From theory borrowing to theory generation: Advancing indigenous theory development in tourism studies

Tourism research has generated substantial empirical knowledge by applying and extending theories from psychology, sociology, management, and related disciplines. While this strategy has strengthened methodological rigor, it has also positioned tourism primarily as a field of theory application rather than theory generation. This research argues that the distinctive characteristics of tourism systems—including tourists’ liminal and experiential identities, the ecosystem- and hospitality-based nature of tourism enterprises, and the public and cross-sectoral functions of tourism policy—provide fertile ground for developing indigenous theory. Drawing on the social science literature on theory development, we propose a five-stage roadmap for advancing tourism-specific theory: phenomenon identification, concept formation, mechanism building, empirical refinement, and theory generalization. By shifting the emphasis from deductive validation to generative theorization, this research offers a conceptual framework for positioning tourism as a theory-generating discipline capable of contributing not only to tourism scholarship but also to the broader social sciences.