President's Message

Dear Fellows,

Greetings from Amherst.

I write with deep gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility as I begin my second term as President of the Academy. First, I thank you, my fellow members, for once again entrusting us with the leadership of the Academy. I am honored to serve alongside our newly elected Executive Committee members: First Vice President Maria Gravari-Barbas, Second Vice President Scott Cohen, and Treasurer Honggang Xu. We are also fortunate to continue benefiting from the leadership and guidance of Karl Wöber as Chair of the Board.

As we welcome Honggang and Scott to the Executive Committee, we also extend our sincere appreciation to Alan and Ulli for their outstanding service to the Academy. Their dedication, wisdom, and unwavering commitment have contributed to the Academy's growth and success. Although they are stepping down from their Executive Committee roles, their contributions will continue to have a lasting impact on our organization. Thank you, Alan, and Ulli, for your exemplary service.

Let me take this opportunity to reflect on our recent conference and share several important updates.

Our 2026 Biennial Academy Conference, Tourism Transition(s), was an extraordinary success. The conference provided a rich platform for scholarly exchange, stimulating discussions, meaningful networking opportunities, and memorable social experiences in Hong Kong.

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to First Vice President Maria Gravari-Barbas for her patient and skillful leadership in developing an outstanding conference program in collaboration with our host institution, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. We are especially grateful to Dean Kaye Chon and his team for creating such a remarkable experience for the Academy. Their professionalism, dedication, and diligence contributed significantly to both the success of the conference and the enjoyment of all participants.

The conference featured research presentations by 13 Academy Fellows, most of whom explored issues related to tourism transitions. Participants also engaged in two highly topical panel discussions, Tourism in a Post +2°C World and Raising Rigour in Publishing, as well as a panel with alumni on postgraduate education in tourism and hospitality. The social events, including the pre-conference dinner, field trip, and the traditional Wine and Cheese Reception, provided valuable opportunities to reconnect and foster meaningful interactions among Fellows, guests, and emerging scholars.

As outgoing Second Vice President, Alan Fyall had the pleasure of presenting Academy certificates to six new Fellows, five Invited Scholars, and two Emerging Scholars. New Fellows receiving certificates included Simon Darcy and Adele Ladkin (virtually), and Robin Nunkoo, Janne Liburd, David Fennell, and Jim Petrick (in person). Certificates were also presented to Invited Scholars Billy Bai, Graham Miller, Iis Tussyadiah, Regina Scheyvens, and Xinran Lehto. Among the Emerging Scholars, Api Movono and Carol Zhang received their certificates in person, while Claudio Milano joined virtually from Barcelona in the early hours of the morning. For the next cycle, incoming Second Vice President Scott Cohen will follow up over the summer regarding the voting process for scholars invited to the Hong Kong conference.

Under the leadership of Ulrike Gretzel, the Academy launched its first PhD Student Essay Competition this year on the theme of "Tourism Transitions". Nine outstanding essays were submitted from around the world. The Executive Committee selected one winner, Longrui Han (Universidade de Aveiro), and two honorable mentions, Chensi Shen (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) and Doriana Persson (Glasgow Caledonian University). All three were invited to attend the Hong Kong conference, with two participating in person and one joining online. Congratulations to all three for their excellent achievements.

To further support emerging scholars, Ulrike Gretzel will host an online gathering this fall for recent award recipients and fellows. This initiative reflects the Academy's broader commitment to strengthening mentoring and networking opportunities.

I am also delighted to share that Dean Kaye Chon was awarded the Medal of Wisdom at the 15th Asia Tourism Forum in Mongolia in June 2026 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to tourism development and tourism education in Mongolia. This prestigious honor reflects his longstanding leadership and impact on the global tourism community. Congratulations, Kaye, on this well-deserved recognition.

We gratefully acknowledge School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University for hosting the Academy's Secretariat under Dean Chon's leadership. Special thanks to Leslie Fung and Aria Ying Jin for their dedicated support and invaluable contributions to the Academy's smooth operation and continued success. The photos of the conference are available on the Academy website.

On behalf of the Executive Committee, I would also like to thank the members of our standing committees for their service, commitment, and contributions. Their efforts are essential to the successful functioning and continued advancement of the Academy. During our second business meeting, the Academy approved the creation of three ad hoc committees to develop guidelines and standards related to ethics, scholarship, and sustainability. Once completed, these standards will be shared with Academy members, posted on the Academy website, and made available to relevant academic journals and professional organizations. We hope these initiatives will further strengthen the Academy's leadership role in advancing responsible and impactful scholarships in tourism.

Looking ahead, Maria Gravari-Barbas and Richard Butler will begin work on an edited volume based on the conference theme, Tourism Transitions. Fellows will soon receive an invitation to contribute to this publication.

We are also beginning to gather proposals to host the 2028 Biennial Conference. Proposals should be submitted by the end of September, and additional details will be circulated in separate communication.

As we move forward, the Executive Committee looks forward to collaborating closely with our committees and membership to advance these and other important initiatives. I am confident that, with your support and engagement, we will continue to achieve significant milestones and further strengthen the Academy's influence and contributions to the field.

Please know that your ideas, suggestions, and participation are always welcome. Academy.Net remains an important forum for exchanging ideas, sharing information, and engaging in collegial discussions with scholars around the world.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to the Academy. I look forward to working with all of you as we embark on another exciting chapter in our shared journey.

May our collective efforts as scholars and global citizens continue to advance understanding, cooperation, and mutual respect. In a time of uncertainty, let us remain committed to fostering peace, stability, and shared humanity throughout the world.

With warm regards,

Prof. Muzzo Uysal

muysal@isenberg.umass.edu
President,
International Academy for the Study of Tourism