1. No category

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT
Tourism in Russia –
Issues and challenges for destination competitiveness
MAY 20-21, 2015
Sochi, Russia
NETOUR conference 2015 Sochi - CFP
Page 1
Introduction
This conference will address the challenges to sustainable tourism development in Russia. It is
organized as part of an EU-funded project called NETOUR (www.netour.eu), Network for
Excellence in Tourism through Organizations and Universities in Russia.
Russia, like other fast-growing economies, has experienced a significant growth in tourism in the
past few years. Yet, challenges appear in light of (among many others factors) national
economic policy priorities, international policies, the structure of public administration, the
qualification of professionals, marketing practices, the situation of the training and educational
system in tourism management, the emergence of environmental issues, and sustainable
tourism planning and development practices. We believe that universities and their teachers
and researchers have a key role to play in facing these challenges. Universities are uniquely
positioned at the center of the education – innovation – knowledge transfer triangle. Together
with tourism professionals and policy makers, they are responsible for designing the future of
tourism in their respective countries, and they should be active in helping tourism reach social
and economic development goals in a sustainable manner.
This conference will be hosted in Sochi, Russia by the NETOUR consortium. Russia has
experienced solid tourism growth in the past few years, until the Ukraine crisis. UNWTO said
that Russia was only second to China in the increase of outbound travel expenditures in 2013;
the presence of Russian tourists is felt in several European destinations. Inbound tourism has
also grown significantly and Sochi recently became known to the world as the first beach resort
destination with subtropical climate to host winter Olympics. To successfully host this megaevent, enormous efforts were made to change the landscape, create a transportation
infrastructure designed to host international guests and open new hotels with international
standards. The Olympic Games were successful and Sochi could become a stellar example of a
rejuvenated destination. As a hospitality consultant with Horwath said, “The tourism industry
backed by vision, leadership, professional drive and common sense has the ability to make a
difference. Sochi could even be referenced as a sample of tourist destination development
inspired by the hosting of global sporting events. If achieved, the successful redevelopment
would not only reflect positively on the regional economy but also become the source of pride
and positive energy—large doses of which are required daily in today’s Russia.” Both Sochi and
Russia present interesting cases of tourism development that will, without doubts, interest
tourism academics and professionals worldwide.
Conference Co-Chairs
Prof. Galina Romanova, Rector, Sochi State University
Dr. Lidia Andrades, Netour coordinator, University of Extremadura
NETOUR conference 2015 Sochi - CFP
Page 2
Objectives of the Conference
Conference conveners invite educators, researchers, and practitioners to share their research,
expertise, and perspectives in order to shed more light upon the issues that Russia faces in the
context of tourism. This is an opportunity to explore the internal and external factors that
facilitate or constrain the sustainable development of tourism. We would like contributions that
address public sector and policy making, private business and entrepreneurship, as well as
education and training. The conference aims at understanding how innovation and activities in
these sectors all combine and contribute to achieve tourism destination competitiveness and
productivity, either at the national or regional level.
The conference will be designed to facilitate exchange and discussions. Conference
presentations will therefore be kept short and moderators will encourage active participation by
attendees and discussion with presenters.
Submissions of presentations, papers and posters are invited relating
to (but not limited to) the following themes
TOURISM IN RUSSIA – ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FOR
DESTINATION COMPETITIVENESS
POLICY AND TOURISM PLANNING
o The history and evolution of tourism development
o The challenges of transitioning from public to private sector tourism
o Economic impact of tourism
o Infrastructure development
o Geopolitics and tourism
o Tourism and the National story
o Crisis management in tourism
o Tourism as an engine for social and economic development
o Outlook for internal travel
o Accessibility and barriers to travel
o Stakeholder management
o Foreign investment in tourism
o Monitoring tourism: Observation and data analytics
DESTINATION MARKETING:
o Trends in consumer demand
o Building the destination experience – Stakeholder collaborative approaches
o New product development
o Service design in tourism companies
o The role of DMOs in attracting new markets
o Digital trends in tourism development and marketing
o International sales and distribution challenges
NETOUR conference 2015 Sochi - CFP
Page 3
o
o
Multi-destination cooperation in marketing
Cooperative building of destination digital image
o
o
o
o
o
Creative destination marketing strategies
Iconic attractions and destinations
Mega events as destination attractors
Mega events and infrastructure development
Mega events and environmental, social, and economic impacts
o
o
o
Sustainability in developed and developing economies
Environmental preservation and park development
Sustainable models/experiences of tourism planning and development
TOURISM PRODUCTS
o Wellness and health tourism
o Medical tourism
o Sports tourism
o Leisure and beach tourism
o Nature tourism
o Culture tourism
o City tourism
o Business and the meetings sector
o Cities as drivers of national tourism
o Interpretation for international visitors
o The image of destinations and destination branding strategies
INNOVATION AND ENTERPRISES
o Trends and innovation in management
o Hidden innovation in tourism
o Entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation in tourism
o The creative industries and tourism services
HIGHER EDUCATION AND TOURISM
o The role of universities in economy and society
o Best practice in curriculum development in tourism management
o Student employability
o Training and education
o Life-long learning in the tourism sector
UNDERSTANDING THE PRESENT, MANAGING THE FUTURE
o Looking into tourism futures / foresight studies
o Responding to new consumers
o Confronting the past: Selling the national story in tourism and events
o The impact of national culture on tourism development
NETOUR conference 2015 Sochi - CFP
Page 4
Guidelines and Submission Details
Contributions by academics and practitioners are welcome in the following categories:
A/ Academic contributions (research papers)
B/ Professional contribution (case studies and discussion papers)
C/ Student contributions (research and case-studies)
D/ Round-table proposals
A/ ACADEMIC CONTRIBUTIONS – Research papers
Extended abstract proposals (max. 3 pages plus references) are required to be submitted by
APRIL 1st 2015. Academic papers will be double-blind reviewed. You will be informed about the
result of the review no later than APRIL 20th 2015.
