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Objectives of the Commission

The overall topic: The geographical study on tourism, leisure and global change. The overall objective of the Commission is the development and application of an internationally comparable research program on the relationships between tourism, leisure and global change.

The Commission’s specific objectives are to:

(1) communicate the role of tourism and leisure as a major factor which both influences and is influenced by global change;

(2) further develop the concept of sustainability as applied to ‘tourism’ and ‘leisure’ with respect to the concept of global change;

(3) communicate the importance of understanding a broad range of processes that affect the relationships between tourism, leisure and global change, including the natural environment, political, and socio-economic processes;

(4) foster research that incorporates the notion of the inter-relatedness of structures and processes in tourism and leisure, through a variety of linked spatial - international, national, regional, local and the individual, and temporal – short term and long term (inter and intra generational) – scales.

(5) communicate the results of the research by members of the Commission to various academic, industry and policy arenas in order to influence policy in an effective and appropriate manner.

These objectives are to be pursued over the life of the Commission through a set of research 'tasks' that were been defined through discussion with members and modified as appropriate during the previous Study Group and Commission meetings.

Task 1    Interpreting the meaning of 'sustainability' within the context of tourism, leisure and global      change
Task 2     The operation and regulation of tourism and leisure in a 'borderless world'
Task 3     The relationship of tourism and leisure to issues of time-space convergence;
Task 4     Tourism and leisure in the interaction between natural, rural and urban systems;
Task 5     The inter-relationship of tourism and leisure with place, identity and citizenship within the context of global change;
Task 6     The dynamics and capacities of communities and institutions in order to effectively contribute and respond to global change; and
Task 7     Contributing to relevant international research programmes associated with the aims and objectives of the Commission

The integrating theme of all the ‘tasks’ is Tourism and Leisure in the Context of Global Change.

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Steering Committee: Full Members of the Commission

Jarkko Saarinen, Chair    
Professor of Geography, Tourism Studies
Department of Geography
P.O. Box 3000
FIN-90014 University of Oulu
Finland

Dallen Timothy, Secretary
Associate Professor, School of Community Resources and Development
Arizona State University
Agriculture (AG) 281
PO Box 874703
Tempe, Arizona 85287-4703

John Akama
Professor
School of Business and Management
Department of Tourism Management
P.O BOX 3900, 30100, Eldoret
Kenya

Mohammed Berriane
Professor
Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines
Rabat University
27, Rue Bou Iblane, Agdal Rabat
Maroc

C. Michael Hall
Professor
Department of Tourism
University of Otago
PO Box 56, Dunedin
New Zealand

Margaret Johnston
Professor
School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism
Lakehead University
955 Oliver Rd.
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Canada
P7B 5E1

Werner Kreisel
Professor of Geography (Human Geography, Tourism Research)
Dean of the Faculty of Geosciences and Geography
Department of Geography
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 5
D – 37077 Göttingen
Germany

Dr Thandi Nzama
Centre for Recreation and Tourism
University of Zululand
Private Bag X1001, KWA DLANGEZWA, 3886
SOUTH AFRICA

Alvaro Sanchez-Crispin
Professor
Instituto de GeografÌa
National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Ciudad Universitaria.
04510 DF
Mexico

Peggy Teo
Associate Professor
Department of Geography
National University of Singapore
1 Arts Link, Singapore 117570
Singapore 

Allan Williams
Professor of Human Geography and European Studies
Department of Geography
University of Exeter
Amory Building, Rennes Drive
Exeter EX4 4RJ
UK 

Jerzy Wyrzykowski
Professor of Geography
Head of the Department of Regional and Tourism Geography
University of Wroclaw50-137, Wroclaw
Poland 

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Honorary Members of the Commission:

Commission Webmaster
Alan Lew, Professor
Department of Geography and Public Planning
Northern Arizona University
Box 15016, Flagstaff
Arizona 86011-5016
USA

Member
Lindisizwe Magi
Professor
University of Zululand
Durban-Umlazi Campus
Private Bag X 10, Isipingo 4110
South Africa

