Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research: Scopus, Scope & Submission Guide
Quick Answer: What Is Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research?
Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research (often shortened to ACTHR) is an Emerald Publishing book series in tourism and hospitality research. That distinction matters: although Scopus treats it as a source and researchers may informally call it a journal, Emerald presents ACTHR as a series of themed scholarly volumes containing papers or book chapters rather than as a conventional issue-based journal.
Emerald states that ACTHR seeks to advance knowledge and sense-making about cultural, organizational and personal influences on tourism and hospitality behaviour, including conscious and unconscious thinking by tourists, guests and service providers. The official series page also states that papers are double-blind reviewed and that authors receive comments supporting revision and reasons for acceptance or rejection.
The supplied Scopus record identifies Source ID 21100258744. The confirmed print ISSN is 1871-3173, and the ISSN Portal records the online ISSN 2977-4535. Researchers considering ACTHR should verify the live Scopus record, current metrics, the specific volume accepting contributions, and contributor instructions before treating it as suitable for a PhD, institutional or funding requirement.
Key Takeaways
- Source type: ACTHR is a book series, not a conventional journal.
- Publisher: Emerald Publishing; older volume records may show Emerald Group Publishing Limited and an imprint such as JAI Press.
- Identifiers: Scopus Source ID 21100258744; print ISSN 1871-3173; online ISSN 2977-4535.
- Scope: culture, tourism and hospitality, with emphasis on behaviour, decision processes, sensemaking, management, destinations and related interdisciplinary questions.
- Peer review: Emerald's ACTHR page explicitly describes double-blind review.
- 2024 Scopus metric reported by an institutional journal guide: CiteScore 0.1, with Q4 placement in Social Sciences (miscellaneous) and Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management; verify the latest live Scopus metrics before formal use.
- Submission model: the series page encourages submissions but does not show a standard journal-style submission portal; authors should obtain volume-specific contributor instructions.
- Fees: a series-specific APC was not found on the ACTHR page. Emerald has separate book/chapter open-access routes, so authors must confirm any applicable charge for the exact volume.
Journal Information at a Glance
| Field | Journal / Series Information |
|---|---|
| Full title | Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research |
| Common short form | ACTHR (used on Emerald's official series page) |
| Source type | Book series |
| Scopus Source ID | 21100258744 |
| ISSN | 1871-3173 (print) |
| EISSN | 2977-4535 (online) |
| Publisher | Emerald Publishing |
| Country | United Kingdom (ISSN record) |
| Language | English is used in the reviewed Emerald volumes and series materials; confirm any volume-specific requirements. |
| Primary subject areas | Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management; Social Sciences (miscellaneous) |
| Peer review | Double-blind review stated by Emerald |
| CiteScore | 0.1 (2024, reported as Scopus Journal Metrics by VU Journal Publishing Guide) |
| Quartile | Q4 (2024) in Social Sciences (misc.) and Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management, per the institutional guide |
| SJR / SNIP | Verify current value in the applicable metric database; no sufficiently authoritative current value was used here. |
| Journal Impact Factor | Not verified from an official Clarivate source. |
| Open access | Not presented as a fully OA series; Emerald offers optional OA routes for books/chapters generally. |
| Series-specific APC | Not publicly stated on the ACTHR series page. |
| Official series page | Emerald ACTHR series page |
| Scopus profile | Scopus Source ID 21100258744 |
What This Page Covers
This guide brings together the information a researcher is most likely to need before deciding whether ACTHR is an appropriate publication venue: aims and scope, subject fit, Scopus identification, available metrics, publisher information, review model, likely manuscript format, submission route, open-access considerations, fees, publication ethics, recent research patterns, a journal-fit checklist, and practical preparation steps.
Methodology and Sources
Journal-specific facts were checked against Emerald's official ACTHR series and volume pages, the ISSN Portal, Emerald's author and publication-ethics guidance, the supplied Scopus source link, and an institutional journal publishing guide that explicitly labels its 2024 figures as Scopus Journal Metrics. Where a metric, fee, acceptance rate, timeline, editorial role or submission requirement could not be verified specifically for ACTHR, this guide says so rather than filling the gap with a generic journal assumption.
Indexing, metrics, fees, editorial arrangements and calls for contributions can change. Authors should recheck the official sources immediately before submission or before citing a metric in a university form, thesis progress report, grant application or promotion dossier.
What Is ACTHR and What Is Its Scholarly Role?
