Center for Advanced Studies - News & Events - Global Tourism Futures: Different dynamics in Asia, Europe and the Gulf region
Global Tourism Futures: Different dynamics in Asia, Europe and the Gulf region
With the international conference "Global Tourism Futures - Europe Dolomites", South Tyrol will provide a platform for an in-depth examination of upcoming developments in global tourism.
- English
- Date: 22-23.08.2024
- Place: Eurac Research
- Typology: Conference: GTF Europe Dolomites
Eurac Research's Center for Advanced Studies is set to host an international conference, centering on the future trajectory of global tourism. Scheduled for August 22nd and 23rd, the event will spotlight critical discussions on climate change, technological change, deglobalization and demographic change, with a particular emphasis on key regions such as Asia, Europe and the Gulf region.
By hosting the international conference "Global Tourism Futures", South Tyrol is becoming a platform for an in-depth examination of the future of global tourism. The map of the economy, politics and society is being reframed due to fundamental shifts. Values are changing, as technological developments, new interaction patterns between humans and machines, geopolitical changes and climate change are causing massive disruptions and changes in the tourism industry. Now more than ever, the sector is tied to future issues of a social, political, and economic nature and hence also bears global responsibility.
"Global Tourism Futures" aims to present developments in different regions of the world and to raise awareness of the connections between global shifts and the associated tourism policy roles. The aim is to elaborate methods and tools to embed these new framework conditions in the future developments of countries and regions. Interactive panels and discussions will provide participants with the opportunity to engage in specific topics and actively share their ideas and strategies. These dialogues will not only promote insights, but also formulate possible recommendations for action in the industry, which will subsequently be made available in the form of a manifesto.
Four topics will be of central importance:
- climate change,
- technological change,
- deglobalization,
- demographic change.
Day 1
THE BIG PICTURE: (De-)Globalisation, Climate Change and Digital revolution
Panel 1: (De-)Globalization and Futures
Panel 2: Climate Change
Panel 3: Digitalisation / Artificial Intelligence
Day 2
CONSEQUENCES: Providing services for new customers and new demands with new offers
Panel 4: Demographic and sociological changes among customers and employees
Panel 5: Western and non-Western providers and forms of travel
Panel 6: Destination Future vs. Destination Heritage: who wins the battle?
The conference format is based on the following initial theses:
Climate change is having a profound impact on the tourism industry.
It is forcing the sector to realign or even completely rethink existing business models. The rising environmental impact, whether due to natural disasters or the decline in natural resources, makes a reorientation of the tourism industry unavoidable. Sustainability and adaptability are the key concepts for meeting these challenges. Moreover, the question arises as to what extent tourism can take on a role as an "agent of change" in the context of the discussion on the preservation of biodiversity and climate protection.
Artificial intelligence and digitalization are causing a disruption in tourism that is comparable to the groundbreaking introduction of the internet.
The personalization of travel experiences, new booking systems and innovative applications are not only influencing the way in which travel is planned and carried out but are also fundamentally changing the interaction between travel providers and consumers.
The international tourism landscape is undergoing a shift.
Western providers and consumers are losing their predominant role. The Middle East and Asia are emerging as strong players and are openly competing with established Western forms of tourism. This is leading to the emergence of a variety of business models and new competitive structures that are having a lasting impact on the industry.
Tourism customer structures are changing.
Young people and families are no longer the dominant group. The needs and preferences of travelers are shifting, and the tourism industry must adapt to meet the diverse demands of different age groups and socio-cultural backgrounds. More than ever before, travel is becoming a global lifestyle with increasing interdependencies and overlaps between living spaces and destinations, between experiences and adventures in the interplay of virtuality and reality, and between leisure and working time.
Health, nature, sport, and culture will be central themes in the future as determining factors for the quality of life and experience.
Dealing with these issues stimulates new forms of tourism that would not be possible without new forms of mobility.
In the face of these changes, the future of global tourism will depend on the sector's ability to adapt to new environmental and technological realities while meeting changing demographic and socio-cultural demands. Only a holistic approach can set the tourism industry on a sustainable and viable path for the future.
How to participate?
Registration will be available soon on this website!
In cooperation with
Organisation
Eurac Research
Center for Advanced Studies
Drususallee 1 / Viale Druso 1
39100 Bozen / Bolzano
T +39 0471 055 801
advanced.studies@eurac.edu
