“Sustainable Destination Excellence: Innovations in Alternative Tourism (SDEIAT 2011)”

School of Hospitality & Tourism Management (SHTM), University of Jammu announces an International Conference on “Sustainable Destination Excellence: Innovations in Alternative Tourism (SDEIAT 2011)” scheduled for February 17-18, 2011.

Alternative tourism offers a coherent radical critique of current social, political, and environmental problems as well as a reconstructive, ecological, communitarian, and ethical approach to society. Environmental problems are fundamentally viewed as social and political, and seek systemic, long-term solutions, in contrast to the incremental policy adjustments generally advocated by the large NGOs. Therefore, fundamental changes are advocated in political, economic and social systems, envisioning an outlook that re-harmonizes human communities with the natural world, while celebrating diversity, creativity and freedom within human communities. New tourism underlines the paradigm that tourism needs to be moved from practices that are marked by insensitivity, inequity and short-term maximization to a broader vision which recognizes long – term obligation to travelers, destinations, wider communities and future generations. The tourism industry cannot isolate itself from the problems that the world is facing today – poverty, exploitation, intolerance, greed, destruction of nature, ethnic collisions etc. Therefore, a proactive understanding of how smart and sustainable tourism systems can be developed benefitting all of us is the call for the day. There is a need to implement various measures which require understanding of world cultures, human psychology, religion, politics, energy resources, water and nature conservation, waste management, cross – cultural mediation and more. Vibrant research and development into this concept would have such tremendous potential to foster innovation, workable solutions and new agendas that can barely be imagined what the future would hold.
The International Conference (SDEIAT 2011) being organized at the SHTM, University of Jammu would endeavor to examine the relevant issues in Sustainable Destination Excellence and Innovations in Alternative Tourism.

The brochure, registration form and other information related to SDEIAT 2011 can be accessed at our website: http://www.shtmju.com/conference.html