ACTHR is designed around the intersection of culture, tourism and hospitality, but its official description reaches beyond a narrow industry-management perspective. Emerald emphasises interpretation of cultural, organizational and personal influences on behaviour and decision making. That creates room for work drawing on consumer behaviour, psychology, sociology, marketing, management, destination studies, service research and policy when the connection to tourism or hospitality is clear.
The series format also shapes how researchers should assess fit. Individual volumes are often thematic. Recent Emerald records include volumes on contested tourism policy problems, climate change and destination competitiveness, consumer behaviour, tourism and hospitality management, marketing places and spaces, trade tales, and tourists' perceptions or behaviours. A manuscript can therefore fit the broad ACTHR mission but still be unsuitable for a particular volume if it does not match that volume's theme.
Journal Aims, Objectives and Scope
Emerald's stated objective is to advance knowledge and sense-making skills for interpreting influences on tourism and hospitality behaviour. The official description specifically refers to cultural, organizational and personal influences and to conscious and unconscious thinking processes of tourists, guests and service providers. It also indicates that the editors welcome submissions across a broad range of culture, tourism and hospitality topics.
For researchers, this suggests three recurring contribution tests. First, the study should have a clear tourism or hospitality setting or implication. Second, it should help explain behaviour, decision processes, experiences, organizations, destinations, markets or policies rather than merely describe a context. Third, it should add scholarly value through theory, empirical evidence, methodological insight or a defensible synthesis.
Potentially aligned themes, based on the stated scope and published volumes, include:
- tourist and guest decision making
- consumer behaviour in tourism and hospitality
- cultural influences on travel, service and consumption
- destination image, branding and evaluation
- hospitality management and service-provider behaviour
- tourism marketing and place marketing
- tourism policy and governance
- sustainable tourism and climate-related challenges
- destination competitiveness and performance
- visitor perceptions, experiences and sensemaking
- storytelling, narratives and qualitative interpretation
- tourism employment and workforce issues
- heritage tourism and cultural tourism
- inter-organizational networks in tourism
- international and cross-cultural tourism research
These examples are a practical interpretation, not an exhaustive official list. A technically strong paper on an unrelated business or social-science topic would still be a weak fit if tourism or hospitality is incidental.
Scopus Indexing, Coverage and Journal Metrics
The primary input supplied for this guide identifies ACTHR as a Scopus source with Source ID 21100258744. Recent 2024 chapters indexed under the series can also be traced through institutional research records back to Scopus publication records. Because Scopus can revise source coverage, researchers should use the live Scopus source profile as the final authority on active status and coverage years.
Understanding the Quartile
A quartile is category- and year-specific. The same source can occupy different quartiles in different subject categories, so saying only “ACTHR is Q4” is incomplete. For 2024, the institutional guide lists Q4 in Social Sciences (miscellaneous) and Q4 in Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management. If a university requires a particular quartile, confirm the exact database, year and category accepted by that institution.
Other Indexing and Impact Factor
This guide does not claim Web of Science Core Collection, DOAJ, PubMed/MEDLINE or another major abstracting service without verification. A current Journal Citation Reports Impact Factor was not verified from an official Clarivate source. Scopus inclusion does not automatically mean a title has a JCR Impact Factor.
Publisher, Volumes and Editorial Structure
ACTHR is published by Emerald Publishing. Historical product records may identify “Emerald Group Publishing Limited,” and at least one older volume lists JAI Press Inc. as an imprint. The ISSN record places the series in the United Kingdom. Emerald's series catalogue provides access to individual volume records and recent books.
The public series page refers to “editors” and says ACTHR volumes include the names and affiliations of editorial board members, but a single current Editor-in-Chief or permanent journal-style leadership team was not verified on the page reviewed. Because edited book series can use volume-specific editors, authors should identify the editorial contacts attached to the volume they wish to join rather than relying on an old board list.
What Types of Work Does ACTHR Publish?
Emerald's current records present contributions within ACTHR volumes as book chapters, while the series description refers to “papers.” Recent chapters include empirical, conceptual, policy-oriented and theory-informed work. This is another reason not to assume that standard journal article categories such as “Original Research Article,” “Short Communication” or “Letter” apply.
If you are considering submission, ask the relevant editor what the intended contribution type is for the target volume, the expected chapter length, whether an abstract and keywords are required, and whether the volume has a commissioned or open-call model. Those details can vary between edited collections.
Who Should Consider Publishing in ACTHR?
ACTHR may be relevant to PhD scholars, early-career researchers, faculty members, tourism and hospitality academics, management and marketing researchers, policy scholars, and interdisciplinary teams whose research has a substantive tourism or hospitality contribution. Academic status alone is not a fit criterion. A strong submission should align with both the overall series mission and the current volume's theme.
