Open University of Catalonia
Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis, Bournemouth University, Dorset, UK
Over the last six decades, tourism has experienced continued expansion and diversification, becoming one of the largest and fastest-growing economic sectors in the world. (United Nations World Tourism Organization, 2012). More specifically, in spite of sporadic shocks, international tourist arrivals have recorded a virtually uninterrupted increase: from 277 million in 1980 to 983 million in 2011. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in its most updated long-term outlook of future tourism trends (Tourism Towards 2030) estimates that international arrivals worldwide are expected to reach nearly 1.8 billion by the year 2030 (an increase by 3.3% a year on average from 2010 to 2030). A number of major factors can explain this dramatic increase in demand for tourism: (1) the process of globalization; (2) the development of mass transportation and motorization (and the parallel decrease in cost of transportation due to improvements in technology); (3) the rhythm of increase of world GDP as well as the increase of income to be allocated to travels; (4) the introduction of new ICT applications in the work of public and private stakeholders in the tourism sector; (5) the general improvement of security and rights for tourists. Every and each of the abovementioned factors is significantly contributing to shaping a different institutional landscape and economic environment for a number of economic players such as Convention Bureaus, Professional Conference Organizers, Destination Management Companies, Airlines, Hotels, Conference Venues, Congress Centers, Convention Centers, Exhibition Centers. Moreover, companies in the tourism sector are confronted with increasing managerial challenges and have to deal with a turbulent and fast changing environment.
Scholars dealing with tourism are trying to gain a thorough, articulated and clear cut picture of the major changes going on in the tourism sector, with a specific emphasis on major changes such as (1) a shift to sustainable tourism and CSR in the tourism sector; (2) the adoption of ICT applications in tourism, with a focus on social media; (3) a structural change in the style of consumption and fruition of tourist products and services according to a post-Fordist model of consumption; (4) the impact of several major economic, political and climatic events (such as the recent financial and economic downturn, the terrorist attacks, etc.) on the travelling and hospitality industry.
For the Third International Conference on Tourism Management and Related Issues to be held at the Open University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain, in 2013 we invite contributions that focus especially, but not exclusively, on tourism, travel, leisure and hospitality management, with an emphasis on:
The topics reported above are indicative and informative rather than exclusive. Other interesting work on tourism management and related issues that is not closely related to the themes above will be taken into consideration. We invite full papers, doctoral research papers, poster papers, abstracts, and research proposals on any of the aforementioned topics without any specific constraints in terms of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. To advance investigation on tourism management and to further expand its theoretical and practical bases and boundaries, we need to explore, apply and confront both conceptual and empirical wisdom and scholarship stemming from different perspectives. Therefore, both business practitioners and academics are invited to submit their contributions.
The impact of digital technologies on the development and evolution of the tourism and hospitality industry has been widely acknowledged as one of the main transformations in the last decade. Nevertheless, there has been limited focus on the part of the academic community in studying and evaluating the role new media technologies play as educational tools in the tourism and hospitality field. This year’s edition of the Conference will host a Special Track focusing on innovative eLearning techniques for the tourism and hospitality sector. The aim of this track is to promote new theoretical and empirical research on the use of information and communication technologies for training activities in the hospitality and tourism sector. A more explicit recognition of the role digital technologies play in the training process within the industry could offer new and exciting directions for research and may help better understand the actual needs of the market in order to enhance qualifications within the tourism sector. The topics of the Special Track include but are not limited to:
We invite researchers to submit papers that include empirical, analytical, design-oriented, evaluation and impact studies, ePortfolios and conceptual approaches that are relevant for this important topic and provide new insights for theory and practice.
This Special Track is sponsored by the International Federation for Information Technologies in Travel and Tourism (IFITT) - http://www.ifitt.org/ - and will be chaired by: The submission deadline is over.
Please clickHERE to download the conference programme
2295-3485
You may find more information concerning the 2011 edition of this conference (held in Rimini, Italy) in the following website More information concerning the 2012 edition of this conference (held in Nice, France) in the following website: The high quality of the papers presented on the occasion of the first and second editions of the conference allowed us to publish a special issue of the journal Anatolia titled “Managing Tourism in a Changing World: Issues and Cases” (Eds. Rodolfo Baggio and Marcello M. Mariani) and a book by Routledge (Eds. Rodolfo Baggio, Wojchech Czakon and Marcello M. Mariani). Last but not least, two collections of papers are under consideration for publication in two volumes with a relevant international publishing house. Also this Third Edition of the conference will provide opportunities for publication of the presented papers under the following forms:
The conference will start around 8:30 on October 3 and will end around 18:00 on the following day. ACCOMMODATION FEES The fees include participation to the workshop, documents, lunches, morning and afternoon refreshment.
Cancellations made before September 10, 2013 will be reimbursed minus 20% of the total fee. No reimbursement will be possible after that date. Payments should be made by :
ADMINISTRATION Ms. Graziella Michelante - EIASM Conference ManagerEIASM - RUE FOSSÉ AUX LOUPS - 38 - BOX 3 - 1000 BRUSSELS - BELGIUM Tel: +32 2 226 66 62 - Fax: Email: michelante@eiasm.be
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