Research Intersts

My research interests span over two main areas. The first includes a variety of socio-cultural and managerial issues related to tourism and leisure as unique sectors and as consumerist practices; the second examines philosophical and pedagogical questions related to education and knowledge creation in the study of tourism, leisure and hospitality. More specifically, it revolves around the following themes:

Spirituality and religions in contemporary travel

The concept of authenticity in the study of tourism

Political involvement and activism in tourism and leisure

Sustainable development and recreational ecosystem services

Deviant behavior and substance use and abuse in tourism-related contexts

Critical pedagogy and curriculum development in tourism and leisure studies

Education

(2007) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Ph.D.
PhD Program: Leisure Studies
Dissertation: Evangelical Tours to the Holy Land: A Study on the Theopolitics of Christian Pilgrimage

(2004) Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, M.B.A.
Field of concentration: Organizational Behavior
Thesis: The Phenomenon of Drug Tourism: Behavioral and Managerial Aspects

(2001) Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, B.A.
Hotel & Tourism Management (summa cum laude)

Selected Publications

Belhassen, Y. (2023).Tourism as a space of possibilities: Reconciliation tourism enterprises in a conflict-ridden destination, Journal of Travel Research, 62(7), 1497-1509. Download »

Belhassen, Y. (2023). Work, leisure and the social order: Insights from the pandemic, Annals of Leisure Research. 26(4), 514-520. Download »

Belhassen, Y. (2023). Cultural production during the Pandemic: A critical ethnography of simulative leisure, Mabatim: Journal of Visual Culture , 2, 215-243 (In Hebrew). Download »

Belhassen, Y. (2020). Metaphors and tourism paradoxes, Tourism Management, 79, 104095. Download »

Belhassen, Y., Caton, K. & Vahaba, C. (2020). Boot camps, bugs, and dreams: Metaphor analysis of internship experiences in the hospitality industry, Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sports and Tourism Education, 27, 100228. Download »

Shnabel, N., Belhassen, Y. & Mor, S. (2018). From victimhood to peace activism: The potential role of personal loss and inclusive victim beliefs, Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(8), 1144-1154. Download »

Caton, K., Pastoor, C., Belhassen, Y., Collins, B. & Wallin, M. (2018). Rock of our salvation: Ideological production at the Christian youth music festival, Annals of Leisure Research, 21(4), 440-461. Download »

Belhassen, Y. & Bowler, B. (2017). An interview about spirituality and tourism: Theory and practice in dialogue, Tourism Management Perspectives, 24, 188-192. Download »

Cheer, J.M., Belhassen, Y. & Kujawa, J. (2017). The search for spirituality in tourism: Toward a conceptual framework for spiritual tourism, Tourism Management Perspectives, 24, 252-256. Download »

Belhassen, Y., Rousseau, M, Tynyakov, J. & Shashar N. (2017). Evaluating the attractiveness and effectiveness of artificial coral reefs as a recreational ecosystem service, Journal of Environmental Management, 203(1), 448-456. Download »

Tynyakov, J., Rousseau, M., Chen, M., Figus, O., Belhassen, Y. & Shashar, N. (2017). Artificial reefs as a means of spreading diving pressure in a coral reef environment, Ocean & Coastal Management, 149(1), 159-164.

Stylidis, D., Shani, A. & Belhassen, Y. (2017). Testing an integrated destination image model across residents and tourists, Tourism Management, 58, 184-195. Download »

Belhassen, Y. & Uriely, N. & Assor, O. (2014). The touristification of a conflict zone: The case of Bil'in, Annals of Tourism Research, 49, 174-189. Download »

Stylidis, D., Belhassen, Y. & Shani, A. (2014). Three tales of a city: Stakeholders' image of Eilat as a tourist destination, Journal of Travel Research, 54(6), 702-716. Download »

Hillel, D., Belhassen, Y. & Shani, A. (2013). What makes a gastronomic destination attractive? Evidence from the Israeli Negev, Tourism Management, 36, 200-209. Download »

Shani, A., Belhassen, Y. & Soskolne, D. (2013). Teaching professional ethics in culinary studies, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 25(3), 447-464. Download »

Belhassen, Y. & Shani, A. (2013). Substance abuse and job attitude among hotel workers: Social labeling perspectives, Tourism Management, 34(1), 47-49. Download »

Caton, K., Pastoor, C., Belhassen, Y., Collins, B., and Wallin, M. (2013). Christian music festival Tourism and positive peace, Journal of Tourism and Peace Research, 3(2), 21–42. Download »

Belhassen, Y. (2012). Eilat syndrome: Deviant behavior among temporary hotel workers, Tourism Analysis, 17(5), 673-677. Download »

Belhassen, Y. (2012). In praise of religious reflexivity: Fieldwork reflections, Critical Arts, 26(3), 423-440. (Special issue on "Encounters: Researchers as Tourists and Travellers"). Download »

Belhassen, Y. & Shani, A. (2012). Hotel workers’ substance use and abuse, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31, 1292-1302. Download »

Isralowitz, R., Reznik, A. & Belhassen, Y. (2012). Binge drinking among Israeli hospitality workers: Gender and country of origin differences, Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy , 19(2), 181-183.