How to Decide Whether Your Manuscript Fits
As a practical publication-readiness step, compare your manuscript with several recent ACTHR chapters and with the table of contents of the specific volume. If the connection requires a long explanation, the fit may be weak.
Journal-Fit Checklist
- My topic falls within tourism, hospitality or a closely connected cultural/behavioural theme.
- I have checked the focus of the specific ACTHR volume.
- The intended readers would recognise the significance of my research question.
- My theoretical or practical contribution is explicit.
- My methodology is appropriate for the claim.
- I know whether the editor is accepting unsolicited contributions.
- I have the latest contributor instructions.
- I have verified the live Scopus source status.
- I have confirmed how my institution treats book-series chapters.
- I understand any OA or fee implications.
Submission and Manuscript Preparation Guidance
The official ACTHR series page encourages submissions, but it does not provide a conventional journal-style “Submit your paper” portal. That means authors should not assume that a standard Emerald journal workflow applies. The safest route is to identify the relevant current volume or call, then obtain instructions from the volume editor or Emerald contact.
Emerald's general book author guidance gives useful context for book-series workflows. For final book manuscripts and edited collections, Emerald describes elements such as title pages, contributor information, individual chapter Word files, abstracts and keywords for chapters in edited collections, labelled illustrations/tables, permissions documentation and proof of peer review for edited collections. These are publisher-level book guidelines, not verified ACTHR-specific word limits.
Before Sending a Chapter or Paper
- Confirm the exact volume, editor and whether the contribution is invited or open-call.
- Request the current chapter template or contributor instructions.
- Confirm title, abstract and keyword requirements.
- Confirm word length, heading structure and reference style.
- Prepare high-resolution, permission-cleared figures and tables where needed.
- Disclose funding, conflicts of interest and required ethics approvals.
- Ensure every co-author meets authorship criteria and approves submission.
- Keep a clean record of third-party permissions, datasets and source citations.
No ACTHR-specific reference style, abstract word limit, chapter word limit, file naming convention or ORCID requirement was verified on the public series page. Authors should therefore follow the latest volume-specific instructions rather than copying formatting from an older volume.
Peer Review and What Authors Can Expect
Emerald's ACTHR page provides one unusually clear journal-specific fact: all papers published in ACTHR are double-blind reviewed. It also says authors receive comments for revision and reasons for acceptance or rejection. Double-blind review is intended to reduce direct identification of authors and reviewers, so contributors should be prepared to follow any anonymisation instructions supplied by the volume editor.
An official average first-decision or publication time was not found. A reasonable process for an edited volume may include initial fit screening, reviewer assignment, double-blind review, revision, editorial decision, copy-editing/typesetting, proofing and scheduled volume publication, but the exact sequence and timeline should be confirmed for the specific project.
Responding to Reviewer Comments
Use a point-by-point response. Copy or paraphrase each comment, state what changed, identify the revised section or page, and explain respectfully when a suggestion cannot be implemented. The response letter and revised manuscript should agree. Avoid treating “major revisions” as a rejection; it is a request to demonstrate that the manuscript can meet the scholarly and editorial standard.
Publication Ethics and Responsible AI Use
Emerald states that it follows Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) principles and expects original work, appropriate authorship, accurate citation, conflict-of-interest disclosure, permissions for third-party material, consent where identifiable individuals or organisations are involved, and documented ethics approval where required. It also prohibits simultaneous submission except where an explicit policy permits an exception.
Emerald's current AI policy requires transparent disclosure of AI use and keeps authors accountable for accuracy and integrity. Its guidance distinguishes permitted language-focused copy-editing of author-created text from unacceptable replacement of human authorship or peer-review judgement. Because AI policy evolves, ACTHR contributors should read the current Emerald ethics page at the time they prepare the manuscript.
Open Access, Copyright and Publication Fees
ACTHR is not presented on Emerald's series page as a fully open-access publication. Many volumes are sold in print and ebook formats. Emerald separately offers open-access options for books and individual chapters, generally using CC BY 4.0 for that programme, and publishes book/chapter processing charges on its OA books page.
Those general OA charges should not be treated as a confirmed ACTHR APC. A series-specific submission fee, publication fee or mandatory APC was not found on the ACTHR page. Authors interested in open access should ask whether the target volume supports an OA chapter, what charge applies at that time, whether funding or institutional arrangements are available, and which licence will be used.
Emerald also describes a green open-access route for journal articles and book chapters through author accepted manuscripts, subject to its current sharing policy. Check the latest author-rights page before depositing a version.
