Tourism Society
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| Tourism Society | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tourism Society |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | International |
| Membership | Professionals, academics, students |
| Leaders | Board of trustees, executive director |
Tourism Society is a professional association dedicated to advancing the study, practice, and policy of travel and hospitality. It brings together practitioners, academics, policymakers, and students from sectors including hospitality, transport, urban planning, and heritage management. The Society fosters research, standards, and networks through publications, conferences, and accreditation programs.
History
Founded in the 20th century amid growing international travel, the Society emerged alongside institutions such as International Labour Organization, United Nations World Tourism Organization, British Tourist Authority, and national tourism boards. Early activities intersected with developments in Pan American World Airways, Imperial Airways, Thomas Cook-era travel, and postwar reconstruction initiatives tied to Marshall Plan infrastructure efforts. Throughout the late 20th century the Society interacted with academic centers like London School of Economics, University of Surrey, and University of Hawaii at Mānoa where tourism scholarship expanded alongside journals such as Annals of Tourism Research and Journal of Travel Research. In the 1990s and 2000s it engaged with global events including Expo 92, Olympic Games, and World Heritage Convention site management debates, adapting to shifts prompted by low-cost carriers like Ryanair and Southwest Airlines and the rise of online platforms including Expedia and Airbnb-related regulatory controversies.
Organization and Structure
The Society is governed by a board of trustees and an executive team, modeled on governance practices seen at organizations such as Royal Geographical Society, Chartered Institute of Marketing, and Institute of Travel & Tourism. It maintains regional chapters comparable to networks run by European Travel Commission and Pacific Asia Travel Association, and liaises with university departments including Oxford Brookes University and University of Greenwich. Committees oversee research grants, ethics, and accreditation in ways similar to Association of American Geographers and International Council on Monuments and Sites. Funding sources include membership dues, sponsorship from corporations like Hilton Worldwide and Accor, and partnerships with agencies such as UNICEF when addressing sustainable tourism initiatives.
Activities and Programs
The Society organizes annual conferences, regional seminars, and workshops modeled on events like World Travel & Tourism Council summits and ITB Berlin exhibitions. It publishes newsletters, policy briefs, and peer-reviewed outputs comparable to Tourism Management and collaborates with research funders such as Economic and Social Research Council. Professional accreditation and training programs draw on frameworks used by Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), and the Society runs award schemes akin to Condé Nast Traveler awards and World Travel Awards. It has led capacity-building programs in destinations impacted by crises such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and pandemics similar to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions, working alongside bodies like World Health Organization and International Air Transport Association.
Membership and Professional Development
Membership categories include corporate, individual, student, and emeritus levels, paralleling structures at Royal Society and Institution of Civil Engineers. The Society offers mentorship, continuing professional development (CPD) credits comparable to schemes at Royal Institute of British Architects, and certification pathways that reflect competencies valued by employers such as Marriott International and Booking.com. It maintains relationships with academic accreditation agencies including Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and participates in curriculum development with institutions like University of Central Lancashire and Griffith University to align industry needs with academic programs.
Impact and Criticism
The Society has influenced policy debates on sustainable tourism, overtourism, and heritage conservation resembling interventions by Greenpeace on environmental matters and ICOMOS on cultural heritage. Its research has informed destination management plans for sites like Venice, Barcelona, and Machu Picchu, and contributed to discourse around transport hubs such as Heathrow Airport and Schiphol Airport. Critics argue the Society can be too closely aligned with industry sponsors including TUI Group and Carnival Corporation and may underrepresent community voices championed by groups like Friends of the Earth and Local Trust. Other critiques focus on methodological biases in tourism research observed in debates involving Nature Conservancy-linked projects and calls for greater inclusion of Indigenous perspectives similar to those advanced by First Nations advocates in Canada and Australia.