Quality-of-life: A critical examination of research progress

Abstract

Quality-of-life (QoL) and well-being research in tourism have significantly increased over the past two decades and today presents one of the fastest expanding and inviting areas of research. This study critically examines the QoL and well-being research progress through bibliometric and qualitative thematic analyses. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the existing perspectives, and conceptual and operational characteristics of this research stream, and further identifies emerging themes and new research directions. While the impact of tourism development on the QoL of residents/communities, tourists, and industry providers is well understood, there is a lack of empirical research focusing on the inclusion and infusion of QoL indicators to measure performance, facilitate tourism policy and governance, and guide destination management. Designing for QoL is discussed as an encompassing approach to destination development that will promote QoL for all stakeholders involved.