From the Zoo to the Jungle: The Digitalization and Evolution of Qualitative Research in Tourism  

Digitalization has revolutionized qualitative research, transforming how we study consumer behavior in tourism. This seminar introduces a metaphorical framework—the zoo, the jungle, and the reserve—to illustrate how well-established qualitative methods can be adapted in the digital realm. Traditional individual and group interviews carried online, like a zoo, provide controlled environments where researchers interact with participants in structured settings. Netnography, akin to the jungle, immerses researchers in naturalistic, unstructured environments to capture lived experiences. Platform-focused ethnography represents the reserve, where consumers create temporary communities where they engage, share their experiences, and co-create knowledge with the researcher. Applying this framework to tourism, we will explore how digital platforms offer new opportunities to reshape the interactions between researchers and participants. The session will conclude with a brief discussion on the emerging role of AI-human hybrid approaches in qualitative research, examining their potential to enhance the study's design, analysis, and interpretation.