CALL FOR PAPERS
BEST Education Network Think Tank VIII
Sustaining Quality of Life through Tourism
JUNE 24 - 27, 2008 in Izmir, Turkey

The BEST Education Network invites your participation in Think Tank VIII whose theme is "Sustaining Quality of Life through Tourism" in Izmir, Turkey from June 24-28, 2008 in conjunction with Izmir University of Economics.

Tourism is a well-known tool to facilitate regeneration and economic development and enhance the quality of life of visitors and host communities. Finding the right balance between the welfare of tourists, host communities and the environment, reducing conflict, recognising mutual dependency, and enhancing quality of life requires a sustainable approach to the development and management of destinations, organisations and enterprises. It is equally important to understand aspects of the tourist/host experience that can celebrate and improve the quality of life for all.

The Think Tank will take place over three days and include a combination of plenary speakers, break-out sessions devoted to research issues, and an industry forum on sustaining quality of life through tourism. The outcomes of Think Tank VIII will include a set of materials contributing to a research agenda and case studies reflecting the Think Tank theme. For program and registration information, please visit the BEST EN website at www.besteducationnetwork.org.

Papers are invited for oral presentation by registered delegates. We invite authors to submit either an abstract or a full paper in the following areas related to sustaining quality of life through tourism:

• Communities in the natural and built environment
• Lifelong learning
• Governance in tourism
• Quality of life of workforce in tourism
• Tourism and the experience economy
• Green building: energy, water, and waste management
• Tourism’s advancement of tourists’ and residents’ quality of life
• cultural tourism
• tourism for marginal groups
• social equity
• social exclusion
• sense of place
• building social capital
• aesthetics in tourism
• visitor - host experiences
• Case studies
• Other topics relating to sustainable tourism development will be considered.

Abstracts should be approximately 1,000 words with title page containing full name and contact information. Deadline for submission of abstracts is February 26, 2008. Authors will receive feedback by April 1, 2008.

Alternatively, authors can submit full papers for blind review if their organization requires such a submission to justify funding. In this case please submit a 15 page (double-spaced) paper in APA format by February 15, 2008. The author will receive notification of acceptance by April 1, 2008. Full papers should include a title page with author name and affiliation; introduction; methods; findings; application of results; conclusions and references. The author’s name should appear only on the title page. The submission of a paper or abstract requires that at least one author attends the Think Tank to present the paper.

The BEST EN Outstanding Paper Award is open to all full papers that reflect the theme of Think Tank VIII. Selected full papers are published in a special issue of Tourism and Hospitality Review.