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Work plan 2005–2008

The IGU Commission on Tourism, Leisure and Global Change started as Study Group in 2000. Its activities have been conducted in line with its goals and objectives and has resulted in a number of meetings, often in association with other relevant Commissions and organisations, as well as numerous publications in various outlets. Commission used years 1–2 (2001–2002) to further develop the Commission’s research programme and develop the methodological frameworks to analyse issues of the geography of tourism, leisure and global change, including relationships with associated institutions and IGU Study Groups and Commissions. Years 3–6 (2003–2006) will focus on the development of comparative studies on leisure, tourism and corresponding social, economic, environmental and political change. Years 7–8 (2007–2008) will concentrate on the communication and transfer of research results in policy relevant terms to policy makers and industry as well as continuing the scientific publishing programme of the Commission. The Commission therefore seeks to continue its activities for the next four years as outlined in relation to its existing goals and objectives but with the edition of two further tasks:

8) Examination of tourism's relationships to global environmental and political change

9) In relation to task 8 specific examination of tourism’s relationships with global climate change.

10) In relation to task 8 and 6 specific examination of tourism’s role with local-global nexus

With respect to tasks 8 and 9 it is anticipated that work will be undertaken in conjunction with the IGU megacities taskforce with whom contact has already been made by the previous Chairperson of the Commission and with the International Biometereology Society's tourism commission and climate change and tourism adaptation programmes.

The preliminary work plan for the years 2005–2008 is:

2005
·        Organizing the Commission

·        update the Commission www pages

·        International joint Conference: Border Tourism and Community Development, July 6–9, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China

Conference Organizers: Zhongshan University, Center for Tourism Research and Planning (Guangzhou, China) and Northern Arizona University, Department of Georaphy, Planning, and Recreation (Flagstaff, Arizona, USA). IGU Coordinator: Alan Lew.

2006
·        International joint Conference with ATLAS Africa: Contested Landscapes of Tourism, 16–18 February, Mombasa, Kenya. Conference Organizer: ATLAS Africa and IGU Commission. IGU Coordinator: John Akama and Jarkko Saarinen.

·        International joint Conference with ATLAS: Impact of the System and Political Transformation on the Spatial Changes of Tourism, Lodz, September, Poland.

      Conference Organizer: ATLAS. IGU Coordinator: Marin Bachvarov.

·        Sessions at the IGU/UGI Congress, July 2–7, Brisbane, Australia. Conference Organizer: IGU. IGU Coordinator: Michael Hall and Jarkko Saarinen.

·        Joint PhD intensive course with Landscape Research Network, Kevo, Finland. Conference Organizer: Nordic Landcape Research Network. IGU Coordinator: Jarkko Saarinen.

2007
·        International joint Conference with IGU Commission C04.07 The Cultural approach in geopraphy: Geographies of lifestyles and identities, Oulu/Lapland, Finland. Conference Organizer: IGU. IGU Coordinator: Anssi Paasi and Jarkko Saarinen.

·        Commission meeting, will be announced later. Organizers: IGU Commission.

 

2008
·        Sessions at the IGU/UGI Congress, Tunis. Conference Organizer: IGU. IGU Coordinator: Jarkko Saarinen.

·        Commission meeting, will be announced later. Meeting Organizers: IGU Commission.

 

IGU Regional Conference in Brisbane 2006

The theme of the IGU Regional Conference in Brisbane, Australia (July 2006), is “Regional Responses to Global Changes –a View From the Antipodes”. The preliminary session themes of the Commission are:
-Tourism, Leisure and Globalisation: Local Contexts, Global Issues

-Scaling Tourism: New Perspectives in the Geography of Tourism

-Tourism, Leisure and Social Change

-Tourism, Leisure and Sustainability

-Ecotourism I: development and planning

-Ecotourism II: critical issues in nature-based tourism

-Tourism and Leisure Economies

-Tourism, Leisure and Spatial Restructuring

-Tourism Development in Transition Economies

-Tourism Politics: Power and Identity

-Tourism, Mobility and Borders

-Tourism, Leisure and Global Environmental Change I

-Tourism, Leisure and Global Environmental Change II: Tourism and Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptation

-Tourism and Environmental Management

-Industrial Heritage and Landscapes as Tourist Attractions

Further information in future: www.igu2006.org and www.geog.nau.edu/igust

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Contact information:
Professor Jarkko Saarinen
Chairperson IGU Commission on the Geography of Sustainable Tourism
Department of Geography, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FIN-90014 University of Oulu, FINLAND
Email: jarkko.saarinen@oulu.fi
Website

Commission website: http://www.tourismgeography.com

Contact Prof. Saarinen to become a 'Corresponding Member' at no charge.