Isralowitz, R., Reznik, A. & Belhassen, Y. (2012). Work alienation, patterns of substance use and country of origin among male hospitality workers in Israel, International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction , 10(6), 923–926.

Belhassen, Y. & Caton, K. (2011). On the need for critical pedagogy in tourism education. Tourism Management, 32(6), 1389-1396. Download »

Belhassen, Y. & Caton, K. (2009). Advancing understanings: A linguistic approach to tourism epistemology, Annals of Tourism Research, 36(2), 335-352. Download »

Belhassen Y. & Ebel, J. (2009). Tourism, faith and politics in the Holy Land: An ideological analysis of evangelical pilgrimage, Current Issues in Tourism , 12(4), 359-378. Download »

Belhassen, Y. (2009). Fundamentalist Christian pilgrimages as a political and cultural force, Journal of Heritage Tourism, 4(2), 131-144. Download »

Belhassen, Y. Caton, K. , & Stewart, W.P. (2008). The search for authenticity in the pilgrim experience, Annals of Tourism Research, 35(3), 668-689. Download »

Santos, C., Belhassen, Y. & Caton, K. (2008). Reimagining Chinatown: An analysis of tourism discourse, Tourism Management ,29(5), 1002-1012. Download »

Belhassen, Y. (2007). Inciting the sociological imagination, Annals of Tourism Research , 34(4), 1078-1081. Download »

Belhassen, Y., Santos, C.A., & Uriely , N. (2007). Cannabis usage in tourism: A sociological perspective, Leisure Studies 26(3), 303-319. Download » Republished abstract in The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 6th 2007, 55(44), A6.

Belhassen, Y, & Caton, K. (2006). Authenticity matters, Annals of Tourism Research, 33(3), 872-875. Download »

Belhassen, Y. & Santos, C.A. (2006). An American evangelical pilgrimage to Israel: A case study on politics and triangulation, Journal of Travel Research, 44(4), 431-441. Download »

Uriely, N. & Belhassen, Y. (2006). Drugs and risk taking in tourism, Annals of Tourism Research, 33(2), 339-359. Download »

Uriely, N. & Belhassen, Y. (2005). Drugs and tourists' experiences, Journal of Travel Research, 43(3), 238-246. Download »

Reports & Reviews
Shani, A. & Belhassen, Y. (2009). Tourism destination development and branding, Anatolia: An International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research, 20(2), 471-473.

Belhassen, Y. (2011). Review of John Tribe's book "Philosophical Issues in Tourism", Tourism Analysis ,16(3), 385-386.

Belhassen, Y. (2017). Review of A. Maddrell, A. Terry and T. Gale,’s edited book “Sacred Mobilities: Journeys of Belief and Belonging”, Journal of Tourism & Cultural Change ,15(4), 403-405.

Book Chapters
Belhassen, Y. & Uriely, N. (2008). "Perceived risk of drug taking backpackers" in Backpackers and Drug Abuse: A Documentary, Research, Treatment and Prevention Perspective. , H. Bonny-Noach, ed., pp. 288-300. Jerusalem: The Bialik Institute Publishing House and the Israeli Anti-Drugs Authority (in Hebrew). Download »

Pastoor, C., Caton, K., Belhassen, Y., Collins, B., and Wallin, M. (2015). "Let There Be Rock! A Tale of Two Christian Music Festivals". In O. Moufakkir and T. Pernecky (eds.), Social and Cultural Aspects of Events . Oxfordshire, UK: CABI.

Belhassen, Y. (2016). "Deviance, Tourism". An entry in The Encyclopedia of Tourism , J. Jafari and X. Honggen (eds.) Springer.

Belhassen, Y. (2024). "Deviance, Tourism". An entry in The Encyclopedia of Tourism (2nd edition), J. Jafari and X. Honggen (eds.) Springer.

Selected Media Coverage

	Reconciliation and peace are emerging themes in tourism, with various post-conflict countries offering tours focused on peacebuilding. In the last few years, reconciliation tourism initiatives, which are defined as tourism services in which reconciliation is a major theme, have been also introduced in Israel and the Palestinian territories in the West Bank, amidst ongoing conflicts.Professor Yaniv Belhassen, of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, explores Read more »
	The paper, published in the Journal of Environmental Management, examines artificial coral reefs as "recreational ecosystem services," offering a new methodology to evaluate the aesthetic, behavioral and attitudinal aspects of which artificial reefs around the world can be evaluated."This new approach takes into account divers' preferences and needs alongside physical preservation of natural reefs," says Dr. Yaniv Belhassen... Read more »
	The dangers associated with extreme drug use often do not end once the vacation is over. "In Israel, there is a special village for backpackers who suffered from extreme problems due to their drug consumption abroad," said sociologist Yaniv Belhassen. A native of Israel, Belhassen became fascinated with backpacker behaviors while traveling abroad after his discharge from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Read more »
	One of the privileges of joining the OECD, a pleasure Israel experienced this year, is the ability to compare oneself to existing averages. Israel always yearned to meet the standards of the "west," an inaccurate euphemism for "advanced" or "developed" nations. In short, places where the living is good, such as the United States and some places in Western Europe. As the new Jewish year approached, we found out how we fare comparedour model for emulation Read more »

A detailed version of the resume »