1^st Call For Papers

1^st Merkur University International Tourism Conference

&

Annual Conference of the Working Group on Leisure- and Tourism-Geography

[Arbeitskreis Freizeit- und Tourismusgeographie]

on

'Developments of Tourism, Leisure, and Recreation

in Low Mountain Ranges (and corresponding valleys)'

03.-04.07 2009

at Merkur University of Applied Science, Karlsuhe, Germany

in cooperation with 

DVAG

TOURISM FUTURES INSTITUTE www.tourism-futures.org

Arbeitskreis für Freizeit- und Tourismusgeographie

  Conference Website:

www.lowmountaintourism.info

Conference Venue:

Merkur University of Applied Sciences, Campus at Reinhold-Frank-Str. 32a, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany

Information regarding the conference city Karlsruhe can be found online here! 

Conference Language:               English

Please note: German sessions will be organised too. Therefore the conference organisers will also accept abstracts and presentations in German from researchers, students, DMOs, industry members etc.

Conference Theme:

Low mountain regions have been developed into tourist destinations from the beginning of commercial tourism in the 19^th century. The early industrialisation of the lowlands in the river valleys and basins and the attendant rise of an industrialised urbanitiy made the nearby nature-oriented low mountains perfect destinations for recreational tourism in spas and mountain resorts. In addition in many world regions low mountain areas possessed the advantage of moderate climates that attracted tourists and seasoners. Besides nature low mountain regions often have cultural heritage as potential attractor for tourism; e.g. related to local cuisine or viniculture, vineyards, wineries, breweries and destilleries. But since the end of the 20^th century tourism, leisure and recreation are on the move. Especially tourism, leisure and recreation in low mountain ranges faces various challenges due to important and sustainable changes forced by glocalised impacts like climate change, economic transformations, environmental degradation, aging societies, shifting values, new compeditive markets and new ICT. This major conference seeks to examine the complexity of tourism, leisure, and recreation within the geographic frame of low mountains and their corresponding valleys and its changing interdependicies of nature, endogenous and exogenous culture. We wish to promote dialogue across disciplinary boundaries and we therefore welcome presentations from all disciplines dealing with tourism, leisure and recreation in low mountain areas.

Sub-themes of interest to the conference include (but are not limited to):

• Histories / geographies / sociologies of tourism in low mountain areas (LMA)

• Structures / infrastructures of regional / national / international tourism in LMA

• Challenges in mobilities of tourism, leisure and recreation

• Natural / cultural / intangible heritage in tourism, leisure and recreation (TLR)

• Tourism in the construction of places, spaces and stories in LMA

• Alternative forms of TLR in LMA

• Sustainable development issues of TLR in LMA

• Impacts of climate change on TLR in LMA

• Environmental issues of TLR in LMA

• Aging societies and TLR in LMA

• Finance management issues of TLR in LMA

• New products / new markets

• In addition a special session of the conference will focus on tourism and leisure related to viniculture, vineyards, wineries, breweries and destilleries 

Who should attend:

• Researchers and academics
• DMO managers / representatives
• Tourism industry managers / representatives
• Tourism managers / planners / consultants
• Publishers of academic journals and books
• Potential students, researchers, and academics interested in tourism, leisure, and
recreation in low mountain areas.

Submission of abstracts and final papers:

Abstracts, up to 800 words in length, are invited for submission.
Abstracts should outline the main topic / focus of the paper. To facilitate the blind-review
process, please ensure that only the title is provided in the abstract.
Please note the following submission details::
 Abstracts should be submitted as a PDF document
 Abstracts should be emailed as a PDF-attachment to: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
 The following information should be provided (a) in the body of the email and (b) in
a separate file (.doc/.pdf) attached to the email together with the abstract file:

• name of author(s)
• position(s)
• academic affiliation(s)
• full (surface mail) address of main author
• email address

 The last day for abstract submission is 25.02.2009 .
 Authors will be informed of the decision of the review panel by 15.03.2009.
 Authors of accepted abstracts will be provided with formatting details for the final
papers by 30.03.2009
 To ensure an early publication in a special conference book the final full papers are
required by 30.06.2009. Only full papers from authors who have paid the
conference fee before 01.06.2009 will be considered for publication in the
conference book.
 All accepted abstract will be published in conference proceedings which will be
available at the conference as well as per download from the conference website.

Registration / Conference Fee:

All participants need to register. A special registration form will be available for download
on the conference website [www.lowmountaintourism.info] soon.

The conference fee will be 180,-- € if the fee is paid before 01.06.2009.
After this date the conference fee will be 230,-- €.

DVAG and AK-FTG members will receive a 30% discount.

The conference website [www.lowmountaintourism.info] will provide more information
regarding the conference soon.

If you have any questions regarding the conference please do not hesitate to contact
Joachim via email [ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ].