IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/anture/v114y2025ics016073832500115x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rethinking synthetic data in tourism research: Ethical risks, epistemic shifts, and the RSDU-T framework

Author

Listed:
  • Ali, Faizan

Abstract

The rise of synthetic data generated by large language models (LLMs) has sparked critical debate in tourism research. Viglia et al. (2024) explore its potential in early-stage research, while cautioning against its use in main studies. Building on their work, this paper offers a conceptual critique that addresses underexamined theoretical, ethical, and epistemological concerns, including algorithmic accountability, digital inequality, data pollution, and cultural misrepresentation. It warns of the risks of reinforcing dominant narratives and excluding marginalized voices. In response, the Responsible Synthetic Data Usage in Tourism (RSDU-T) framework is proposed, structured around four pillars: transparency, methodological rigor, ethical reflexivity, and epistemological integrity. The framework provides actionable guidelines and is supported by real-world illustrations and a stakeholder implications table to ensure practical relevance. It calls for a reflexive, inclusive, and culturally grounded approach to responsibly integrate synthetic data into tourism research.

Suggested Citation

  • Ali, Faizan, 2025. "Rethinking synthetic data in tourism research: Ethical risks, epistemic shifts, and the RSDU-T framework," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:anture:v:114:y:2025:i:c:s016073832500115x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2025.104009
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016073832500115X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.annals.2025.104009?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:anture:v:114:y:2025:i:c:s016073832500115x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/annals-of-tourism-research/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.