The 9th Sino-European Tourism Colloquium in 2023 is the result of a fruitful collaboration between three universities: Ningbo University and the University of Angers, the co-founders of this event, and Cadi Ayyad University, which hosts this edition. This partnership illustrates the shared commitment of academic communities to promoting research and intercultural dialogue in the field of tourism and heritage.
This edition of the colloquium highlights a theme of paramount importance: the complex and cross-cutting interaction between tourism, with its intergenerational and intercultural dimensions, and heritage, whether tangible or intangible, exploring its identity and economic aspects. It examines the often virtuous and beneficial dynamics that emerge between visitors and host communities, as well as the valorization of heritage and its guardians. However, it also addresses conflicts and asymmetries sometimes present, resulting from opportunistic or commercial manipulations of this relationship.
The colloquium program offers a balanced mix of in-person and remote formats, including two plenary roundtables, 15 research workshops, and a doctoral conference. The first roundtable, entitled "Tourism and Heritage in Times of Crisis: Universal Issue and Local Specificity," brings together a panel of multilingual experts to discuss the threats facing heritage in different contexts and from different angles. The second roundtable explores an innovative topic by examining the role of the inhabitant as heritage and the hospitality practices that result from it.
The 15 research workshops, organized in parallel sessions, provide a space for professors and doctoral students to explore various aspects and more specific issues. Topics covered include tourist imaginaries, perceptions of authenticity, and the impact of digital transformations on tourism and heritage. This diverse program ensures a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives among participants, thereby contributing to the advancement of knowledge in this dynamic and constantly evolving field.
