TOURMAN 2018 Conference

The 2nd International Scientific Conference TOURMAN 2018 took place on the 25th to 28th of October 2018 at the island of Rhodes, in Greece, and was themed “In search of excellence in tourism, travel & hospitality”. It was hosted and organised by the Alexander Technological Institute of Thessaloniki, a traditional public higher education institution in Greece; the units responsible for the Conference organisation were: a) the Program of Postgraduate Studies in Tourism Management, and b) the Research Laboratory in Tourism & Services Management.

The final Conference Program included a wide variety of very intersting paper presentations! To download it in PDF, please click here.

To download TOURMAN 2018 Conference Proceedings (13,5 MB) please click here!

The conference took place at the 5* Rodos Palace Hotel, ideally located by a golden beach at the island of Rhodes in Greece. Rhodes is an established tourism destination well-known for its cosmopolitan style, rich gastronomic appeal, and vibrant night-life.

The state-of-the-art conference program included: a) a high quality scientific research track with refereed paper presentations, b) cutting-edge keynote speakers and roundtables from the industry, the academia and the public sector, c) publication opportunities in special issues of refereed journals, d) a student paper presentation track and a PhD workshop, e) unforgettable social activities, including excursions and field tours…

The Keynote Speakers at the conference were:

  • Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Buhalis, a Strategic Management and Marketing expert with specialisation in Information Communication Technology applications in the Tourism, Travel, Hospitality and Leisure industries. He is the Head of Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Director of the eTourism Lab and Deputy Director of the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research, at Bournemouth University in England. He is also the First Vice President of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism.
  • Prof. Dr. Harald Pechlaner, Head of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany and Head of the Center for Advanced Studies at the European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano (EURAC), Italy. Prof. Pechlaner is President of the AIEST (Association Internationale d’Experts Scientifiques du Tourisme) and was President (2002 – 2012) of the German Association of Tourism Research (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Tourismuswissenschaft).

The Social Activities at TOURMAN 2018 proved to be unforgettable:

The Welcome Reception on the 25th October 2018 took place at an extraordinary location, officially inscribed by UNESCO as a “World Heritage Site”, for which a special permission had been obtained from the Archaeological Authorities: the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes (also known as the Knights Hospitaller or as the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem). Located at the end of the Street of the Knights, at the highest point of the Rhodes medieval city, the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes is a 14th-century castle standing on the site of a 7th-century Byzantine fortress. It is a square building designed around a large courtyard with impressive towers, massive walls, and elaborate decorative elements, and it is an exceptional example of Gothic architecture in Greece. The Ottomans, who captured Rhodes in the 16th century, used the castle as a fortress and a command center. At the beginning of the 20th century, during the Italian occupation of the Dodecanese Islands, the palace saw extensive restoration work. Between 1937 and 1940, the Italian architect Vittorio Mesturino rebuilt it to become a holiday residence for King Victor Emmanuel III, and later for the dictator Benito Mussolini. Since 1950, the palace is a museum and it has been inscribed by UNESCO as a “World Heritage Site” of outstanding universal value.

A BBQ Beach party on the 26th October 2018 had a very informal style and took place at Surfpower Club, located at Ialisos Beach. Dress was casual, as the venue is by the beach and the event included a lot of barbequing and dancing! Delegates enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere, and a typical partying night-out as experienced in Greek islands by vacationers…

The Gala Dinner took place at Kallithea Springs (or Terme Calitea). Built on a picturesque anchorage surrounded by stunning gardens and decorated with pebble mosaics, the monument was designed in 1930 by the Italian architect Pietro Lombardi who skilfully created an environment of unsurpassed beauty. The unique architecture of the Kallithea Springs complex and the grandeur of the space, with the pebble stone mosaics, the Rotonta Hall, the terrace, the impressive patio and the staircases at the entrance create a nostalgic cinematic backdrop. In fact, the picturesque monument has attracted even the attention of Hollywood with several international and Greek movies being filmed in Kallithea. Known since antiquity for their therapeutic properties, the thermal Springs of Kallithea were utilized by the Italians, in the early 20th century. The initial premises were inaugurated on July 1st, 1929 and remained in operation until 1967, being very popular and attracting visitors from all over the world. The complex designs were considered internationally among the best architectural compositions of that era. Kallithea Springs are located at a picturesque bay with crystal clear waters, impressive seabed and palm trees, where world-famous cultural and artistic events, festivals, concerts and exhibitions take place all year round. During the sixties, milestone movies by renowned international filmmakers, such as “The Guns of Navarone” and “Zorba the Greek” were filmed at Kallithea Springs!

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