Acceptance Rate, Review Time and Special Calls
Acceptance rate: ACTHR does not appear to publicly disclose an official acceptance rate, so this guide does not estimate one.
Review time: an official average peer-review duration was not found. Volume schedules, reviewer availability and revision cycles can affect timing.
Calls for contributions: because ACTHR is volume-based, authors should look for a current themed volume, editorial call or direct invitation. Do not rely on an expired call as evidence that the same topic is still accepting submissions.
Recent Research and What It Suggests About Fit
Emerald's recent ACTHR records show a strong thematic-volume pattern. A 2024 volume on contested “wicked problems” in tourism policy includes work on tourism and hospitality employment, heritage governance, migration and tourism, and other policy challenges. Other volumes have focused on climate change and destination competitiveness, tourist perceptions and behaviour, marketing places and spaces, consumer behaviour, and tourism and hospitality management.
The practical implication is that researchers should evaluate ACTHR at two levels: first, whether their study belongs in the series' broad culture-tourism-hospitality domain; second, whether there is an active volume in which the manuscript contributes directly to the theme. A manuscript that fits the first level but not the second may simply need a different venue or a later volume.
Practical Journal-Fit Examples
Strong scope match
A PhD researcher studies how cultural values shape tourist decision making across two destination markets. This aligns strongly with ACTHR's behavioural and cultural focus. The remaining checks are whether a current volume matches the topic, whether the contribution is sufficiently original, and whether the university recognises the output type.
Weak scope match
A technically sound paper models warehouse inventory efficiency with no tourism or hospitality application. The research quality may be high, but ACTHR is unlikely to be the natural scholarly audience.
Good study, wrong preparation
An author has relevant destination research but uses an old chapter template and omits required declarations. The solution is not cosmetic rewriting; it is to obtain the current contributor instructions and rebuild the submission package accordingly.
ESL manuscript
A study is methodologically sound, but language obscures the argument and contribution. Academic editing can improve clarity and consistency while preserving the author's analysis and without guaranteeing acceptance.
Major revision
An author receives detailed reviewer concerns about theory and interpretation. A structured point-by-point response should show precisely how each issue was addressed and where the manuscript changed.
Pre-Submission Checklist
- Live Scopus status checked
- Current volume identified
- Volume-specific scope read
- Contributor instructions obtained
- Article/chapter type confirmed
- Word limit confirmed
- Title and abstract refined
- Keywords checked
- Figures and tables permission-cleared
- References verified and formatted
- Ethics approval documented where needed
- Funding statement prepared
- Conflict-of-interest declaration prepared
- Authorship and order agreed
- Data/citation traceability checked
- AI use reviewed against current Emerald policy
- All authors approve submission
- Open-access implications checked
- Any fee confirmed directly
- Institutional/PhD recognition confirmed
Is ACTHR Suitable for PhD Researchers, and Is It a “Good” Journal?
For a PhD researcher, suitability depends on the research topic, the specific volume, the quality and contribution of the manuscript, and the university's publication rules. Some institutions count Scopus-indexed book chapters differently from Scopus-indexed journal articles. Because ACTHR is a book series, that distinction should be checked with the supervisor or doctoral office before submission.
Whether ACTHR is “good” also depends on purpose. Its strengths include an identifiable established publisher, a transparent series page, a clearly stated double-blind review model, confirmed ISSNs and a supplied Scopus source record. Its available 2024 citation metric is modest, and the volume-based format may not suit researchers who specifically need a journal article in a particular quartile or Journal Citation Reports category. A decision should therefore be based on fit and institutional requirements, not on a single label.
Planning to Submit Research to ACTHR?
Preparing for a series contribution involves more than grammar. Authors need to establish volume fit, communicate the contribution clearly, follow contributor instructions, use consistent academic language, present tables and figures effectively, and meet referencing and ethics requirements.
Contentxprtz can support manuscript assessment, academic editing, proofreading, ESL language polishing, structure improvement, reference consistency, cover-letter or proposal editing, reviewer-response editing and publication-readiness checks.
Contentxprtz does not control editorial decisions and does not guarantee acceptance or publication. Professional support is intended to help authors present their own research clearly, accurately and ethically.
