Association Association of Tourism, Hospitality and Events Networks in Academia. ATHENA
Description of the Association
About ATHENA
The international research association of ATHENA formed in 2022. The acronym
ATHENA stands for the Association of Tourism, Hospitality and Events Networks in
Academia. ATHENA is an unincorporated association focusing on the wider research
area of tourism. Its members are tourism-related research centres/institutes throughout
the globe. The association aims to internationally promote and develop tourism
research collaboration towards its members and beyond.
Mission
To share knowledge, experience and expertise, and to support scientific excellence in
tourism amongst research centres/institutes internationally.
Vision
To create a hub of research active communities by supporting and promoting
knowledge share and international collaboration.
Membership
ATHENA provides several incentives and opportunities to its affiliated research
centres/institutes. More specifically:
It creates opportunities to interact with academic peers.
It shares good research practice.
Its members have access to a network of experts to be used as external
speakers.
It promotes the development of fundamental and applied research in tourism,
hospitality and events.
It promotes collaborative national and international research projects and the
opportunity for bidding.
It supports the co-hosting and co-organisation of research events in a national
and international level.
It fosters and supports the collaboration towards ATHENA members.
All the individuals belonging to ATHENA members will have a 20% discount
to the official conference of the association (THE INC – Tourism, Hospitality
and Events INternational Conference), effective from THE INC 2024
onwards.
The membership of ATHENA is not based on individuals, but concerns research
centres/institutes. For becoming an ATHENA member is free of charge (no fees
included). For registering, the members should:
1. Actively include in their activities fundamental and/or applied research related
with tourism, hospitality and/or events.
2. Have an official website including their profile, research activities and their
members (individuals).
3. Have a designated person as a director/manager of the research
centre/institute. This person will serve as a point of contact, and will also be a
member of the executive board of ATHENA.
4. The members should be affiliated with a specific higher education
organisation (academia), or be directed/managed by academics.
Membership Obligations
A membership in ATHENA includes a number of specific obligations. More
specifically:
The members should be actively involved in research related with the fields of
tourism, hospitality and/or events.
All members should include on their official website their affiliation with
ATHENA.
The members are encouraged to promote collaborative initiatives towards
ATHENA members.
ATHENA membership is valid for two years. If a member wishes to continue
participating in the association, its director/manager should renew the
membership in a biennial basis.
The members are encouraged to share research expertise and know-how
towards other members (e.g.: keynotes; good practices; dissemination of
funding opportunities).
The directors/managers of ATHENA members should participate once a year
in the executive board meeting of the association.
THE INC
THE INC (Tourism, Hospitality and Events INternational Conference) is a biennial
tourism-related conference. The first conference was held in 2018 at the University of
Derby, Buxton (UK). The second conference was held in 2020 at the NHL Stenden
University (Netherlands). The third conference will be held in 2022 at the Cyprus
University of Technology (Cyprus). The official launch of ATHENA is planned to be
held during THE INC 2022, and from this point onwards, THE INC will become the
official conference of ATHENA.
THE INC actively promotes high quality research, generating specific outputs. Every
instalment of the conference hosts a series of special issues in internationally
esteemed (AJG 2*) journals, whilst it is also supported by state of the art (AJG 3*/4*)
journals. More specifically, the special issues generated from THE INC 2018 in Event
Management and Hospitality and Society journals have included an overall number of
24 articles (16 in EM and 8 in H&S). The special issues generated from THE INC
2020 in Event Management and Tourism Planning and Development journals have
included an overall number of 16 articles (9 in EM and 7 in TPD). The finalisation of
article numbers from THE INC 2022 (Special Issues: Event Management; Tourism
Planning and Development) is expected to be held in mid-2023. Those research
outputs consistently highlight THE INC as the conference with the most significant
research output in the field of tourism, hospitality and events
Name of Society/Association
Association of Tourism, Hospitality and Events Networks in Academia. ATHENA