The Wessex Institute is inviting papers on the forthcoming conference on Sustainable Tourism 2016 scheduled for 18 to 20 May 2016 in Valencia, Spain.
Another one was shown on EinNewsDesk of 14 February 2016 is also scheduled to be held in 2016, October 12 to 14 in Lagos, Lisbon in Portugal.
Both calls are reproduced here for the obvious reasons of their interest for all MENA countries now that the oil price prospects are and most probably not getting back to their former levels.
Conference on Sustainable Tourism
18 – 20 May 2016 at Valéncia, Spain
Introduction
Sustainable Tourism 2016 is the seventh meeting organised in this successful series. The first was held in Segovia (2004), followed by Bologna (2006), Malta (2008), the New Forest, home of the Wessex Institute (2010), A Coruña (2012) and Opatija, Croatia in 2014.
Today tourism is an important component of development, not only in economic terms but also for knowledge and human welfare. Tourism has long since ceased to be something just for the privileged few and today is an activity accessible to a growing number of people. The phenomenon has many more advantages than disadvantages. New forms of economic development and increasing wealth of human societies depend on tourism. Our knowledge of the world now includes a strong component due to tourism. Human welfare has physiological and psychological elements, which tourism promotes, both because of the enjoyment of knowing new territories and increasing contacts with near or far away societies and cultures.
The tourism industry has nevertheless given rise to some serious problems, including social costs and ecological impacts. Many ancient local cultures have practically lost their identity. Their societies have oriented their economy only to this industry. Both the natural and cultural – rural or urban – landscapes have also paid a high price for certain forms of tourism. These problems will persist if economic benefit is the only target, leading to economic gains that eventually become ruinous. It is also a grave error to disregard the fact that visitors nowadays are increasingly demanding in cultural and environmental terms.
Never before have transport and communication links been so important as today. Natural ecosystems are now a rarity on the planet and ecologists talk today about ‘socio-ecosystems’. Given this, tourism and environmental education are facing a major challenge. The ‘Global Change’ is a set of natural environmental changes that are strongly affected by technological and social developments. Natural changes are inherent in the Earth’s ecosystem (the ‘ecosphere’). Also, technological and social changes are inherent to mankind (the ‘noosphere’), and are now becoming widespread. Cities are growing rapidly and industry requires increasingly larger areas. Many traditional rural areas are being abandoned.
Tourism should also play an important role in this context. Thus, interestingly, many historic agricultural districts have maintained, or even recovered, their local population numbers through intelligent strategies of tourism focused on nature and rural culture. Natural landscapes and biodiversity are becoming increasingly appreciated. The tourism industry must be able to respond to these aspirations. Sustainable Tourism 2016 aims to find ways to protect the natural and cultural landscape through the development of new solutions which minimise the adverse effects of tourism. This can be achieved through new strategies involving the active collaboration of society as a whole.
Conference Topics
The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Sustainable Tourism 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
- Tourism strategies
- Environmental issues
- Community issues
- Climate change
- Safety and security
- Tourism as a tool of development
- Art, architecture and culture
- Heritage tourism
- Wildlife and adventure tourism
- Health and wellbeing tourism
- Medical tourism
- Marine and coastal areas tourism
- Sport tourism
- City tourism
- Tourism impact
- Tourism and protected area
- Ecotourism
- Rural tourism
- Tourism and technology
- Industrial tourism
- Transport and tourism
- Education and tourism
- Theme parks and leisure
- Destination management
- Planning and development
- eTourism
- Simulation models
- Social and physical infrastructure
TOURISM 2016 – INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GLOBAL TOURISM AND SUSTAINABILITY
Date: 12 October 2016 to 14 October 2016 in the Cultural Centre of Lagos, Lisbon, Portugal
Category: Travel & Tourism Building, Construction & Architecture Conferences & Trade Fairs Culture, Society & Lifestyle World & Regional
Call for papers: abstracts submission was upto January 31, 2016.
Authors that need extra days for submission may contact the Organising Committee at tourism2016@greenlines-institute.org.
More information available at: http://tourism.greenlines-institute.org
TOURISM 2016 – International Conference on Global Tourism and Sustainability aims at discussing the role of tourism with reference to the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, namely the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The World Tourism Organization (UNTWO) highlights/ emphasizes the role of tourism regarding the SDGs related to inclusive and sustainable economic growth (Goal 8), sustainable consumption and production (Goal 12), and the sustainable use of oceans and marine resources (Goal 14) (UNTWO, 2015).
However, as stated in the same document, as a global activity, tourism has a broader influence on sustainability goals and may contribute to the implementation of all SDGs by:
- Improving human and communities’ welfare, by reducing poverty and hunger;
- Improving countries development as well as citizens’ equality, health, education and inclusivity;
- Promoting the preservation of cultural identities and cultural and natural heritage;
- Contributing to gender equality;
- Ensuring access to resources (water, energy) and food in an affordable way, as well as sustainable production and consumption;
- Promoting partnerships, economic growth and fair work;
- Building low impact infrastructures;
- Reducing actions and procedures that contribute to climate change;
- Protecting terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems.
Thus, the commitment of tourism activities with sustainability goals endorses new ways of thinking, planning and managing tourism activities. Awareness on these questions embraces all the actors (politicians, investors, companies and citizens) that may decide, from their different standpoints, on how to take the road of sustainability. In the future, travelling, for instance, will be more demanding, regarding sustainability goals, and will certainly change the paradigm of tourism.
Tourism sustainability goals will certainly bring many changes, from the way tourists travel, to the way infrastructures are built, the way local people interact with visitors, or the way urban and rural landscapes and natural areas accommodate the flow of tourists.
Tourism is not a ‘gold mine’, but may be part of the solution for local and regional development, for natural and cultural preservation and for bringing closer different people, thus paving the way for a more equal and conscious global community.
TOURISM 2016 – International Conference on Global Tourism and Sustainability invites all researchers, academics and practitioners in the field of tourism and sustainability to contribute to this discussion by presenting their work and research at this scientific and cultural event.
Visitors
Academics, researchers, tourism professionals, architects, engineers, public decisors, students are welcome.
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