Call for Papers

We are pleased to announce that the University of Macau (UM) will be hosting the 2022 Inaugural Frontiers in Hospitality and Tourism Annual Research Symposium.  The Symposium will be hosted in a hybrid mode with the offline event taking place on the gorgeous UM campus on October 21, 2022.  The Symposium is the brainchild of a collaborative effort among the University of Macau and several other flagship universities across Mainland China.  The Symposium is sponsored by the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research.

The theme of the Symposium this year is Tourism +, an emerging phenomenon involving the diversification of tourism with cross-sector integration driven by innovation.  For example, “Tourism + IT” manifests in the phenomenon of smart tourism; “Tourism + Agriculture” gives rise to “agriculture tourism” as a form of lifestyle tourism; and “Tourism + Other Sectors” shapes the development of various integrated tourism areas.

To incubate, influence, and inspire more research in this emerging phenomenon that will inform hospitality and tourism theory and practice, we take a more liberal definition of “Tourism +” to define the major themes of the Symposium this year. We have identified the following areas as topics of particular interest:

1. Post-Pandemic Transformative Tourism of the Future

“Tourism +” means Moving Forward.  This theme focuses on the post-pandemic transformative tourism industry of the future. We encourage the ongoing discourse on post-pandemic tourism to go beyond the conventional paradigm of recovery and return to the pre-pandemic baseline.  We seek contributions that focus on a more transformative future for tourism.  For example, what has been fundamentally changed by the COVID-19 pandemic that challenges the existing assumptions underlying tourism theory and practice?  How do such fundamentally changed assumptions and transformative forces shape the future of tourism?  How can the post-pandemic future of the tourism industry be more sustainable and regenerative, both environmentally and culturally?

2. “Tourism + Internet”, “Tourism + Culture” and “Tourism + Health”

“Tourism +” means Moving Across and Outward.  This theme focuses on the integration of different sectors and the expansion of the boundaries of what it means to be tourism.  This year, we particularly seek contributions on three specific configurations of “Tourism +”.  Namely, “Tourism + Internet,” “Tourism + Culture,” and “Tourism + Health.”  For example, we anticipate contributions zooming in on, but not limited to, topics such as the digitalization of tourism, culturally immersive tourism experiences, or tourism and well-being.

3. Hospitality and Tourism Higher Education 2.0

“Tourism +” means Moving Upward.  With this theme, we would like to facilitate a lively discussion on the future of hospitality and tourism education.  For example, what are the core and unique attributes that differentiate hospitality and tourism management from other neighboring disciplines?  What should hospitality and tourism higher education 2.0 look like?

Contributions to the Symposium can vary in length, ranging from 3,000 words (short articles) to 9,000 words (full-length articles). Contributions can also vary in their approach, both empirical (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, or mixed method) and conceptual submissions are welcome.  The key evaluation criteria are whether a contribution makes an IMPACT – Is the research innovative, meaningful, practically relevant, academically rigorous, cross-disciplinary, and theorizing-focused?  Does the research tackle a transformative issue, create transcendent knowledge, and show tremendous potential for future research on the topic?