[Gandur] North Atlantic Forum 2013 á Hólum 13-15 júní 2013. North Atlantic Forum 2013 in Iceland June 13th-15th

Wed Jan 16 13:15:57 GMT 2013

Dear colleagues we are extending the:

*Call for Papers*

*North Atlantic Forum 2013*

*Rural Tourism - Challenges in Changing Times:*

*Community, Experience, Economy and Environment*

*June 13-15, 2013 Hólar in Hjaltadalur, Iceland*

In times of global economic turmoil and climate change, this conference
will explore the challenges, practices of and the opportunities in smart
and sustainable rural tourism. The programme will address the development
challenges through four interrelated and strategic perspectives - *Community,
Experience, Economy and the Environment.* Through these four interrelated
themes and a highly participatory programme the conference will critically
explore strategic opportunities for innovative, yet concrete and practical
solutions for sustainable rural tourism.

The interest in and development of rural tourism is a function of the
growth of tourism globally, but is also a function of the specific
attraction of rural environments, unspoilt natural landscapes, unique
cultures, and other wholesome tourism experiences – from food and hiking,
to horse-riding and mountain climbing. Peripheral North Atlantic regions
are well placed to establish themselves as attractive niche rural tourism
destinations.

NAF 2013 welcomes participants interested or engaged in rural tourism for
three days of intensive and critical conversations and explorations of
ideas, information, innovations and best practices, in the stunning setting
of Hólar, North Iceland.

This conference* *will feature *discussions, presentations, workshops and
tours, as well as plenty of informal and networking
opportunities,*addressing four key and inter-related themes:
**

*COMMUNITY* - What are the community's distinctive assets in leadership,
culture, folklore, art, architectural design, pride and solidarity,
resilience, skills, diversity, and more - that can be drawn upon to
support, and in turn be supported by, sustainable tourism? How are
communities managing strategically and innovating in these challenging
times?

*ENVIRONMENT* - What do nature and culture, and overall ‘quality of life’ -
the waters, the air, light, wildlife, flora and fauna, geology and
landscapes, mystery, fragility and complexity, respite and relaxation,
safety and tempo - offer in terms of informed and respectful strategic
opportunities and challenges?

*ECONOMY* - How does one harness local and regional resources and assets -
building upon strengths, tapping into the knowledge economy, cultivating
local entrepreneurship and innovation, encouraging investment, engaging
youth, luring the diaspora, and generating sustainable livelihoods - to
achieve a wholesome and holistic approach to rural tourism and rural
development?

*EXPERIENCE* - What are the relevant experiences in sustainable rural
tourism development for small, often remote, communities? What are the
indicators, the pointers, the cautions, the ‘blind alleys’, the
opportunities and challenges, the costs and benefits? What ideas, lessons
and practices can be taken home for reflection, adaptation and
implementation?

We welcome papers from community practitioners, academics, consultants,
government policy advisors and others, as well as presentations on
practical experiences and case studies.

*Target group*

This conference will bring together a diverse mix of participants who have
researched and embraced innovative tourism strategies and partnerships.
These include municipal and national government officials; practitioners
responsible for regional development; tourism, culture and heritage
operators; community volunteers; and academics and graduate students
involved in rural tourism research.

The goal of NAF 2013* *is that participants will take home practical
insights on strategy development, innovation and creativity, participation
process, effective government/civil society collaboration, partnership
design and development and innovative ways of developing, managing and
presenting local and regional resources.

*Proposals*

Paper proposals (title and abstract of not more than 300 words) should be
submitted through www.naf2013.holar.is by *January 15th, 2013*. All
presenters must register for the conference.

* *

*Key dates*

February 8th, 2013 – deadline for submission of abstracts.

February  18th, 2013 – notification of accepted abstracts.

Registration – Early Bird (25% discount) – March 29, 2013

April 26, 2013 – deadline for registration.

*About the conference *

The North Atlantic Forum (NAF) is a biennial conference for scholars,
community leaders, local government officials, businesspersons, and other
practitioners from the broad North Atlantic, seeking to facilitate
information exchange, knowledge mobilization and research dissemination
among its members. **

* *

*NAF 2013 - Rural Tourism in Changing Times *is a* *collaboration between:

* *

*North Atlantic Forum*, a ‘collegial assembly’ built* *on the network set
up by the North Atlantic Islands* *Program, based at the Institute of
Island Studies,* *University of Prince Edward Island, in
Charlottetown,* *Canada:
*www.upei.ca/iis/naf* <http://www.upei.ca/iis/naf>* *

* *

*Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation*, whose* *mandate is to
revitalize rural Canada through education* *and research for rural leaders
in the community, the* *private sector and in government: *
http://www.crrf.ca*

* *

*Department of Rural Tourism*, Hólar University College, North Iceland, set
up in 1996, which collaborates closely with tourism practitioners and now
offers four different programs of study in Rural Tourism and Event
Management that embrace both theory and practice. *www.holar.is*

*Conference proceedings*

All  accepted abstracts will be published in the *Conference
Proceedings*on the conference website. There will also be
possibilities for
contributors to submit full paper versions to be considered for a
post-conference publication. Papers from the previous two NAF Conferences
went to publication.

For further information please contact Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir
ggunn at holar.is
or go to www.naf2013.holar.is

-- 
______________________________________
Laufey Haraldsdóttir lektor/assistant professor
Ferðamáladeild/Department of Rural Tourism
Hólaskóli, háskólinn á Hólum/Holar University College
Island/Iceland
sími/tel: +(354) 455 6300, +(354) 455 6322, fax: +(354) 455 6301
http://www.holar.is