Our research

The Climate Change Action cluster brings together tourism and climate change experts who aim to help tourism businesses, destinations, governments, and regional organisations to reduce climate change risk. This outcome is achieved by decarbonising tourism-related operations in line with the Paris Agreement and successfully adapting to mitigate the increasing impact of climate change. Our researchers have expertise in the following areas:

• Carbon footprint analysis: We comprehensively analyse destinations and recommend carbon footprint mitigation strategies.
• Impact assessment: We assess tourism’s vulnerability to climate change impacts and provide recommendations to address them.
• Policy analysis: We evaluate the integration of tourism and climate change policies and how to improve them. Climate change governance: We analyse tourism governance effectiveness to address climate change, including the enabling environment.
• Climate change strategies: We identify climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies that help balance the impact of tourism on the environment and broadly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Our recent projects include:

• Calculating carbon emissions and development of future emission scenarios for some Australian destinations
• Identifying holistic climate risk reduction strategies in Vanuatu
• Informing tourism governance to intensify climate change action
• Developing a project plan for decarbonising tourism in the Whitsundays
• Reviewing climate science and policy in Australasia

Climate Change Action cluster members actively participate in international science review panels such as the Executive Board of the Tourism Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Their works inform policy recommendations and contribute to advancing science-based climate action across the global tourism system.

Ongoing projects

Greening Hotels

Sustainable Tourism in Developing Countries

The Institute’s events and sport management cluster have several exciting new projects underway for 2023. Many of our projects leverage opportunities to strategically inform the planning, delivery, and legacies of the upcoming Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Some examples of these projects currently underway include:

• Major Events Gold Coast funded a consultancy project to develop a new major events strategic direction for Gold Coast.
• Our researchers are currently working on optimising the operations of major events and enhancing the visitor experience. Through an interdisciplinary team comprising other Griffith University researchers, they are developing a scorecard tool through observational data collected at two major Gold Coast events in 2022.
• Queensland Tourism Industry Council funded a project to develop Queensland’s COVID-safe event framework.

In the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Institute is currently involved in a project to advance athlete and coach access to high-performance sports services in developing countries.

Ongoing Projects

Events Strategy for the GC

Rural Volunteering Roadmap

Resilient Events

The Institute engages and mobilises the input of local communities, tourism businesses and tourists in peripheral regions of Australia to develop peak tourist experiences with exceptional potential to inspire repeat visits and recommendations. This research cluster aims to help foster more resilient and sustainable communities and businesses by generating significant new sources of tourism-related employment and revenue. Innovative outcomes, co-created with local communities, assist regional destinations in implementing successful co-creative tourism aligned with their unique cultural and geographical circumstances.

We have various disciplinary experts from tourism, planning, experience design, technology, architecture, and economics. Our rigorous and robust approach delivers high-quality, innovative applied solutions. Our researchers have brought over $13 million to our Queensland partners since 2016. Our services include:

• Tourism master plans
• Tourism strategic plans
• Tourism operational plans
• Tourism grant writing
• Tourism infrastructure project management
• Tourism workforce training
• Community development community
• Small business mentoring
• Tourism internships
• Assistance to tourism eco-certification

Ongoing projects

Regional Tourism Research

Bushfire Stories

Pacific Islands

Aviation plays a significant role in tourism development, especially in geographically isolated countries like Australia and New Zealand. However, it faces several challenges caused by external factors and events (natural disasters, global pandemics, and economic and social instabilities). In addition, aviation has been one of the last sectors to convert to zero emissions.

The Future of Aviation cluster researchers hold expertise on various sub-topics related to this broad field of research (i.e., carbon reduction in aviation, air travel passenger behaviour, air transport regulation, airports and global cities, and air route development).

Our researchers are focused on air transport management and airport operations and conducted several industry-relevant research and consultancy work in collaboration with long-lasting partners in Australia, including Brisbane Airport Corporation, Gold Coast Airport, and Adelaide Airport. Some examples of past work projects involve:

• Passenger behaviour and shopping preferences research to support intelligent business decisions regarding car parking and retail
• Visitor experience and travel dispersal
• Passenger satisfaction
• Stakeholder engagement in air route development, particularly the role of leadership and governance.