Explore journal publication supportSummary: Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research
Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research is an Emerald Publishing book series focused on behavioural, cultural, organizational and interdisciplinary questions in tourism and hospitality. The supplied Scopus Source ID is 21100258744; the confirmed print ISSN is 1871-3173 and online ISSN is 2977-4535. Emerald explicitly states that ACTHR papers are double-blind reviewed. An institutional guide reports a 2024 CiteScore of 0.1 and Q4 classification in two Scopus categories, but current metrics should be rechecked. The public series page does not state an ACTHR-specific APC, acceptance rate, average review time or standard journal-style submission portal. Authors should therefore identify the relevant volume, obtain the latest contributor instructions, confirm institutional recognition of a book-series output, and verify live indexing and fees before submission.
Authoritative Sources to Verify Before Submission
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research?
Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research (ACTHR) is an Emerald Publishing book series focused on cultural, organizational and personal influences on tourism and hospitality behaviour. It publishes themed volumes containing research papers or chapters rather than operating as a conventional issue-based journal.
Who publishes Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research?
Emerald Publishing publishes the series. Emerald's official series page identifies the title and lists its volumes, while individual volume records identify Emerald Group Publishing Limited or Emerald Publishing Limited as publisher.
Is Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research indexed in Scopus?
The supplied Scopus source record identifies the series with Source ID 21100258744. Authors should still verify the live Scopus source profile immediately before relying on indexing status for an institutional or PhD requirement because source coverage and metrics can change.
What is the Scopus Source ID?
The Scopus Source ID supplied for Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research is 21100258744.
What are the ISSN and EISSN?
The confirmed print ISSN is 1871-3173. The ISSN Portal also records an online ISSN of 2977-4535, linked to ISSN-L 1871-3173.
What subjects does the series cover?
The series covers tourism and hospitality research with emphasis on cultural, organizational and personal influences, tourist and guest behaviour, service-provider behaviour, decision making, sensemaking, destination and hospitality management, marketing, sustainability, policy and related interdisciplinary topics.
What is the current CiteScore?
An institutional journal guide reporting Scopus Journal Metrics for 2024 lists a CiteScore of 0.1. Metrics are year-specific and should be rechecked in the live Scopus source profile before use in formal reporting.
What is the quartile?
The same institutional guide reports Q4 for 2024 in both Social Sciences (miscellaneous) and Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management. Quartiles depend on year and category, so authors should verify the current Scopus category rankings.
Does the series have an Impact Factor?
A current Journal Citation Reports Impact Factor was not verified from an official Clarivate source during preparation of this guide. Authors who require JCR status should check Clarivate directly rather than assuming that Scopus indexing implies a Journal Impact Factor.
What peer-review model does ACTHR use?
Emerald's official ACTHR series page states that all papers published in the series are double-blind reviewed and that authors receive reviewer comments and reasons for acceptance or rejection.
Is ACTHR open access?
The series is not presented by Emerald as a fully open-access series; many volumes are sold as books or ebooks. Emerald separately offers open-access book and chapter routes, but authors should confirm whether an OA option applies to a specific ACTHR volume and what charge would apply.
Does ACTHR charge an APC?
A series-specific APC is not stated on the official ACTHR series page. Emerald publishes general open-access book and chapter charges, but those should not be treated as an automatic ACTHR fee. Confirm current costs with the relevant editor or Emerald before submission.
How do I submit a manuscript to ACTHR?
The official series page encourages submissions but does not provide a conventional journal-style submission portal on that page. Because ACTHR is a book series, authors should identify the relevant current volume or editorial contact and obtain the specific contributor instructions before preparing a final submission.
How long does peer review take?
An official average review duration for ACTHR was not found. Timing can depend on the volume, editors, reviewer availability, revision cycles and production schedule.
What is the acceptance rate?
The series does not appear to publicly disclose an official acceptance rate. It should not be estimated from unofficial websites.
Is ACTHR suitable for PhD researchers?
It may be suitable when the manuscript clearly fits the series scope and the researcher's university or supervisor accepts book-series chapters or papers for the relevant requirement. Scopus indexing alone does not determine whether a publication satisfies a PhD policy.
Can Contentxprtz help prepare a manuscript for ACTHR?
Yes. Contentxprtz can support scope-alignment review, academic editing, proofreading, language polishing, reference consistency and publication-readiness checks. It cannot influence editorial decisions and does not guarantee acceptance or publication.
Conclusion
ACTHR can be a credible, topic-specific option for researchers working at the intersection of culture, tourism and hospitality, especially when a current thematic volume closely matches the manuscript. The decisive step is to treat it as the book series it is: verify the exact volume, the live Scopus source record, the contributor requirements, the review and publication schedule, and how your institution recognises this publication type.
Prepare the research first for scholarly fit and integrity, then for clarity and format. If professional editing or publication-readiness support is useful, it should strengthen communication without replacing author responsibility or implying any influence over editorial decisions.
