International Academy for the Study of Tourism Comes to Greece for First Time

The conference of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism will take place on Rhodes. Photo © P Phillips / Shutterstock

The conference of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism will take place on the island of Rhodes on May 24-29 in cooperation with the Laboratory for Tourism Research and Studies (ETEM) of the University of the Aegean. This is the first time the academy’s conference will be held in Greece.

The academy is an international organization created to enhance both theoretical and practical research in the field of tourism. Its membership is comprised of highly accomplished tourism researchers from throughout the world. The sole Greek member of the Academy is Dimitris Buhalis, Professor at Bournemouth University in the UK.

The overall aim of the conference is to take stock of the current state of tourism research and education specifically in the light of the after effects of the global financial crisis (GFC) and in the context of current tensions and changes. Conference attendees will discuss future developments and explore new priorities for tourism research and education.

Tourism executive summer school program

Photo source: ETEM

For three days immediately prior to the conference, ETEM in collaboration with the academy, will hold a three-day executive summer school program addressed to both tourism executives and graduate students.

The program entitled “Managing Tourism after the Crisis – A Mediterranean Perspective” will be held on Rhodes on May 21-24 and will bring together some of the leading world academic specialists in tourism to work with leaders of tourism from across the Mediterranean region.

The aims of the summer school program are to explore the key issues for tourism in the region; share experiences and developments from the region and from other parts of the world; and identify the current challenges and opportunities for Mediterranean tourism.