The Institute also seeks to develop innovative solutions toward achieving sustainable development and zero-carbon objectives by researching sustainable, regenerative, and low-carbon technologies. Our researchers are founders and facilitators of the Aviation Reimagined online seminar series featuring industry leaders, policymakers and researchers sharing their insights about transitioning to a low-carbon future for aviation. Their extensive work created multiple opportunities, such as:

• Involvement with Sustainable Aviation Fuel Alliance of Australia and New Zealand to create a collaborative environment to advance sustainable aviation fuel production, policy, education and marketing in Australia and New Zealand
• Participation at the Steering Committee for Boeing-funded CSIRO research and production of a Sustainable Aviation Fuel Roadmap - Examining Australia’s potential role in the APAC region
• The Climate Ready Initiative to support Skytrans Airlines towards their journey to “jet zero”.

Aviation Reimagined

The “Aviation Reimagined” series brought together leading global experts to debate research, innovation and policies supporting decarbonising the aviation sector. Some topics include Aviation Net Zero, Policy Leadership, Technology Developments, Aircraft of Tomorrow and Transforming our airports.

Rethinking Aviation

The Visitor Economy Data Analytics and Indicators is a new research cluster at the Institute. This cluster pulls together researchers specialising in understanding visitor perceptions and behaviour and more efficient data-driven management of attractions and destinations. Our team has a wealth of experience in government, industry, and academia. We have assisted our partners in policy advice, Big Data, and data mining, measuring the economic value of tourism, developing tourist experience and planning, and consuming and evaluating tourism systems, specifically:

• Economic impact assessments on tourism expenditure of domestic, inbound, and outbound visitors
• Development and training on tourism satellite accounts
• Cost-benefit analysis in understanding tourism’s economic, social, and environmental impact
• Understanding visitor statistics and predicting future trends
• Visitor behaviour and movement tracking using Big Data
• Analysing destination strategic plans
• Feasibility testing and evidence-based expert advice to design and develop innovative tourism experiences

Current projects in this space include collaborations with domestic and international government entities and academic institutions to review international tourism data hubs, develop frameworks for analysing destination performance and identify appropriate indicators and their measures to assess performance.

Ongoing projects

Tourism Mobility

Tourism and Hospitality Workforce

Our expertise includes tourism and hospitality (and broader frontline service) workforce planning, policy, and workplace design and practices, especially about youth employment, skills and career development, employee well-being, Generation Z, and talent management. We work closely with the government, industry practitioners, experts in other institutions and other stakeholders, locally and internationally, to pursue a more sustainable and empowered future workforce. Examples of recent projects include the development of a new performance management system for a large national organisation and a written submission and presentation to the National Youth Commission Australia.

First Nations Tourism

First Nations tourism in Queensland is in a strong position to leverage the opportunities that will be forthcoming as planning for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games gains momentum. Now is the time to “embrace the profound economic value and global cultural significance of Indigenous Tourism” (NITAG, 2020:1) as the profile and awareness of First Nations tourism in Queensland and across Australia strengthens and grows in significance. Now is the time to leverage the unique selling points of Queensland First Nations tourism experiences which are many and varied, representing both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures. Now is the time for First Nations tourism in Queensland to shine as ‘All tourism at its heart, is Indigenous tourism’ (NITAG, 2020:1).

Accessible Tourism

Our researchers are interested in partnering with people with lived experience to uncover and transform the environments, systems, and services that disadvantage people with a disability. During earlier work in this specialist area, we partnered with people with disabilities to uncover and understand the positive and the negative experiences. In the Year of Accessible Tourism, we look forward to partnering with citizens, advocacy groups, government, and industry to develop and implement solutions that promote sustainable and positive experiences.

Griffith Institute for Tourism Biosensor Lab

In 2023, GIFT upgraded its biosensor lab, comprising revolutionary technology that uses human behaviour metrics to gather tourism data, including virtual reality eye-tracking, screen-based eye-tracking, mobile eye-tracking glasses, facial expression analysis, and skin conductance. The lab features excellent tools to leverage the insights offered by eye tracking and facial expression analysis while maintaining high mobility and flexibility.