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HTRC

What we do?

HomeHappiness Travel Research CenterWhat we do?

Title of research project

What Travel Will Make Human Beings Happy?: Establishment of Future Tourism Ecosystem through Development of Happiness Travel Model

Purpose of the research

  • By establishing a travel happiness model, the research is to construct sustainable tourism ecosystem and to apply the tourism industry

Research problems

  • - Why do people travel?
  • - Do people experience happy travel?
  • - Does travel happiness experienced differently depending on a personal and social level?
  • - How long does travel happiness prolong?
  • - Would travel happiness model make changes travel ecosystem?

Research method

  • Various research methods have been applied to identify travel phenomena, by conducting both qualitative and quantitative research including a big data analysis. In addition, As a convergent research approaches, cortisol clinical medical experiments and longitudinal research using mobile applications have been conducted to supplement the limits of cross-sectional research.

Creativity of the research

  • Happiness Travel Research Centre(HTRC) has conducted distinctive research that can be applied to the tourism ecosystem by developing academic happiness travel model and establishing innovative travel industry foundations, that connect travel and happiness organically. Moreover, ingenious attempts such as convergent and interdisciplinary approaches have been conducted. Policy system would be developed through generalizing models by conducting such qualitative research process for phenomenological cause analysis and quantitative research process to verify the developed model.

Research initiative Stage 1

  • Stage 1 is a fundamental process that establishes a comprehensive research frame by developing travel happiness model through finding concepts and components, and measuring the level of happiness and it’s sustainability. Based on the understanding of travel trends and changes in Korea, HTRC analyzes tourist behavior and psychological factors focusing on the concept, object, and scope of happiness travel. Moreover, HTRC develops a Travel happiness model in South Korea to suggest appropriate policies. Various research methods are utilized to achieve the goal of stage 1, such as a big data analysis, survey, and longitudinal study. As for the longitudinal study, the mobile application is utilized to monitor emotional changes during travel. Reliability and scientific evidence are re-verified by cooperating with medical researchers.

Research initiative Stage 2

  • Based on the results from Stage 1, HTRC proposes political and practical implications. In addition, an interdisciplinary course that can be studied happiness travel in South Korea convergently will be newly opened to foster the experts on happy travel. This leads to the establishment of the International Happiness Travel Hub Centre that develops and operates hierarchical, customized happy travel programs, that functioned as a hub institute. Various activities are planned, such as issuing white paper, holding international seminars, sharing policy knowledge, and sharing opinions for appropriate alternatives, to build an academic and industrial ecosystem for a future happy travel.

Expectation

  • HTRC has expected to five main expectations as a below.
  • - Develop academic models by analyzing critically the phenomenon of happiness travel
  • - Verify the phenomenon of happiness travel empirically through convergence research
  • - Contribute to innovative strategy development of the happiness travel
  • - Establish and form a new industrial governance based on the travel ecosystem
  • - Propose national project by developing ‘National Travel Happiness Index’ based on a happy travel model