Data-based research papers should follow this format:
1. Introduction and purpose of the study
2. Literature review
3. Methodology
4. Results
5. Discussion and conclusion
Please submit your abstract as a MS Word file with your full name and titled as follows:
firstname-lastname-academic.doc. This file should be sent electronically
[email protected]
to
B/ PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS – Case studies, discussion papers
Professionals are encouraged to submit contributions about industry trends, discussion papers,
case studies, or other relevant contributions that address the conference theme. A two-page
executive summary of the proposed presentation is required by APRIL 1st, 2015.
Please submit your abstract as a MS Word file with your full name and titled as follows:
firstname-lastname-professional.doc. This file should be sent electronically
[email protected]
to
C/ STUDENT CONTRIBUTIONS FOR POSTER SESSIONS – research and case studies
Students are encouraged to submit contributions to the conference under the following two
themes:
a) Thesis/dissertations (max. 2,000 words): Open for final year and graduate students (Master
or doctoral students) to present their theses or dissertations. We encourage submission of
extended abstracts for both completed and in progress thesis/dissertations.
b) Case studies (max. 2,000 words): Open for graduate students who are encouraged to submit
case studies about industry practice and experiences.
NETOUR conference 2015 Sochi - CFP
Page 5
Please submit your abstract as a MS Word file with your full name and titled as follows:
firstname-lastname-student.doc.
D/ ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION TOPICS
Academics and professionals are encouraged to submit proposals for round-table topics. A twopage proposal is required by APRIL 1st, 2015. Proposals should include (a) an introduction to the
topic and its significance, and (b) a list of proposed contributors that have been identified for
participation in the round-table.
All submissions should be sent electronically to [email protected] APRIL 1st 2015.
Papers can be submitted EITHER in English OR in Russian and follow the instructions below.
SUBMISSION RULES FOR RESEARCH PAPERS and STUDENT CONTRIBUTIONS
Submitted abstracts must not have been previously presented, scheduled for presentation,
published, or accepted for publication elsewhere. If a paper is under review, it should not
appear in print before the conference.
Formatting your paper. Please follow these guidelines to ensure your paper is reviewed.
The entire paper (title page, body, figures, tables, references) must be in ONE document using
Microsoft Word (.DOC). Name the file as instructed above, depending on the type of
submission.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
The format for tables and figures, use of references in the text as well as in the
reference list should follow the APA Guidelines (please consult
http://www.apastyle.org/).
Use Times New Roman 12-point font, 1.5 spaced, 2.5 cm (1-inch) margin all
around, and A4 paper size (210mm x 297mm or 8.267 inches x 11.692 inches).
Number all of the pages of the paper, bottom and centered.
The maximum length of the paper is 5 pages (not including the cover page and
the references).
The cover page should give the title of the paper as well as all contributing
authors with their respective affiliations.
The title will also be listed on the first page of the paper, following the cover
page.
Check that the paper prints correctly (i.e., all imported figures and tables appear)
and ensure that the file is virus-free.
Accepted papers that are presented at the conference will be available in an
electronic format for all conference attendees. At least one author must be
present at the conference. Contributions of authors who do not register for and
attend the conference will be withdrawn from the program and from
proceedings.
NETOUR conference 2015 Sochi - CFP
Page 6
SUBMISSION RULES FOR PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS
The entire proposal must be submitted in ONE document using Microsoft Word (.DOC). Name
the file as instructed above.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Use Times New Roman 12-point font, 1.5 spaced, 2.5 cm (1-inch) margin all
around, and A4 paper size (210mm x 297mm or 8.267 inches x 11.692 inches).
Number all pages, bottom and centered.
The maximum length of the proposal is 2 pages (not including the cover page and
references).
The cover page should give the title of the paper as well as all contributing
authors with their respective affiliations.
Check that the paper prints correctly (i.e., all imported figures and tables appear)
and ensure that the file is virus-free.
________________________
The scientific committee is composed of colleagues from Russia, the European Union, and
beyond. The committee members and their affiliation will be posted on the conference
website. Please, visit http://tinyurl.com/sochi-conference-2015
Conference Academic Program Co-Chairs:
Prof. Frederic Dimanche, Ph.D., SKEMA Business School,
Lidia Andrades Caldito, Ph.D., NETOUR coordinator and Professor, University of Extremadura
Prof. Galina Konovalova, Sc.D., Pro-rector on Science & Innovations, Sochi State University
Conference Industry Track Coordinators:
Dr. Sergey Romanov, Dean of Tourism, Service & Sport, Sochi State University
Dr. Yuri Ivanov, St Petersburg Polytechnic University
PARTICIPATION FEE: 4 000 rubles (including hand-outs and promotional materials, conference
program, conference proceedings, reviewing and editing of conference proceedings, 2 coffeebreaks, lunch, field trip to the Olympic venues).
For further information, please contact [email protected]
Conference Venue:
Sochi State University
Plastunskaya St., 94
Sochi, Russia
NETOUR conference 2015 Sochi - CFP
Page 7