Theme: Sustainable Tourism Futures: Integrating Contemporary Travel, Sacred Landscapes and Living Heritage
Dates: 24 - 28 Feb 2026
Venue: Kirirom Institute of Technology, Cambodia

About the Conference

Tourism today stands at a pivotal moment shaped by climate uncertainty, cultural revival, digital transformation, and rapidly evolving traveler motivations. As destinations grapple with balancing economic vitality and ecological responsibility, the theme “Sustainable Tourism Futures: Integrating Contemporary Travel, Sacred Landscapes and Living Heritage” presents a forward-looking, holistic vision for global tourism development.

This theme recognizes that sustainability extends far beyond environmental protection. It encompasses the preservation of sacred geographies, heritage corridors, spiritual tourism circuits, community identities, and living cultural traditions. Sacred landscapes, religious sites, and intangible heritage systems hold narratives that must be protected through responsible, community-led and culturally sensitive tourism approaches.

The conference aims to explore how contemporary tourism practices, including digital technologies, innovative hospitality models, and regenerative travel behaviours, can be aligned with heritage conservation, cultural continuity, and community well-being. It encourages tourism to evolve from extractive systems into models rooted in regeneration, authenticity, cultural humility, and respect for local ways of life.

The discussion also invites reflection on critical questions that define the future of global tourism:

• How can contemporary technologies enhance heritage interpretation without diluting authenticity?

• How can sacred landscapes and spiritual tourism circuits be conserved through inclusive, responsible tourism approaches?

• How can hospitality excellence create meaningful cultural encounters that honour local traditions?

• How can religious tourism routes be managed sustainably while safeguarding sanctity and community rights?

• How can communities take leadership in decisions related to their living heritage and cultural tourism planning?

• How can global travellers contribute to cultural preservation rather than commodification?

Positioned within this dynamic intersection of culture, heritage, environment, and digital innovation, the conference seeks to bring together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and industry leaders to co create pathways for a regenerative, community-led and culturally immersive tourism future.