różne państwa ze względu na rozprzestrzenianie się koronawirusa spowodowały wystąpienie zjawiska zamrożenia turystyki (zero tourism), w większości krajów świata działania w sektorze turystycznym zostały już wznowione. Autorzy niniejszej notatki, prezentując ramy koncepcyjne, podkreślają, że jeśli branża będzie nadal funkcjonować na takich samych zasadach jak przed pojawieniem się koronawirusa, problem nadmiernej turystyki wróci po zakończeniu się pandemii. Dlatego też, aby nie dopuścić do takiego rozwoju sytuacji, autorzy sugerują położenie nacisku na turystykę jakościową, wpajanie podróżującym odpowiedzialnych zachowań oraz wykorzystywanie zdobyczy technologicznych.