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TTR: How did the ISCONTOUR come about?
Christian Maurer: The annual International Student Conference in Tourism Research - ISCONTOUR for short - was founded in 2013 by FH-Prof. Christian Maurer (IMC FH Krems) and FH-Prof. Dr. Roman Egger (FH Salzburg). The basic idea of ISCONTOUR is to offer young researchers a platform where they can present their work. Since 2019, the ISCONTOUR has been jointly organized by MCI Innsbruck and IMC FH Krems and is held alternately at the two locations Krems and Innsbruck.
The aim of the conference is to promote young researchers. International students and graduates of BA, MA and PhD programs can submit their research work to the ISCONTOUR. All submissions are evaluated by an international scientific committee in a double-blind review process. All research articles accepted for the conference will be published in a high-quality conference volume.
The two-day conference offers an exciting program with workshops on innovative research methods, exciting keynote speeches and the presentations of the research papers accepted for the ISCONTOUR by the young researchers. The target groups of ISCONTOUR are students, graduates, professors, researchers and tourism practitioners. The non-profit conference is gratefully supported by various sponsors. Before Corona, the ISCONTOUR had around 200 participants from more than 30 different countries. After a year of Corona-related interruption, the ISCONTOUR will take place for the 9th time from May 16-17, 2022.
TTR: In addition to a series of paper presentations and research workshops, the focus is also on networking. What is the program this year?
Christian Maurer: In addition to research, the focus is also on networking and having fun. That's why we start on Monday with a trip to the Nordkette and a lunch so that the participants can get to know each other better. On Monday afternoon there will be four research methodology workshops and an interesting lecture on leadership by Prof. Dr. Kurt Matzler, who has taken part in the Race Across America several times. Tuesday begins with 2 top keynote speeches. Afterwards, 20 young, international researchers will present their contributions. The topics range from sustainable tourism, marketing and product development to destination management.
TTR: What lessons have you learned from the ISCONTOUR?
Christian Maurer: With the ISCONTOUR, we want to motivate students and graduates to do research. It is always a pleasure to see the beaming faces of the authors after they have successfully presented their research work. And for some, this first publication may be the foundation stone for an academic career. For tourism businesses and tourism organizations, ISCONTOUR also offers a platform to exchange ideas with highly qualified potential employees.
TTR: Next year, the 10th edition of ISCONTOUR will take place in Krems. What are your hopes for it?
Christian Maurer: I hope that corona will no longer be the main topic, that we will receive many submissions and that the number of participants will once again break the 200-person mark for the 10th anniversary. In any case, we will come up with special program highlights for the anniversary,
In cooperation with the MCI and the IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, the ISCONTOUR on May 16 and 17, 2022, as an international student conference, offers graduates a platform to present their research results and exchange knowledge. This year, the submitted papers are divided into the research areas of destination management, digital marketing, digital transformation, consumer behavior, hospitality management and sustainable tourism management.
In the past, the conference has attracted more than 200 participants from over 30 different countries.