James Petrick

Areas of Expertise

• Tourism
• Marketing
• Benefits of Travel

From the Editors’ Desks

Awards

• Recipient of the Graduate and Professional Student Government 2024 Kunze Award, for “…outstanding contributions to the success and prosperity of the welfare of a graduate student or group of graduate students.”
• Identified as being a top 1% most cited research scientist in the world, by Clarivate, 2021, 2022 and 2023
• Member, Leading a Mentoring Culture: Faculty Mentoring program, 2021-2022
• Named Co-Editor of the Journal of Travel Research (Impact Factor 10.98), tourism, recreation and hospitality’s highest rated journal, 2021-present.
• Identified as being a top 1% most cited research scientist in the world, by Baas, Jeroen; Boyack, Kevin; Ioannidis, John P.A. (2021), “August 2021 data-update for “Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators””, Mendeley Data, V3, doi: 10.17632/btchxktzyw.3
• Cancer Survivor, 2021!
• Tall in Texas Award, for the individual in Texas who made the most outstanding contribution to travel and tourism, by the Texas Travel Industry Association, 2019
• Named an “Awesome Scholar in Tourism” by Women Academics in Tourism (WAIT), for “Goodness…beyond H-Indices and Journal Rankings,” 2018.
• Graduated from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Advanced Leader Program (Cohort IV) at Texas A&M, 2017.
• Named a member of the four-person Editorial Policy Board for the Journal of Travel Research (field’s top rated journal), 2016
• Voted by graduating Corps of Cadets as the Texas A&M University Faculty member who was most Veteran Friendly, 2015
• Awarded Distinguished Alumni of the Year, Clemson University Department of PRTM, 2015
• Named a Faculty Fellow for Critical Thinking, Texas A&M University, 2015
• Named the second most published tourism researcher in the world (1st in the U.S.) from 2004-2013 by a study published in Tourism Management Perspectives, volume 13, 1-6; 2015.
• Named a Faculty Fellow for Innovation in High-Impact Learning Experiences, Texas A&M University, 2014
• Named the second most published tourism researcher in the world (1st in the U.S.) from 2000 2009 by a study published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, volume 35(3), 381-416;  2011
• Association of Former Students, Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching, Texas A&M University, 2009
• Slate Teaching Award, Texas A&M University, 2009
• Named an Agri-Life Research “Fellow”, Texas A&M University, 2009
• Awarded as an “Emerging Scholar of Distinction”, International Academy for the study of Tourism, 2009
• Recipient of an ING Professor of Excellence Award, Texas A&M University, 2009
• Professor of the Year, National Resort and Commercial Recreation Association, November 2006
• Outstanding Role Model, Corps of Cadets, Texas A&M University, March 2006
• Nominated President of Texas Travel and Tourism Research Association, April 2005
• Nominated Department of RPTS for a National Tourism Foundation Scholarship for undergraduates, which was awarded May 2004
• Nominated Department of RPTS for a “Tourism Best Practice” which was awarded by Georgia Tech University’s Department of Economic Development, March 2004
• Outstanding Role Model, Corps of Cadets, Texas A&M University, March 2003
• Howdy Camp Namesake, Green Camp, Texas A&M University, January 2003
• Travel Research Grant Award, Travel and Tourism Research Association, National Conference, Arlington, Virginia, June 2002
• Professor of the Year, Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, awarded by vote of undergraduate students in the major, April 2001
• Most Outstanding Conference Paper, Travel and Tourism Research Association National Conference, Burbank, California, June 2000
• Professor of the Year, Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, awarded by vote of undergraduate students in the major, April 2000
• Holland America Line Westours Research Award, in recognition of important research for the travel & tourism field, American Society of Travel Agents, January 2000
• Travel Award for outstanding research, Graduate Student Government, Clemson University, Spring 1998
• Holland America Line Westours Scholarship, in recognition of a future travel and tourism leader, American Society of Travel Agents, December 1997
• Excellence in Research Award, Resort and Commercial Recreation Association, November 1997

Professional Summary

Jim’s research focuses on applying marketing and psychology principles in the context of tourism services.  His research has been concentrated on understanding tourists’ purchase behaviors, to assist in properly marketing to them as well as the physiological effects travel has on the tourist.  His Tourism Marketing Lab currently consists of 12 students (7 Ph.D. and 5 M.S.) and is likely the largest and most productive of its type in North America.

In the past twenty years he and his Tourism Marketing Lab have been awarded over $3.0 million in research grants. Recent research projects which they have conducted include: a strategic marketing plan for the National Park Service, benefits of travel research for the U.S. Travel Association, national visitor studies for the US Department of Agriculture, multiple accountability and advertising effectiveness studies, tourism website evaluations for 22 states and 18 cities; visitor/non-visitor studies for more than 25 cities and 9 national cruise ship passenger studies including six panel studies.

Studies conducted in 2014 and 2011 identified Jim as the 2^nd most prolific tourism researcher in the world (#1 in U.S., and #1 tourism marketing researcher).  He currently has more than 125 peer reviewed journal articles and has been recognized for both his research and teaching abilities via multiple awards.

Jim is currently the Co-Editor of the Journal of Travel Research and has also served on the Board of Director’s for tourism entities Internationally (Travel and Tourism Research Association), at the State Level (Texas Travel Industry Association), and at the city level (Bryan/College Station Convention and Visitor’s Bureau).

He has presented his research at numerous national & international conferences and has been a Keynote Speaker in more than 10 countries.  Prior to his work at Texas A&M he spent six years working onboard cruise ships for both Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Viking Line, working in positions from Youth Coordinator to Cruise Director.