Advances in Tourism Marketing Conferences
History
As unique as its name in the field, the initiative of the Advances in Tourism Marketing Conference (ATMC) started in 2005.
Its first meeting was held in Akyaka (Turkey), and attended by more than 70 researchers and practitioners from more than 15 different countries. Three distinguished key note speakers were invited: Turgut Var (Texas A&M University, USA), Peter Tarlow (Tarlow Consulting, USA), Juergen Gnoth (University of Otago, NZ).
The second conference was held in Valencia, Spain, in 2007. It was coordinated by the University of Valencia (Spain) and Mugla University (Turkey) with the University of Otago (New Zealand) joining forces. That conference attracted over 200 attendees.
This was followed by the induction of Bournemouth University (2009, UK, 230 attendees), University of Maribor (2011, Slovenia, 90 attendees), University of Algarve (2013, Portugal, 140 attendees), University of Eastern Finland (2015, Finland, 90 attendees), Casablanca (2017, Morocco, 80 attendees) and Namur (2019, Belgium, 60 attendees) respectively.
As its mission, ATMC aims to bring together researchers, PhD candidates, policy makers and practitioners to provide a forum for the discussion and dissemination of themes related to marketing travel and tourism, and to critically evaluate how they may contribute to advancing knowledge and practices in the field.
In addition to this general goal, each conference is charged with a topical theme and to provide both scholars and practitioners with an opportunity to engage and explore that theme in a series of focal discussions. While offering a general forum for issues in tourism marketing and behavior research, the forum created around themes distinguishes the ATMC conferences from others.
Themes
While focusing on updating and canvassing topical issues in international tourism marketing, it has become a tradition of ATMC to create a specific theme for every conference. Each theme is drawn from the conclusions of the preceding meeting, trends in the tourism industry, and priorities in tourism marketing research.
Hence, the 2007 ATMC aimed to analyze "Destination and Event Marketing: Managing Networks", a topic of high relevance to researchers, public institutions, the tourist industry and other stakeholders (tourists, local community, media, among others). Key note speeches were given by Eduardo Fayos (World Tourism Organization) and Evert Gummesson (Stockholm University).
The 2009 Conference had a specific interest in "Marketing Innovations for Sustainable Tourism Destinations: Operations, Interactions, Experiences". This conference had a particularly strong industry-focus with many practitioners participating. Keynote presentations were be made by: Kaye Chon, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China SAR; Tim Coles, Exeter University, UK; Christine Ennew, Nottingham University, UK; Jean Marc Flambert, Sri Lanka Tourist Board, Sri Lanka ;Simon Hudson, University of Calgary, Canada; Peter Keller, Former CEO, Swiss Tourist Board, Switzerland; Geoffrey Lipman, UN World Tourism Organization; Victor Middleton, Independent Consultant, UK and Luiz Moutinho, University of Glasgow, UK.
Under the conference theme of "Transforming Experiences: Tourism Marketing from both Sides of the Counter", the 2011 ATMC set out to build on the success of the three previous conferences. Participants benefited particularly from an integrated analysis of host-guest interactions. Keynote speakers in Maribor were Steve Vargo, Vargo, Distinguished Professor of the Hawai'i University in Manoa, Ms Sandra Carvão, the Communications Manager of the UNWTO, Frédéric Dimanche of the Skema Business School in Provence, France, Terry Stevens from Stevens & Associates (Swansea, UK), Pablo de Diesbach from École Hôtelière de Lausanne and Maja Pak, director of the Slovene NTO.
The 2013 ATMC created another specific theme of "Marketing Spaces and Places" in order to highlight the differing ways that tourists learn about and engage with residents' places. Key note speakers in Portugal were Chris Ryan, University of Waikato Management School, NZ, Juergen Gnoth, University of Otago, NZ, Alan Lew,Northern Arizona University USA, Carminda Cavaco, Lisbon University, Portugal, Gilberto Jordan, CIEO of Andre Jordan Group, Portugal and Pedro Lopes, administrator of Pestana Group Hotels, Portugal.
The 2015 ATMC has a clear focus on "Tourism engagement: co-creating well-being". Again highlighting host-guest interactions, this conference focuses on creating well—being for all stakeholders. Keynote speakers in Finland were Christian Grönroos is Professor of Service and Relationship Marketing at Hanken School of Economics Finland and member of the board of the research and knowledge centre CERS Centre for Relationship Marketing and Service Management of this business university, Bo Edvardsson (Bo.Edvardsson@kau.se) is Professor and Founder, CTF-Service Research Center and Vice Rector, Karlstad University, Sweden, Melanie Smith (PhD) is a Lecturer and Researcher at the BKF University of Applied Sciences in Budapest.
By “Identifying and exploring the art of living together", the ATMC 2017 in Casablanca, Morocco (September 2017) aimed to define globalizing tourism’s cultural commitment within the boundaries of local settings. Keynote speakers in Morocco were Myriam Verbeke, KU Leuven University, Belgium, Jafar Jafari, University of Wisconsin Stout, USA, and Tom Baum, University of Strathclyde, UK.
ATMC 2019 in Namur, Belgium, focus on “Marketing for more sustainable and collaborative tourism”. Since the financial crisis of 2008, the tourism industry has been increasing more than ever before. Such an evolution creates huge impacts from an environmental, economic, and societal perspectives. Tourism marketing should evolve and advance to rise up to these new challenges and opportunities. Keynotes in Belgium were Robert Govers (Chairman of the International Place Branding Association), Nina Prebensen (Arctic University of Norway), Iis Tussyaduah (University of Surrey), Rachel Dodds (Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ryerson University).