BUSAN — An international academic forum on special interest tourism, or SIT, which builds travel around individual tastes and experiences rather than standardized mass tourism, will open in Busan's Haeundae district to share the latest research and map the future of the global tourism and hospitality industry.
Youngsan University said it will host the 5th Global Conference on Special Interest Tourism and Hospitality, known as GLOSITH, for three days from the 30th of this month through Nov. 1 at the Sungsim Auditorium and Hakcheon Hall on its Haeundae campus. Tourism scholars, industry experts and policymakers from around the world will take part, sharing research findings and innovation cases in SIT and the tourism and hospitality industry.
Special interest tourism refers to travel designed around a traveler's preferences and interests and built on specific activities and experiences. As travelers increasingly seek differentiated and specialized experiences rather than uniform package trips, academic research and industry interest in the field have grown.
This year's conference focuses on expanding international research networks and raising the global profile of the papers presented. At least 20 submissions will be selected as Outstanding Full Papers (OFP) after review, with opportunities for linked publication in journals indexed in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). The organizers aim to draw researchers at home and abroad by turning conference presentations into internationally recognized academic output.
GLOSITH held its first conference in 2017 at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan, followed by editions at Ming Chuan University in Taiwan, Macau University of Science and Technology and Xiamen University in China. Starting this year, the event shifts to an annual format to broaden international academic exchange in tourism and hospitality.
Youngsan University's College of Tourism, Culture and Arts, which is organizing the event, ranked 55th globally and third in South Korea in hospitality and leisure management in the QS World University Rankings. The university said it plans to use the conference to showcase its education and research capabilities in tourism and hospitality and to widen the links between Busan's tourism industry and international academic networks.
"This will be a venue for international academic exchange where tourism scholars from around the world gather in Busan to discuss special interest tourism and the future of the tourism and hospitality industry," said Boo Ku-wook, president of Youngsan University. "We will make it an occasion to showcase the university's education and research capabilities to the world and to connect Busan's brand as a global tourism city with the international tourism academic community."