What is the state of hospitality and tourism research – 2018?

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a personal view of the state of hospitality and tourism research as we enter 2018. It seeks to highlight a number of systemic issues that are affecting adversely the quality of research published. Design/methodology/approach: This is an auto-ethnographic approach based on the author’s nearly 30 years of working and researching in the field of hospitality and tourism. Findings: The paper begins by talking about many of the positive things that are occurring in this field, before raising five main issues of concern: the changing nature of academic research; our own lack of critical thinking; becoming method robots; publishing and authorship pressures that hinder career development and creativity; and whether our own lack of working experience hurts the academic development of the field. Originality/value: The paper provides a list of five key issues all academics must be aware of to ensure both their own career progression and the continued development of the field.