Qualitative research methods, represented by grounded theory and case study, are becoming increasingly common in tourism management and business administration research. However, there are still numerous controversies over and uncertainty regarding the essential characteristics, evaluation criteria, and key steps in the process of applying them. This study analyzes how to effectively utilize the grounded theory and case study method and arrives at the following conclusions: (1) The primary characteristics of high-quality qualitative and case study methods are as follows: The research design has high credibility and reliability; the selection of samples and cases should match the research question and research paradigm; the data analysis process should be rigorous and standardized; the theoretical construction should be based on the balance point of “optimal distinction;” and attention should be paid to the uniqueness of the research method when writing essays. (2) Deep reflection is needed among academics on the connotation of grounded theory, while avoiding four typical misunderstandings, and relevant strategies and suggestions for core issues, such as theoretical sampling, coding skills, and reliability and validity testing, should be propounded. (3) Increasing attention has been paid to the standardization of the data analysis of grounded theory, especially to the description and display of the coding process in the essays. However, noteworthily, coding is not performed for the sake of coding itself, and only “continuous comparison” and reasonable interpretation form the core of data analysis. (4) The case study’s data analysis and theoretical construction constitute the logical chain of “data-concept-concept relationships theory,” which includes the following two stages: The first stage proceeds from data to concept—that is, the case data are compressed and abstracted to be associated with the relevant concept. The second stage entails the conceptual relationships and their theoretical explanation—that is, logically linking these concepts, describing the pattern of case phenomena, and explaining their underlying mechanisms. (5) Case studies are conducive to revealing theoretical mechanisms and constructing new theories, and the quality of case studies can be effectively enhanced by selecting matching data processing methods. Per the different types of theories, case studies can be divided into both process and factor theories, which are suitable for different research designs and data processing methods.

The integration of culture and tourism industries is an inevitable requirement for the high-quality development of China’s tourism industry, and it is also inherently essential to compensate for the weaknesses of tourism development and promote its transformation and upgrading. This study uses the coupling coordination model to assess the development level of cultural and tourism integration in 30 provinces (cities) in China from 2010 to 2019, and then introduces the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method to explore the development path of cultural and tourism integration in China based on the driving conditions of demand, supply, and support. The results reveal the following: (1) The overall development level of China’s cultural tourism industry has improved in the 2010-2019 period, but great regional heterogeneity exists in different regions. (2) From the perspective of the overall development path of culture and tourism in China, demand and support are important conditions, whereas residents’ consumption power and regional transportation play a particularly prominent role. (3) Significant differences exist in the development paths of the eastern, central, and western regions. The development of the eastern region is predominantly driven by demand combined with support, whereas the development of the central region is boosted by support and demand separately; meanwhile, the development of the western region is driven by both demand and demand-support. The results indicate that local governments should pay attention to synergizing the multiple conditions of supply, demand, and support; effectively adjust the strategy for cultural tourism development considering local conditions; and improve the targeted core driving capacity to break the bottlenecks of the development.

Time-limited promotion—as a conditional promotion model—has become an important means to improve the marketing effect of tourism live streaming. However, few studies have focused on the time-limited promotion of tourism live streaming. To compensate for the lack of relevant research and explore the influence mechanism of time-limited promotion on consumers’ real-time purchase decisions in tourism live streaming, this study analyzes the subject matter through two scenario experiments based on goal-oriented behavior theory and from the perspective of counterfactual thinking. The results indicate the following; First, the time-limited promotion of live streaming can directly stimulate consumers’ intention to purchase, and the time-limited discount is a more effective marketing means than the time-limited giveaway. Second, when consumers engage in strong upward counterfactual thinking, the time-limited promotion of tourism live streaming can induce their anticipated regrets, thereby reducing their intention of immediate purchase. Third, when consumers engage in strong downward counterfactual thinking, the time-limited promotion of tourism live streaming can induce their regret of anticipated inaction, thus enhancing their intention of immediate purchase. This study’s findings reveal the duality of the time-limited promotion of tourism live streaming, enrich the relevant research on marketing through tourism live streaming, and enlighten tourism enterprises to adopt online promotion measures rationally.

Soundscape plays an important role in heritage sites, ecological environments, and public recreational spaces. As the Grand Canal Cultural Belt (GCCB) is a multi-complex space involving cultural heritage, ecological protection, and recreational utilization, it is necessary to conduct studies on its soundscape. This study selects Li Canal Cultural Corridor and conducts a questionnaire survey to explore the pattern of people’s preferences for the soundscape of GCCB and proposes suggestions for improving the soundscape quality based on the P-F model analysis. The analysis results of 225 valid samples indicate that people’s preference for canal soundscape presents a special pattern: The unique canal sound is most preferred, followed by the sound of hustle and bustle, while the most negative sound is the disturbing noises. The preference for sounds unique to the canal culture and local features of specific canal sections is greater than that for mundane sounds, and the preference for sounds that arouse historical nostalgia is greater than that for sounds reflecting the mundane life. The qualitative analysis results indicate that the formation of this model stems from people’s need for emotional satisfaction and the construction of their canal memory. Additionally, age, local or non-local resident status, and frequency of visit all exert significant effects of varying degrees on the preference for the canal soundscape. According to the results of the canal soundscape preference model and P-F analysis, managers are recommended to further explore and reproduce the unique sounds of the canal, improve the sound of canal life, and design specific sound elements both forwardly and inversely.

With the rapid development of technology, contactless services have gradually become an important emerging phenomenon in the field of tourism and hospitality consumption. This study aims to systematically and comprehensively examine the research progress of contactless services. Based on a comprehensive review of existing literature in English and Chinese, this paper: (1) presented the types of contact-free services and a summary of published papers; and (2) identified four types of research focus and provided a detailed report for the progress for each research theme: ①antecedents, experience and outcomes of consumers’ use of contactless services, ②antecedents and outcomes of organizations’ use of contactless services, ③service failure and recovery, and ④ literature review. Finally, the paper put forward fruitful directions for advancing the current understanding of contactless service.