THRIC 2019: Tourism & Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference 2019 Athlone, Ireland Athlone, Ireland, June 17-18, 2019

THRIC 2019: Tourism at the Heart of It?

Athlone Institute of Technology is pleased to launch the Call for Papers for the 15^th Annual Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference in Ireland. The conference will take place in Athlone, in the heart of the beautiful Irish Midlands, on 17^th and 18^th June 2019.

Call for Papers

The central aim of this conference is to provide a platform for debating current research in tourism in Ireland. We also welcome comparative international papers. Tourism is frequently promoted as being the heart of the economy, generating strong employment figures, good distribution of wealth and significant contribution to GDP. Despite these benefits, challenges remain to keep tourism in the minds of policy makers and regional planners. For example, the hotel industry regularly challenges the government for the lack of tourism policy insights and particularly the lack of statistical data needed to drive the industry. Likewise, education establishments lament the lack for funding available for postgraduate research. 

Our academic keynote speakers include Professor Caroline Scarles (Head of School of Tourism, University of Surrey) and Professor Richard Sharpley (Professor of Tourism, School of Management, UCLAN). We also welcome Mr Paddy Matthews and Mr Mark McGovern from Fáilte Ireland, who will present on the develpment of the Hidden Heartlands brand.

Further keynote speakers will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Acknowledging the multi-disciplinary nature of tourism and hospitality research, we welcome research on:

• Destination Management
• Tourism and Sport and Leisure
• Policy and Planning in Tourism
• Tourism and Data Analytics
• Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts
• Tourism and Culture
• Tourism Education (Training, Teaching & Learning)
• Smart Tourism and Technological Innovation / Social Media & Technology

Research papers from both new and more experienced contributors on a variety of hospitality and tourism related research themes are welcome. We encourage new researchers at the early stages of their work, to present to an audience and gain valuable insights in a positive and supportive environment.

Papers can be submitted on Easy Chair at: is https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=thric2019.

Further information on the conference can be found on https://www.thric2019.ie

Submission Guidelines

All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. The following paper categories are welcome:

• Extended abstract, followed by full paper with presentation at the conference
• Abstract with poster presentation at the conference
• Abstract only with presentation at the conference

The following are the key submission deadline dates:

• 1st February 2019: Deadline for submission of abstracts,
• 28th February 2019: Notification/Decisions returned on abstracts and submissions
• 26th April 2019: Author submission of full papers/sessions
• 3rd May 2019: Early Registration
• 31st May 2019: Registration Deadline

THRIC 2019 will accept Full Papers, Abstracts Only and Poster Presentations.

Full papers submitted by the deadline of 26th April 2019 will be considered for the Best Paper Awards. Best paper awards will be made under the themes listed above.

General Abstract Submission guidelines

This year we have included three types of conference submissions. 

• Abstract Only Submission (to include up to 1,000 word long abstract, with presentation)
• Full Paper Submission (to include abstract, full paper and with presentation)
• Poster Presentation (Abstract with A2/ A3 poster presentation at the conference)

Abstracts 1,000 words long and follow a standard abstract format clearly detailing, for example,

• Research Purpose/Gap
• Design/methodology/approach
• Findings
• Contribution
• Citations in text and referencing should use Harvard style formatting.

Full Paper Submission authors can initially submit an abstract with full paper if they wish. Those authors who submit abstracts only will be informed by the 28th February 2019 and invited to submit a full paper by the 26th April 2019.

Full Paper Submission guidelines

All submissions should adhere to the following guidelines.

• Document is saved as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx)
• Document should be formatted in Times New Roman font, 12 pt., 1” Margins, A4 portrait
• Full papers should be between 6000 and 8000 words in length
• First page must be the title page including:
• Paper title
• Full name of each author
• Affiliation of each author
• E-mail address of the corresponding author
• Paper Title
• Abstract
• Keywords (between 3-6 keywords)
• Paper content (Introduction etc.)
• Citations in text and referencing according to Harvard style
• Please ensure that the paper is free of track changes and comments when submitting
• Presentations
• Presentations should be no more than 15 minutes plus allowing 5 minutes for questions and participants should cover the following areas:
• Research Question/Aim
• Rationale/ Background to Research
• Key Literature
• Methodology
• Findings/Discussion
• Contributions/Conclusion

At the conference, please introduce yourself to the track chair. You should bring your presentation on a memory stick and upload it at least 5 minutes before the start of your session.

Contact

All enquires about submissions can be emailed to Dr Tony Johnston, ajohnston@ait.ie