World Symposium on Sustainable Tourism (WSST 2025)
08/05/2025 - 09/05/2025
In recent decades, tourism has experienced unprecedented growth, emerging as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing industries. While this growth has brought numerous benefits, it has also raised significant concerns about its environmental, social, and cultural impacts. Traditional tourism practices often contribute to environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, exploitation of natural resources, and cultural commodification. Moreover, communities in popular tourist destinations frequently face challenges such as overcrowding, pollution, loss of traditional livelihoods, and cultural erosion.
In response to these challenges, the concept of sustainable tourism has gained traction as a viable alternative to conventional tourism models. Sustainable tourism, also known as responsible tourism or eco-tourism, seeks to minimize the negative impacts of tourism while maximizing its benefits for host communities, the environment, and future generations. At its core, sustainable tourism aims to strike a balance between economic growth, environmental conservation, and socio-cultural preservation. Key principles of sustainable tourism include:
Environmental conservation: Sustainable tourism practices prioritize the protection and preservation of natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and landscapes. This involves minimizing carbon emissions, reducing waste generation, conserving water resources, and promoting renewable energy use.
Community empowerment: Sustainable tourism aims to empower local communities by involving them in decision-making processes, ensuring equitable distribution of benefits, and respecting indigenous rights and cultural traditions. Community-based tourism initiatives enable local residents to actively participate in and benefit from tourism activities.
Cultural preservation: Sustainable tourism values and respects the cultural heritage and identities of host communities. It promotes authentic cultural experiences, supports local artisans and cultural practitioners, and fosters cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.
Economic sustainability: Sustainable tourism endeavors to generate economic benefits that contribute to local livelihoods, job creation, and poverty alleviation, particularly in rural and marginalized areas. It promotes fair wages, ethical employment practices, and responsible business operations within the tourism supply chain.
As awareness of sustainability issues continues to grow, there is a growing momentum within the tourism industry to embrace sustainable practices and initiatives. Governments, businesses, non-profit organizations, and civil society actors are increasingly recognizing the importance of integrating sustainability into tourism planning, development, and management processes.
The World Symposium on Sustainable Tourism (WSST) serves as a timely and essential event for stakeholders to come together, share knowledge, and chart a course towards a more sustainable future for tourism. By fostering collaboration, innovation, and collective action, WSST aims to catalyze positive change within the tourism industry, ensuring that tourism remains a force for good for both people and the planet.
AIMS OF THE SYMPOSIUM
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- a) to provide interested actors from across the world with an opportunity to present their work in the field of sustainable tourism;
- b) to provide a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration among diverse stakeholders to advance sustainable tourism practices.
- c) to discuss innovative approaches, experiences, best practices, and success stories in sustainable tourism from around the world.
- d) to facilitate discussions on key challenges and emerging trends in sustainable tourism development.
- e) to foster partnerships and synergies to enhance the sustainability and resilience of tourism destinations.
- f) to promote awareness and education on the principles of sustainable tourism among industry professionals, policymakers, and the general public.
PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
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WSST invites participation from a diverse range of stakeholders involved in the tourism sector, including:
- Tourism industry professionals, including hoteliers, tour operators, and destination managers.
- Academics, researchers, and students specializing in tourism management, environmental studies, and sustainable development.
- Government representatives and policymakers shaping tourism policies and regulations.
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) advocating for sustainable tourism practices and community development.
- Indigenous communities and local stakeholders engaged in tourism-related activities.
- Sustainable tourism consultants and experts offering insights and guidance on sustainable tourism strategies.
- Environmental and cultural heritage conservation organizations with an interest in sustainable tourism initiatives.
- Travelers and consumers committed to supporting responsible tourism practices
PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITIES
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Participants who wish to submit a paper will be invited to contribute toward an edited volume entitled “Forecasting Sustainable Tourism: Challenges, Strategies and Innovations.” This book will be aimed at a wide readership, notably those on the front line of sustainability efforts at universities and companies, along with policymakers, researchers, and students.
The book will be a further volume of the award-winning “World Sustainability Series” published by Springer, which since its creation in 2008 has become the world’s leading book series on sustainable development. The decision of the editors as to which papers may be selected and undergo peer review for the book is final.
Some of the papers may also be submitted for peer-review in theJournal “Discover Sustainability” published by Springer Nature.
THEMES
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WSST will explore a wide range of thematic areas related to sustainable tourism, including but not limited to:
1. Sustainable tourism management
2. Sustainable tourism governance and policy frameworks.
3. Ecotourism, wildlife conservation, and biodiversity preservation.
4. Community-based tourism and local economic development.
5. Climate change adaptation and resilience in tourism destinations.
6. Sustainable tourism marketing and visitor education.
7. Cultural heritage conservation and sustainable tourism practices.
8. Responsible tourism planning and destination management.
9. Sustainable transportation and mobility solutions for tourism.
10. Tourism entrepreneurship and social enterprise development.
11. Sustainable tourism certification, standards, and labels.
12. Sustainable tourism leadership
13. Place branding for sustainable tourism
14. Geographic indications aligned to sustainable tourism
DEADLINES
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Submission Deadlines:
Abstract submission deadline: 30th October 2024
Full paper submission deadline: 30th January 2025
These deadlines are important, so that the book can be produced as soon
as possible following the event.
Registration Deadlines:
Early bird registration deadline: 30th November 2024
Late registration deadline: 30th January 2025
Timely submissions and registrations are essential for the successful organization of WSST and the dissemination of valuable insights and findings within the sustainable tourism community.
FEES AND CHARGES
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Conference Fee Details:
For International Delegates:
A conference fee of Euro 280 plus taxes will be charged.
For students, the fee is reduced to Euro 150 plus taxes.
For Brazilian Delegates:
The fee is set at R$ 400.
For students, it is R$ 200.
This fee is intended to cover preparation costs.
What’s included in the fee?
1. Reception on the evening of 8th May 2025
2. Lunches and coffee breaks on both 8th and 9th May 2025.
3. A complimentary online copy of the publication titled “Forecasting Sustainable Tourism: Challenges, Strategies and Innovations”. This will be provided to the authors who contributed to the publication.
Organisations or individuals not able to pay this fee should contact the Secretariat so that it may be waived in special cases. Interested people and organisations are encouraged to register by completing the application form provided. This is a self-funded event and the organisers are unable to pay any travel or accommodation costs of any kind. They are however happy to issue letters of invitation to support delegates to request funding for their participation, provided their full papers (and not only the abstracts!) have been accepted.
HOW TO SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT
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An abstract should be up to 200 words, it should describe the rationale and aims of the paper, and some of its results. General descriptions of broad contexts should be avoided. The full contact details about the author(s) need to be provided. Abstracts should be written in the third person and not in the first or second one (e.g. I, me, or my paper). Please see below a sample abstract. Authors whose abstracts have been accepted, will receive further details about how to submit their full papers, and further logistical information.
SAMPLE ABSTRACT
Some developments on education for sustainable development in higher
education institutions
Walter Leal (BSc, PhD, DSc, DPhil, DEd, DLitt, FSB, FRGS, FLS)
European School of Sustainability Science and Research
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
Ulmenliet 20
D-21033 Hamburg
Germany
esssr@ ls.haw-hamburg.de
Abstract
The implementation of sustainable development in higher education is a global trend. Yet, the intensity and the depth with which higher education institutions are taking on the challenge of sustainability, significantly differs. This paper presents a global analysis about how higher education institutions are including sustainability issues in the different areas (e.g. teaching, research, outreach and institutional management) and describes the progress made in this field during the last 10 years. A special emphasis is given to the problems and barriers which prevent developments in respect of the integration of sustainability issues in higher education. Finally, some concrete steps which may be undertaken in order to allow universities to integrate sustainable development in their activities but also in regional development, are outlined. This paper will be useful to anyone interested in the different levels of emphasis given to sustainable development at higher education institutions across the world.
Please send your abstract to:
Dr. Joao Eustachio
Joao.Eustachio (at) haw-hamburg (dot) de
Or add it to the form, when you register!
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
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Professor Walter Leal
Professor Walter Leal holds the Chairs of Climate Change Management at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), and Environment and Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). He directs the Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainability Development and Climate Change Management”. His main research interests are in the fields of sustainable development and climate change, also including aspects of climate change and health.
Professor João Eustachio
Dr. João Eustachio is an economist, researcher, and project manager based at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, where he leverages his expertise in sustainability research, sustainability leadership, education for sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability policy. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from FEA-RP/USP, as well as a Master’s and Ph.D. in Business Management from the same institution.
Professor Marina Lourenção
Dr. Marina Lourenção is a professor at the School of Economics, Business Administration, and Accounting of Ribeirão Preto at the University of São Paulo (FEA-RP/USP). She holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from FEA-RP/USP with a period at the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom. She completed her Master’s and Bachelor’s in Business Administration at FEA-RP/USP. Her first postdoctoral fellowship was completed at the PIO XII Foundation, and the second was at the University of São Paulo.