Call for Papers
Call for Papers
We invite you to join us for the Twelfth International Conference on Tourism & Leisure Studies, the annual meeting of the Tourism & Leisure Studies Research Network, taking place 14–15 June 2027 in Niterói, Brazil, and online, hosted by Federal Fluminense University. The Network brings together researchers, educators, practitioners, policymakers, and community stakeholders concerned with tourism and leisure as social, cultural, economic, and environmental phenomena. The annual conference serves as a key meeting point for interdisciplinary inquiry into how tourism and leisure shape places, experiences, and livelihoods across diverse global contexts.
Special Focus and Themes
The special focus of the 2027 conference, “Sport and Leisure Tourism: Memorable Experiences, Local Development, and Sustainability,” examines the growing significance of sport- and leisure-based tourism in contemporary societies. As destinations increasingly mobilize sport, recreation, and leisure events to attract visitors and investment, questions arise about how these practices generate meaning, shape local identities, and redistribute social and economic benefits. This focus invites participants to explore how memorable tourism experiences are produced, mediated, and remembered, and how they intersect with local development strategies and sustainability goals.
Sub-themes include:
- Experiencing Sport and Leisure Tourism – meaning, memory, affect, identity, and mediated experience.
- Local Development and Community Impacts – economies, labor, participation, governance, and inequality.
- Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility – ecological impacts, climate pressures, and responsible practices.
- Policy, Governance, and Future Pathways – regulation, planning, events, innovation, and alternative models.
Held in Brazil, where sport, leisure, and tourism are deeply interwoven with cultural life and international visibility, the conference foregrounds the tensions and possibilities embedded in sport and leisure tourism. Contributions may examine the impacts of mega-events and smaller-scale sporting and leisure initiatives; community-based and regional tourism development; destination branding and place-making; labor, inequality, and inclusion within tourism economies; environmental pressures and resource management; and the role of policy and governance in shaping sustainable tourism futures. The focus also encourages critical reflection on how tourism narratives and infrastructures affect local communities, cultures, and ecosystems over time.
Alongside the special focus, the Twelfth International Conference on Tourism & Leisure Studies welcomes proposals aligned with its ongoing concerns, including leisure and everyday life; tourism cultures and mobilities; heritage, identity, and place; tourism education and professional practice; sustainability and responsible tourism; and the social, cultural, and ethical dimensions of travel and leisure. Contributions may be theoretical, empirical, methodological, practice-based, or community-engaged, and may draw from disciplines such as sociology, geography, anthropology, economics, cultural studies, planning, and environmental studies.
Format
The conference is organised as a hybrid knowledge experience, integrating in-person and online participation within a unified scholarly environment. All accepted proposals become Presentation Pages, where presenters upload abstracts, media, and reflections, and where delegates can engage in discussion before, during, and after the event.
In-person sessions in Niterói are interwoven with live online presentations and asynchronous contributions within a single integrated program. Regardless of participation mode, all delegates have access to the full schedule, session media, and a growing digital archive. Across formats, the emphasis is on reciprocal, human-scale exchange—conversation, reflection, and collaborative inquiry rather than one-way presentation.
Publication Pathways
Presenters are invited to develop their conference contributions for possible publication in the journals associated with the Tourism & Leisure Studies Research Network, including The International Journal of Tourism and Leisure Studies, or in the Tourism & Leisure Studies Book Imprint, which publishes monographs and edited collections advancing interdisciplinary research on tourism and leisure.
Join Us
We warmly invite you to submit a proposal and to join us—either in Niterói or online—for the Twelfth International Conference on Tourism & Leisure Studies. Together, we will explore how sport and leisure tourism can create meaningful experiences, support local development, and contribute to more sustainable futures.
The 2027 conference is convened by the Tourism & Leisure Studies Research Network Chairs, in collaboration with Federal Fluminense University, and the wider community of editors, partners, and members who sustain the Network.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lívia Gonçalves Magalhães, Conference Chair, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil
Dr. Carolin Lusby, Conference Chair, Florida International University, United States of America
Esmeralda Crespo Almendros, Research Network Chair, University of Granada, Spain
Ana Isabel Polo-Peña, Research Network Chair, University of Granada, Spain
Phillip Kalantzis-Cope, Chief Social Scientist, Common Ground Research Networks, United States of America