Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This letter to the editor has been written in response to Benjamin et al. and Gard-McGehee’s discussion around the need for system reform in the tourism academy. Recognizing the diversity of opinions that exist around the future of the tourism academy, this paper challenges tourism scholars to approach academic reform through a spirit of civility. The polarization of the tourism academy has led to change often being viewed through an adversarial lens—it is us versus them. But who is “us” and who is “them”? We reflect on this issue and with reference to civility challenge members of the academy to reflect on how they can respect the inherent dignity of every academic, whilst recognizing that academics have a responsibility to pursue their own academic freedom in a way that is respectful of their relationship to the wider academy.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Academia. (2025). Lecturer with anxiety. How to survive in academia? https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/84604/lecturer-with-anxiety-how-to-survive-in-academia?__cf_chl_tk=DD2WtY9rRJZm4uHH7sKmr7UZWpU95KXDB2ria62Nt00-1750808741-1.0.1.1-xn32DzWFJN8V639EY_h3c4oVqgmBrErJSBSe7BjBJgg

Academics Anonymous. (2016). Managing an anxiety disorder in academia is a full-time job. https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2016/apr/29/managing-an-anxiety-disorder-in-academia-is-a-full-time-job

Anon. (2020). Civility, humility, and the pursuit of knowledge. https://allenmendenhallblog.com/2020/03/25/civility-humility-and-the-pursuit-of-knowledge/

Anonymous. (2023). Eating our young: A call for civility during Q&As following student conference presentation. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education, 14(3), 25–27. https://doi.org/journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjnse/index

Ateljevic

Morgan

Pritchard

(2007). Editor’s introduction: Promoting an academy of hope in tourism enquiry. In Ateljevic

Pritchard

Morgan

(Eds.), The critical turn in tourism studies (pp. 1–8). Routledge.

Bandyopadhyay

(2022). ‘A wholly racialized world’: Racial inequalities and peer review in leisure and tourism studies. Leisure Studies, 41(5), 605–619. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2022.2043416

Bandyopadhyay

(2023). The unfortunate inner lives of scholars of color in leisure and tourism studies. International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure, 6(2), 167–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41978-022-00124-8

Barkathunnisha

Diane

Price

Wilson

(2019). Towards a spirituality-based platform in tourism higher education. Current Issues in Tourism, 22(17), 2140–2156. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2018.1424810

Bejan

T. M.

(2017). Mere civility. Harvard University Press.

10.

Benjamin

Lee

K.-S.

Boluk

(2024). Shit has to change, right? A call for “good trouble” in tourism. Journal of Travel Research, 00472875241276542. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875241276542

11.

Berbekova

Lin

(2024). Exploring the connection between mental health and well-being for faculty in hospitality and tourism education: A thematic analysis. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 36(3), 216–225. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2024.2369134

12.

Bertella

Tomassini

(2024). Humour and comics for academic change and well-being. Annals of Tourism Research, 109, 103862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2024.103862

13.

Bourdillon

(2004). Conditions for constructive debate. South African Journal of Science, 100(5), 263–265. https://doi.org/https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC96265

14.

Buckley

(2023). Tourism and mental health: Foundations, frameworks, and futures. Journal of Travel Research, 62(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875221087669

15.

Calhoun

(2000). The virtue of civility. Philosophy & Public Affairs, 29(3), 251–275. https://doi.org/129.219.247.33

16.

Celikates

(2020). Radical civility: Social struggles and the domestication of dissent. In Christ

Lepold

Loick

Stahl

(Eds.), Debating critical theory: Engagements with Axel Honneth (pp. 83–96). Rowman and Littlefield.

17.

Chen

Zhao

(2025). Mental health and well-being in tourism: A horizon 2050 paper. Tourism Review, 80(1), 139–150. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-12-2023-0864

18.

Christou

Saveriades

Rigou

(2023). Wellbeing and tourism employees. In Morrison

Buhalis

(Eds.), Routledge handbook of trends and issues in tourism sustainability, planning and development, management, and technology (pp. 201–209). Routledge. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/10.4324/9781003291763

19.

Clark

C. M.

Gorton

K. L.

Bentley

A. L.

(2022). Civility: A concept analysis revisited. Nursing Outlook, 70(2), 259–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.11.001

20.

Cooper

Hall

(Eds.). (2024). How to get published in the best tourism journals. Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035300600.

21.

Cox

Martin

Bishop

Muurlink

Mondrusiak

(2024). The landscape of mental health in higher education: The current state and where to next. In Edwards

Martin

Ashkanasy

Cox

(Eds.), Research handbook of academic mental health (pp. 493–515). Edward Elgar. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/10.4337/9781803925080.00038

22.

Doan

Darcy

(2025). Autoethnographic disability-related research in hospitality and tourism journals: Empowering marginalized identity scholars’ voices. Journal of Travel Research, 64(1), 238–244. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875241257270

23.

Dolnicar

(2025). Not enjoying the publish or perish culture? You have two options only: Fuel it or resist it. Which will you choose? Annals of Tourism Research (Viewpoint). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2024.103865

24.

