Faculty Bio

XU Ding

Associate Professor

School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-senUniversity

Email: xuding3@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Research Interests

Digital Technology Deployment in Tourism, Lifelong Learning through Travel

Positions Held

2025.07 to date, Associate Professor, School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-sen University.

2022.07 to 2025.07, Post-doc Research Fellow, School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-sen University.

Educational Qualifications

2019.02 to 2022.06, Ph.D. (Cum Laude)in Tourism, James Cook University, Australia.

2014.09 to 2018.07, Bachelor of Management in Tourism Management, Beijing Forestry University, China.

Research and Project Grants

PI-National Science Foundation of China, entitled“Research on the Measurement, Elicitation and Tourist Response of Immersive Experiences”, Grant No.72302239.

National Science Foundation of China, entitled “Research on the Impact and Mechanisms of Resource Protection on Protected Area Livelihood in the Tourism Context”, No.42071181.

National Social Science Foundation of China, entitled “Research on the Integration of Cultural Heritage and Tourism in Generating Cultural Confidence and Achieving Modernized Governance”, No.20AZD067.

Industry Consultation

PI-Consultation project funded byHuanglong Management Bureau, entitled “Huanglong World Natural Heritage Ecology and Nature Education Master Planning”.

Community development project funded by UNESCO, entitled “Panda Ambassador: Sichuan Giant Panda Habitat Sustainable Livelihood and Nature Education”.

Consultation project funded by SeaLink and Regional City Councils of North Queensland, entitled “North Queensland Regional Visitor Survey”.

Academic Memberships

2024.10 to date, Member of Professional Committee of Computing Power System Simulation.

2024.11 to date, Editorial Board Member of Journal of Travel Research.

Selected Papers and Publications(*indicates corresponding author)

Xu, D., Wu, X., Chen, T., & Pu, W. (2025). Unpacking tourism blind boxes: consumer experiences and purchase drivers? Current Issues in Tourism, ahead-of-print, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2025.2455444

Luo, X., Xu, D.*, Li, Y., &Wan, L. (2025). Advancing information search through GenAI: the roles of search type, travel motive and GenAI customization level. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 37(5), 1725-1743. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-06-2024-0941

Li, G., Zhang, C., Xu, D.*, & Wang, L. (2024). How Emotions Catalyse Learning through Study Tours: Evidence from Panda Ambassador. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 60, 322-333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2024.08.006

Zeng, X., Zhang, C., & Xu, D.* (2024). Developing and Validating a Scale to Measure Cultural Atmosphere in Historic Districts. Asia Pacific Journal Tourism Research, 29(9), 1152-1169. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2024.2380044

Xu, D., Pan, H., Li, G., & Zhang, C.* (2024). Bird Photos as Trophies: Status Signalling, Reinforcement, and Competition. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 47, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2024.100790

Xu, D., Zhang, W., Zhang, C.*, Mao, R., & Wang, C. (2024). Digitally Enriched Exhibitions in the Eyes of Museum Professionals: A Social-Representation Approach. Tourism Management, 105, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2024104970

Xu, D., Murphy, L.*, & Chen, T. (2024). Falling for Tourist Scams: An Examination of Scam Compliance Factors. Journal of Travel Research, 63(8), 1953-1970. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231206542

Xu, D., Li, G., Zhang, C.*, & Yang, Y. (2024). Born in a Tour Guide’s Family: How can Tourism Employment Fuel Intergenerational Social Mobility?. Current Issues in Tourism, 27(22), 3697-3714. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2023.2271630

Li, G., & Xu, D.* (2023).Learning by Doing: Educational Tourism at Mount Danxiashan. Tourism Case. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1079/tourism.2020.0043

Xu, D., Murphy, L.*, & Chen, T. (2023). Falling for Tourist Scams: An Examination of Scam Compliance Factors. Journal of Travel Research. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231206542

Xu, D., Li, G., Zhang, C.*, & Yang, Y. (2023). Born in a Tour Guide’s Family: How can Tourism Employment Fuel Intergenerational Social Mobility?. Current Issues in Tourism. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2023.2271630

Xu, D.*, Murphy, L., & Chen, T. (2023). Tourist scams: cues and processes in decision-making. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 27(12), 1247-1263. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2023.2174037

Xu, D.*, Murphy, L., Chen, T., & Pearce, P. L. (2022). Differentiating Tourist Scam Cases: Towards a Taxonomy of Deceptive Schemes. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management,50, 159-167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2022.01.011

He, J., Xu, D.*, & Chen, T. (2021). Travel vlogging practice and its impacts on tourist experiences. Current Issues in Tourism,25(15), 2518-2533.https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1971166

Xu, D.*, Chen, T., Pearce, J., Mohammadi, Z., & Pearce, P. L. (2021). Reaching audiences through travel vlogs: the perspective of involvement. Tourism Management, 86, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104326

Xu, D., Pearce, P. L.*, & Chen, T. (2021). Deconstructing tourist scams: A social-practice-theory perspective. Tourism Management, 82, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104186

Xu, D., Cong, L.*, & Wall, G.* (2020). Visitors’ spatio-temporal behavior at a zoo in China. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 25(9), 931-947. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2020.1802311

Xu, D., Cong, L.*, & Wall, G.* (2019). Tourists’ spatio-temporal behaviour and concerns in park tourism: Giant Panda National Park, Sichuan, China. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 24(9), 924-943. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2019.1653336

Selected Honors and Awards

2024, Best Paper Award at Frontiers at Hospitality and Tourism Annual Research Symposium.

2024, Best Paper Award at Annual Conference of Tourism Science.

2023, Best Paper Award at International Conference on Responsible Tourism and Hospitality (ICRTH).

2022, Cum LaudeGraduate, James Cook University, Australia.

2021,Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management Best PhD Paper Award.

2021, Best PhD Scholar Award (Bill Faulkner Award) at CAUTHE Annual Conference.

2019, James Cook University Postgraduate Research Scholarship.