Dear Readers,

The field of tourism is continuously being reshaped by global technological, social, and environmental transformations. The changing expectations of new generations, the rapid advancement of digitalization, the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence–based applications, and sustainability-oriented approaches have created significant turning points in both the academic and industry dimensions of tourism. This volume aims to address these transformation processes from a multidimensional perspective and to discuss the current dynamics of tourism as well as its future directions.

This book includes scholarly papers presented at the 4th International Congress of New Generations and New Trends in Tourism, which was held in Sapanca on 5 – 7 November 2025, hosted by the Faculty of Tourism at Sakarya University of Applied Sciences.

The primary contribution of this book lies in its systematic examination of issues that have become increasingly prominent in tourism literature, such as digitalization, sustainability, innovative business models, changing consumer profiles, and emerging experience-seeking behaviors. In this respect, the book seeks to bring together current trends that are often addressed in a fragmented manner in the literature, thereby providing conceptual clarity and establishing a solid reference point for future research. Furthermore, the studies included in this book are expected to offer valuable insights for policymakers and industry practitioners involved in tourism development.

Covering a wide range of subfields including tourism management, gastronomy, tourist guiding, recreation, digital tourism, and sustainable tourism, this volume serves as an up-to-date and high-quality reference source for academics, graduate students, and industry professionals. At the same time, by offering a critical perspective on the evolving structure of tourism, the book aims to contribute to the emergence of new lines of discussion within the academic literature.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all contributing authors for their scholarly efforts, as well as to the reviewers and everyone who supported the editorial process with their valuable contributions. We hope that this volume will make a meaningful contribution to the contemporary tourism literature, inspire future research, and provide its readers with diverse and insightful perspectives.

We wish you an enjoyable and enriching reading.

Editors

O. Çolak, S. Bülbül & N. Eker