Edelheim

J. R.

Thomas

Åberg

K. G.

Phi

(2018). What do conferences do? What is academics’ intangible return on investment (ROI) from attending an academic tourism conference? Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 18(1), 94–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313220.2017.1407517

25.

Edwards

Martin

Ashkanasy

Cox

(2024). Research handbook of academic mental health. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/10.4337/9781803925080

26.

Fleming

(2021). Dark Academia: How Universities Die. Pluto Press.

27.

Foncubierta-Rodríguez

M. J.

Martín-Alcázar

Perea-Vicente

J. L.

(2022). Conflict and performance in research teams: How principal investigator can influence this relationship. R&D Management, 52(4), 755–767. https://doi.org/10.1111/radm.12519

28.

Gard-McGehee

(2024). Letter From the Co-Editor: Yes, “Shit’s Got to Change.” But How? A call for a deep scholarship social movement. Journal of Travel Research, 00472875241288510. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875241288510

29.

Gavin

Grabowski

Hassanli

Hergesell

Jasovska

Kaya

Klettner

Small

Walker

C. N.

Weatherall

(2023). ‘Maybe one way forward’: Forging collective collegiality in the neoliberal academy. Management Learning, 55(3), 386–405. https://doi.org/10.1177/13505076231181670

30.

Gmurzyńska

(2021). Analysis of the causes of conflicts at universities and alternative methods of resolving them. Part I: Mediation in academic disputes. Studia Iuridica Lublinensia, 30(1), 55–101. https://doi.org/10.17951/sil.2021.30.1.55-101

31.

Gupta

Roy

Sahu

(2022). HOW the tourism & hospitality lecturers coped with the transition to online teaching due to COVID-19: An assessment of stressors, negative sentiments & coping strategies. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 30, 100341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2021.100341

32.

Hall

(2010). Academic capitalism, academic responsibility and tourism academics: Or, the silence of the lambs? Tourism Recreation Research, 35(3), 298–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2010.11081646

33.

Hall

(2011). Publish and perish? Bibliometric analysis, journal ranking and the assessment of research quality in tourism. Tourism Management, 32(1), 16–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2010.07.001

34.

Hall

(2024). Tourism: Conceptualisations, disciplinarity, institutions and issues. In Hall

(Ed.), The Wiley Blackwell companion to tourism (pp. 1–13). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118474648

35.

Heffernan

Allen

K.-A.

(2024). Student evaluations and the impact on academic mental health. In Edwards

Martin

Ashkanasy

Cox

(Eds.), Research Handbook of Academic Mental Health (pp. 493–515). Edward Elgar. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/10.4337/9781803925080.00020

36.

Hernaus

Cerne

Connelly

Poloski Vokic

Škerlavaj

(2019). Evasive knowledge hiding in academia: When competitive individuals are asked to collaborate. Journal of Knowledge Management, 23(4), 597–618. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-11-2017-0531

37.

Heterodox Academy. (2025). Academic freedom. https://heterodoxacademy.org/issues/academic-freedom/

38.

Higgins-Desbiolles

(2020). Diversity in tourism: A perspective article. Tourism Review, 75(1), 29–32. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-06-2019-0226

39.

Wen

Kozak

(2025). Mental health research in tourism and hospitality: A horizon 2050 paper. Tourism Review, 80(1), 90–107. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-11-2023-0788

40.

Jafari

(2001). The scientification of tourism. In Smith

Brent

(Eds.), Hosts and guests revisited: Tourism issues of the 21st century (pp. 28–41). CABI.

41.

Khaliq

M. S.

Shahwar

(2025). Reclaiming academia from the middle-ground illusion. Annals of Tourism Research, 111, 103924. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2025.103924

42.

Khoo-Lattimore

(2020). Diversity excellence in tourism research: A perspective article. Tourism Review, 75(1), 33–36. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-07-2019-0321

43.

Lee

K.-S.

Benjamin

Boluk

Paddison

(2024). Caring for our graduate academy. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 35, 100497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2024.100497

44.

Linkedin. (2024). Here’s how you can resolve authorship disputes in research publications using conflict resolution techniques. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/heres-how-you-can-resolve-authorship-disputes-research-prmif

45.

Lockstone-Binney

Ong

Mair

(2021). Examining the interlocking of tourism editorial boards. Tourism Management Perspectives, 38, 100829. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2021.100829

46.

Macbeth

(2005). Towards an ethics platform for tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 32(4), 962–984. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2004.11.005

47.

McKercher

(2020). The future of tourism journals: A perspective article. Tourism Review, 75(1), 12–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-03-2019-0095

48.

Mortensen

(2019). The common good: An introduction to personalism. Vernon Press.

49.

Munar

A. M.

Khoo-Lattimore

Chambers

Biran

(2017). The academia we have and the one we want: On the centrality of gender equality. Anatolia, 28(4), 582–591. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2017.1370786

50.

Mura

Wijesinghe

S. N.

(2022). Ph. D. Students’ experiences and emotions in neoliberal tourism academia. Tourism Management Perspectives, 44, 101022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2022.101022

51.

