Vidzemes University, the International Tourism Studies Association (ITSA), and the International Journal of Tourism Cities IJTC) are co-organizing the 10th ITSA Biennial Conference in Riga, Latvia, 17-20, September 2024. The overall theme of the event is: “Bridging the Gaps in Tourism Knowledge and Practice: The Future of Sustainable, Smart and Secure Tourism and Hospitality”. There are four sub-themes in Safety and Security, the New Traveller, the Circular Economy, and Urban Tourism Research.
“It is with pleasure and enthusiasm that we extend a warm invitation to the forthcoming 10th International Tourism Studies Association (ITSA) Biennial Conference, a distinguished gathering that will convene in the charming capital of Latvia, Riga. As the third-largest city in Northern Europe, Riga provides an enchanting backdrop for the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and insights in the dynamic field of tourism” (said Agita Livina, Professor, Vidzemes University and Conference Chair).
The conference will serve as a nexus for academia, industry professionals, and researchers to explore and deliberate upon pivotal themes shaping the contemporary tourism landscape. The overarching theme of the conference is intricately woven around three key dimensions: safety and security, changes in traveler behavior, and the imperative of circularity in tourism. These critical facets demand concerted attention from educators, researchers, and industry practitioners. Through collaborative efforts, the even aims to bridge the existing gaps in tourism knowledge and practice, propelling society toward a future marked by Sustainable, Smart, and Secure tourism and hospitality.
“ITSA is uniquely devoted to scholarly exchange between researchers and practitioners focusing on the growth of tourism worldwide. Founded in 2006 in Hangzhou, China, ITSA is an unincorporated charitable association based in London, UK. ITSA is committed to developing a worldwide tourism leadership forum that facilitates improvements in global hospitality and tourism. ITSA is unique among international associations of tourism scholars and practitioners. It has the mission to encourage interaction and cooperation between members in developing and developed countries” (Professor Cinà van Zyl, ITSA President, University of South Africa).
“The International Journal of Tourism Cities is the only academic journal exclusively dedicated to urban tourism research. A peer-reviewed journal, IJTC provides an international forum for the study of urban tourism and tourism cities. The journal aims to be inter-disciplinary in its appreciation of tourism cities and tourism in urban areas. IJTC has the highest rating of Q1 on the Scopus journal ranking system” (Professor J. Andres Coca-Stefaniak, IJTC Co-Editor-in-Chief). IJTC welcomes original, theoretically-informed articles from those involved in the planning, management or marketing of tourism in city destination or places adjoining urban areas. IJTC has four distinct purposes:
- To encourage greater research and scholarship related to tourism in urban settings.
- To stimulate more interdisciplinary research on tourism in cities, particularly the integration of tourism and urban studies theories and principles.
- To generate more research studies on tourism at the edge of cities, where urban and rural areas converge.
- To create more literature on best practices in city tourism worldwide through in-depth analyses and the production of exemplary case studies.
IJTC is the official journal of ITSA and is published in England by Emerald.
Around 250 participants are expected from the Baltic States (Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania), Scandinavia, other parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and other countries. www.itsa2024.lv
More information: Alastair M. Morrison,
