18th Nordic Symposium in Tourism and Hospitality Research – Esbjerg, 22-25 October 2009
Let’s face it – the Nordic countries are not amongst the cheapest destinations in the world, nor do we have the best weather or the sunniest and sandiest beaches to offer. Still, tourists come in order to experience our countries, scenic landscapes, gastronomy and, especially, ’the locals’. Furthermore, we have an innovative tourism industry that offers ’products’ as diverse as ice hotels, New Nordic cooking, shopping, and Santa Claus, and an industry that continuously tries to improve the variety of experience-scapes encountered by visitors. Even more importantly, perhaps, all of the Nordic countries have rural areas, for whom the ability to offer sustainable tourism products and genuine hospitality is not just a matter of additional income. Rather, such offers are critical for development and innovation in these areas and hence, tourism and hospitality become critical in the quest to make these areas attractive for tourists, business, and residents.
At this 18th Nordic Symposium in Tourism and Hospitality Research, we will direct focus towards the uniqueness of Nordic tourism and hospitality. However, in order to do so, we hope to draw on best practices from both the Nordic countries and from other parts of the World – hence contributing to a better understanding of destinations and areas that have to be excellent at providing value-for-money experiences. Thus, our ambition is that the title of this year’s conference ’Tourism and Hospitality – The Nordic Ways’ inspires the participants to learn from each other, so that the conference will contribute to a better understanding of the strengths and opportunities of Nordic tourism and hospitality as well as of other destinations facing challenges equal to those that the Nordic countries face.
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flyer with updated information