Dr. Wei’s research agenda is driven by her strong desire to advance the understanding of human psychology and behaviors within the evolving landscapes of hospitality and tourism. Her primary research tackles some of the most urgent issues in the field, such as customer-to-customer incivility and interactions, influencer marketing, and the effects of emerging technological innovations on consumer behaviors and experiences. Additionally, her research on employee engagement and well-being stems from a decade of teaching and active involvement in HR-focused industry and student associations. She explores the impacts of technology integration on job performance and employee well-being, the use of innovative methods like gamification for training and performance evaluation, as well as contemporary trends such as quiet quitting.
Her academic papers have been published by premium peer-reviewed journals, such as Tourism Management, Annals of Tourism Research, Journal of Travel Research, Journal of Service Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Journal of Business Research, The Service Industrial Journal, and Journal of Destination Marketing and Management.
Dr. Wei serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research. She has also served on the Editorial Boards of Tourism Management, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, and Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights.
Dr. Wei joined the Rosen College as an Assistant Professor in August 2014. Dr. Wei received her Ph.D. degree and Master’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University, U.S.A. She also received her Bachelor of Science degree in Tourism Management from Northwest University, China.
- Wei, W., Zhang, L., Ying, T., & Zheng, Y. (2025). Pet influencer marketing appeal in hotel booking Exploring the power of message appeal and boundary conditions. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 126.
- Liu, J., Wei, W., & Ding, Z. (2025). Preventing depression among older adults with severe illness: The mediating role of life satisfaction and the moderating role of gender. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 51(2), 43-52
- Wei, W., Zhang, L., Rathjens, B., & McGinley, S. (2024). Electronic consumer-to-consumer interactions (CCIs) post a service failure: The psychological power of need for approval. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 1-14
- Wei, W. (2024). Online customer-to-customer (C2C) incivility: Impacts of managerial responses in digital customer service settings. International Hospitality Review
- Wu, A., & Wei, W. (2024). Rationalizing quiet quitting? A study of front-line hospitality employees’ deviant behaviors. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 119, 103681.
- Zheng, Y., Wei, W., Zhang, L., & Ying, T. (2024). Tourist gaze at Chinese classical gardens: The embodiment of aesthetics (Yijing) in tourism. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research.
- Piao, Z.X., Wei, W., & Zhang, L. (2024). How anthropomorphism shapes restaurant customers’ consumption of plant-based meat alternatives: Perceptions, attitudes, and intention to visit. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 123.
- Wu, L., Fan, A., Hou, Y., & Wei, W. (2024). Unlocking the transformative power of hospitality and tourism experiences: towards theoretical syntheses and research agenda. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research. All authors have made equal contributions.
- Wei, W. (2023). A buzzword, a phase, or the next chapter for the internet? The status and possibilities of the metaverse for tourism. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Insights, 7 (1), 602-625.
- Zhang, L., Wei, W., Yu, H., Sharma, A., & Olson, E. (2023). Transformation of consumer expectations for well-being in hospitality: A systems framework. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 1-14.
- Lvu, J., Wang, L., & Wei, W. (2023). Mitigating mortality anxiety: Identifying heritage tourism’s role in terror management. Journal of Travel Research.
- Liu, J., Wei, W., Peng, Q., Xue, C., & Guo, Y. (2022). The roles of life satisfaction and community recreational facilities in the relationship between loneliness and depression in older adults. Clinical Gerontologist, 1-14.
- Zhang, L., Wei, W., & Hua, N. (2022). Service security breaches: The impact of comparative optimism. The Service Industrial Journal, 42(15-16), 1190-1210.
- Ying, T., Tan, X., Wei, W., Zheng, Y., & Ye, S. (2021). “I have to watch my back”: Exploring Chinese hotel guests' generalized distrust and coping behaviors. Tourism Management, 86, 104355.
- Doctor of Philosophy, Hospitality and Tourism Management May 2015 Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, U.S.A. Dissertation: “Modeling the Experiences of Customer-Customer Encounters in Event Tourism”
- Master of Science, Hospitality and Tourism Management May 2010 Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, U.S.A. Thesis: “The Influence of Self-Construal and Co-Consumption Others on Consumer Complaining Behavior”
- Bachelor of Arts, Tourism Management June 2008 Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China Thesis: “Incentive Management of International Hotel Companies in China: A Case Study of Accor”
- Central Florida Hospitality Human Resources Association
- The Southeast, Central and South American (SECSA) Federation of CHRIE
- Council on Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Education (CHRIE)
- Best Paper Award for Posters and Demos, Wroclaw, Poland International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism 2025
- Excellence in Research Award 2025/2021 University of Central Florida, FL, U.S.A.
- Special Certificate of Contribution Award 2024 ApacCHRIE Conference, Seoul, South Korea
- Top 2% of Cited Authors for Single Year 2024 Citations 2024/2023/2022/2021 Stanford University list of World’s Top 2% most-cited scientists
- ICHRIE Research Article of the Week. Wu, L., Fan, A., Hou, Y., & Wei, W. (2024). Unlocking the transformative power of hospitality and tourism experiences: towards theoretical syntheses and research agenda. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research.
- Emerging Scholar of Distinction Award 2023 International Academy for the Study of Tourism
- 2nd Place Award for ICHRIE Research Reports Competition and Publication Series 2023
- Best Research Paper Award 2023 8th Annual SECSA-CHRIE Conference, Orlando, FL., U.S.A.
- Research Incentive Award (RIA) 2021 University of Central Florida, FL, U.S.A.
- Top 5 Most-Read Articles of 2021 2021 Boston Hospitality Review Title: “Influencer marketing: A comparison of traditional celebrity, microcelebrity, and AI influencer”
- 2020 JHTM Best Research Paper Award 2020 “Sleeping in a stranger's home: A trust formation model for Airbnb” in Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Management
- Highly Commended Research Paper in the 2020 Emerald Literati Awards 2020 “Research progress on virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in tourism and hospitality: A critical review of publications from 2000 to 2018” in Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Technology
- Best Research Paper Award ($2000) 2016 International Hospitality Information Technology Association Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, U.S.A. Title: “The role of self-service technologies in improving consumer commitment: A transcendent consumer experience perspective”
- Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award 2025/2020 University of Central Florida, FL, U.S.A.
- Knighted Faculty Program Fellow 2025 University of Central Florida, FL, U.S.A.
- Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award 2023 University of Central Florida, FL, U.S.A.
- “High Quality” Online Course Designation 2020
- Teaching Incentive Program (TIP) Award 2019 University of Central Florida, FL, U.S.A.
- “Quality” Online Course Designation 2018 University of Central Florida
- Recognition of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion 2018 University of Central Florida, FL, U.S.A.
- Outstanding Journal Reviewer: Annals of Tourism Research; International Journal of Hospitality Management; Tourism Management; Journal of Destination Marketing & Management