The academic foundation behind the frameworks
Peer-reviewed research on consumer and political animosity, trust and risk perception, and tourist decision-making — the evidentiary basis for the frameworks and recommendations found elsewhere on this site.
Villy Abraham is an Assistant Professor and Chairperson of the Technology Marketing Department at Sapir Academic College, where his research focuses on consumer and political animosity, trust and risk perception, and the psychological drivers behind tourist and consumer decision-making. This research runs independently of his applied strategic work, and is what grounds it in evidence rather than opinion.
Areas of academic research
Consumer & Political Animosity
How animosity toward a brand, destination, or country — including animosity tied to geopolitical conflict — shapes consumer and traveler decisions.
Trust, Risk & Destination Avoidance
What drives travelers to avoid a place, and how perceived risk and trust interact to shape destination choice.
Dark Tourism & Heritage
The emotional and motivational drivers behind visits to sites of tragedy, memory, and heritage significance.
Personality & Travel Motivation
How personality traits, including narcissism, shape the pull toward luxury versus cultural travel experiences.
Technology & Traveler Behavior
How emerging technologies, including AI tools like ChatGPT, are changing tourist behavior and decision-making.
Publication list
Exploring the Antecedents and Consequences of Vicarious Animosity: An International Perspective on Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
Bremser, K., Abraham, V., Shaked, O., & Medeiros, M. (2025). SAGE Open, 15(3).
View DOIResearch Note: Conceptualizing Destination Repulsion
Abraham, V., & Israeli, A. A. (2025). Tourism and Hospitality Research.
View DOIConsumer Animosity in Tourism Research: A Horizon 2050 Paper
Abraham, V. (2025). Tourism Review, 80(1), 72–89.
View DOILuxury or Cultural Tourism Activities? The Role of Narcissistic Personality Traits and Travel-Related Motivations
Besser, A., Abraham, V., & Zeigler-Hill, V. (2024). Behavioral Sciences, 14.
View DOIExploring the Influence of ChatGPT on Tourism Behavior Using the Technology Acceptance Model
Solomovich, L., & Abraham, V. (2024). Tourism Review.
View DOIFactors Affecting Tourists' Emotional Reactions During a Visit to a Dark Attraction: A Conceptual Model
Abraham, V. (2023). International Journal of Heritage Studies, 29(11).
View DOIPolitical Animosity: A Novel Theoretical Framework
Abraham, V., & Shaked, O. (2022). Tourism and Hospitality Research, 24(2), 321–328.
View DOIThe Impact of Attitudes, Motivational Factors, and Emotions on the Image of a Dark Tourism Site and the Desire of the Victims' Descendants to Visit It
Abraham, V., Pizam, A., & Medeiros, M. (2022). Journal of Heritage Tourism, 17(3), 264–282.
View DOIFull publication history and citation metrics available on Google Scholar and ResearchGate.