International Transdisciplinary Conference

(Co)Existence with Tourism: Beyond Sustainability?
21–24 April 2027 | Zadar, Croatia
Hotel Falkensteiner Punta Skala, Zadar

Organised by the Institute for Tourism and the University of Zadar

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS can be downloaded on this link: download.

About the Conference

For decades, sustainability has been one of the central concepts shaping tourism research, policy and destination management. Yet many destinations continue to face growing pressures arising from tourism development, raising important questions about the effectiveness and future of sustainability-based approaches.

The international transdisciplinary conference (Co)Existence with Tourism: Beyond Sustainability? invites researchers, practitioners and policymakers to critically examine the role of sustainability in tourism and explore new perspectives for understanding and governing tourism development.

The conference encourages discussion on the opportunities and limitations of current sustainability frameworks and welcomes contributions that investigate alternative approaches, including regenerative tourism, degrowth, steady-state thinking, justice-based perspectives, community-centred governance, and new models of public value.

Hosted in Zadar, a destination that reflects many contemporary tourism challenges and opportunities, the conference provides a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue on how tourism can coexist with communities and environments under changing social, economic and ecological conditions.

Conference Streams

We welcome original contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following streams and indicative themes:

1. Rethinking Tourism Growth: Macroeconomic Effects, Costs and Distribution

  • Tourism growth and development models
  • Tourism degrowth and steady-state approaches
  • Economic impacts, inequalities and externalities
  • Tourism-induced inflation
  • Tourism value chains and local economic benefits

2. Measuring Tourism Sustainability: Indicators, Capacity and Limits

  • Sustainability indicators and monitoring systems
  • Destination carrying capacity
  • Limits of acceptable change
  • Overtourism assessment and early-warning systems
  • Measuring tourism impacts and resilience

3. Climate Change, Spatial Pressures and Resource Use

  • Climate change impacts on tourism destinations
  • Carbon footprints and emissions
  • Spatial planning and land-use conflicts
  • Coastal and island tourism challenges
  • Nature-based solutions and adaptation strategies

4. Behaviour, Choice and Digital Tools in Tourism Governance

  • Tourist behaviour and decision-making
  • Digital nudging and behavioural interventions
  • Visitor flow management
  • Smart destination tools
  • Gamification and incentive-based approaches

5. Communities, Justice and the Conditions of Coexistence

  • Resident perceptions and quality of life
  • Housing, gentrification and displacement
  • Social equity and tourism justice
  • Community participation and co-governance
  • Tourism employment and decent work
  • Cultural heritage preservation

6. Reframing Tourism: Values, Responsibility and Pathways of Change

  • Alternative tourism futures
  • Regenerative and transformative tourism
  • Community wellbeing and place-based development
  • Destination resilience and social change
  • New governance and policy approaches
Conference Information

Organisers
Institute for Tourism and University of Zadar

Conference Dates
21–24 April 2027

Venue
Hotel Falkensteiner Punta Skala, Zadar, Croatia

Conference Website
www.coexisting.hr

Registration
www.coexisting.hr/registration

Paper Submission:
www.coexisting.hr/participants-guidelines/paper-submission/

Contact
info@coexisting.hr

Keynote Speakers
  • Stefan Gössling
  • Melanie Smith
  • Stephen Pratt
  • Josip Mikulić
Contribution Options

Participants may choose one of the following options:

  • Attendance without presentation
  • Abstract submission and conference presentation
  • Abstract submission, full paper submission and conference presentation
Important Dates

Milestone / Date
Abstract submission deadline / 31 January 2027
Notification of acceptance / 28 February 2027
Early-bird registration deadline / 15 March 2027
Regular registration deadline / 15 April 2027
Conference dates / 21–24 April 2027
Full paper submission deadline / 30 September 2027

Registration Fees

Category – Fee
PhD students / accompanying persons – EUR 280
Early-bird registration (until 15 March 2027) – EUR 350
Regular registration (until 15 April 2027) – EUR 400
Late registration (after 15 April 2027) – EUR 450

Submit Your Contribution

Detailed submission guidelines, registration information and conference updates are available on the conference website.

Registration: www.coexisting.hr/registration

Paper Submission: www.coexisting.hr/participants-guidelines/paper-submission/

Contact: info@coexisting.hr

Join us in Zadar!