Neser

Lushington

Zadow

Potter

Parkin

Richter

Pignata

Afsharian

Bakker

Dollard

(2023). Work, digital stress and well being survey report. University of South Australia. https://data.unisa.edu.au/dap/Dataset.aspx?DatasetID=814890

52.

Nicholls

Tekin

Lamb

Billings

(2022). The impact of working in academia on researchers’ mental health and well-being: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis. PLos One, 17(5), e0268890. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268890

53.

Nunkoo

Thelwall

Ladsawut

Goolaup

(2020). Three decades of tourism scholarship: Gender, collaboration and research methods. Tourism Management, 78, 104056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.104056

54.

Quijada

M. A.

(2021). My mental health struggle in academia: What I wish all business school faculty, students, and administration knew. Journal of Management Education, 45(1), 19–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562920958433

55.

Rohde

(2022). Leading by example: Living with mental illness in academia. https://voicesofacademia.com/2022/05/27/leading-by-example-living-with-mental-illness-in-academia-by-dr-peter-rohde/

56.

Sánchez

I. R.

Makkonen

Williams

A. M.

(2019). Peer review assessment of originality in tourism journals: Critical perspective of key gatekeepers. Annals of Tourism Research, 77, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2019.04.003

57.

Savater

(1998). Goed samen leven: Politiek voor mensen van morgen (Living together well. Politics for people of tomorrow). Bijleveld.

58.

Schneider

(2024). What’s your number? Publish or perish leads to worsening mental health outcomes in PhD students. https://communities.springernature.com/posts/what-s-your-number-publish-or-perish-leads-to-worsening-mental-health-outcomes-in-phd-students

59.

Schueth

(2022). Reducing the stigma of academic mental health can save lives. Nature Reviews Urology, 19(3), 129–130. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-021-00549-y

60.

Schweinsberg

(2018). Comments/rejoinders and the formation of knowledge. Annals of Tourism Research, 76, 331–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2018.09.012

61.

Schweinsberg

(2022). The Epistemic authority of tourism academics. Annals of Tourism Research, 93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2022.103351

62.

Schweinsberg

(2023a). Complementarity: Bridging the tourism academic/religion divide. Tourism Recreation Research, 48(4), 627–629. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2023.2208464

63.

Schweinsberg

(2023b). Religion, spirituality, and the formation of tourism knowledge. Tourism Recreation Research, 48(4), 593–604. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2023.2188353

64.

Schweinsberg

(2024a). 21st Century Tourism and the Academic Voice. https://tourismshorizon938.substack.com/p/21st-century-tourism-and-the-academic

65.

Schweinsberg

(2024b). Should we have a tourism academic pledge? Annals of Tourism Research, 107, 103796. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2024.103796

66.

Schweinsberg

(2024c). Tourism academic legacy: The importance of deciding what to leave behind. Annals of Tourism Research, 103729. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2024.103729

67.

Schweinsberg

Fennell

(2024). Tourism academia: A horizon 2050 paper. Tourism Review, 80(1), 404–415. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-12-2023-0843

68.

Schweinsberg

Fennell

Hassanli

(2021). Academic dissent in a post COVID-19 World Annals of Tourism Research, 91, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2021.103289

69.

Schweinsberg

Heizmann

Darcy

Wearing

Djolic

(2018). Establishing academic leadership praxis in sustainable tourism: Lessons from the past and bridges to the future. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 26(9), 1577–1586. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2018.1489397

70.

Schweinsberg

Sharpley

Darcy

(2022). Competitive positioning of tourism academic knowledge. Tourism Management, 91, 104502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104502

71.

Smith

(2018). Why the key to civility is empathy. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/02/08/why-the-key-to-civility-is-empathy/

72.

Stanford University. (ND). Issues related to authorship, co-Authorship, and collaboration. https://bps.stanford.edu/home/issues-related-authorship-co-authorship-and-collaboration

73.

Talisse

(2020). Civility in politics is harder than you think. https://theconversation.com/civility-in-politics-is-harder-than-you-think-130522

74.

Tjosvold

(Ed.). (2014). Constructive controversy. John Wiley and Sons.

75.

Todd

J. D.

(2021). Experiencing and embodying anxiety in spaces of academia and social research. Gender, Place & Culture, 28(4), 475–496. https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2020.1727862

76.

Tourism Horizon. (2023). An interview with Michael Hall: The third in our series, part of our 'Tourism Interviews project'. https://tourismshorizon938.substack.com/p/an-interview-with-michael-hall

77.

Uriely

(1997). Theories of modern and postmodern tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 24(4), 982–985. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(97)00029-7

78.

Weatherall

Klettner

Kaya

Jasovska

Hergesell

Hassanli

Grabowski

Gavin

(2024). The hidden garden: Cultivating relational writing through intimate encounters in the collective research journey. Culture and Organization, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/14759551.2024.2416948

79.

Wijesinghe

(2023). The illusions of freedom. Gerakbudaya Enterprise.

80.

Zhong

Yan

Sun

Chen

Tao

Jiang

Chen

Ding

(2024). Relationship between personality portraits of university students and interpersonal conflict resolution strategies: A latent profile analysis. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 31967. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-83491-4

Academic Conflict,Civility,and Mental Health

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References