Events by

Scholardemia

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30 upcoming events

May 202714Friday

Webinar

The AI-powered hotel: Balancing service delivery, consumer behaviour and sustainability in global hospitality

Hotels increasingly use artificial intelligence for demand forecasting, dynamic pricing, guest communication, maintenance, workforce scheduling and energy management. These systems may improve speed, consistency and resource planning, but they can also expose private data, reproduce bias and reduce employee authority. This webinar examines artificial intelligence across service delivery, consumer behaviour and hotel operations. It will distinguish specific applications with measurable purposes from broad claims that present automation itself as evidence of innovation or sustainability. Panellists will evaluate evidence concerning reductions in energy use, water consumption and food waste. The discussion will consider data quality, baseline selection and whether efficiency gains persist as occupancy or service demand changes. It will also address the energy and water required by digital infrastructure, together with rebound effects that can reduce expected savings. Workforce displacement, workplace monitoring, automated pricing and responsibility for harmful decisions will be examined as governance questions rather than unavoidable consequences of technological adoption. Participants will gain criteria for assessing proposed systems according to operational value, environmental performance, privacy, fairness and human oversight. They will learn to identify which decisions require human approval, what evidence should be available before procurement and how outcomes should be monitored after implementation. The webinar will also consider correction, appeal and responsibility when systems fail. Delegates will leave able to distinguish beneficial automation from unsupported corporate positioning and to establish governance arrangements that protect guests, employees and environmental commitments throughout the life of a technology investment. This supports responsible adoption throughout procurement, operation, review and eventual replacement.

Zoom link to be confirmed17:00 BSTFree

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May 202721Friday

Webinar

Global hospitality's path to net positive: Bridging research and reality in sustainable regional development

Commercial accommodation businesses depend on regional ecosystems, public infrastructure, skilled labour and the continuing support of host communities. This webinar examines the development of net-positive hospitality as an approach that moves beyond limiting harm towards restoring ecological systems and strengthening local economies. It considers carbon management, water stewardship, biodiversity, decent work and the retention of tourism income within destinations. Particular attention is given to the difference between measurable operational improvement and broad corporate claims that cannot be independently substantiated. Panellists will evaluate methods for establishing baselines grounded in scientific evidence, examining supply chains and reporting environmental, social and governance outcomes. The discussion will consider how organisational boundaries affect reported results and how operators can account for indirect impacts that occur through energy, food, construction, transport and outsourced services. It will also examine the regional political economy of hospitality by asking who defines sustainability priorities, who receives the benefits of investment and which groups bear environmental or social costs. Participants will learn how to assess institutional claims against transparent evidence, realistic timescales and clearly defined responsibilities. The session will introduce practical questions for identifying greenwashing, evaluating progress over the long term and designing partnerships among businesses, public authorities and community organisations. By connecting research with operational decision-making, the webinar will help delegates determine whether a proposed initiative creates additional ecological and social value or merely presents existing activity in more favourable language. It will also support more precise dialogue between scholars, practitioners, investors and regional public policymakers during implementation.

Zoom link to be confirmed09:00 BSTFree

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May 202728Friday

Webinar

Beyond greenwashing: Aligning consumer ethics with corporate sustainability in hospitality marketing

Consumer research consistently records strong support for sustainable travel, yet purchasing decisions remain shaped by price, convenience, habit and limited access to reliable information. This webinar examines how environmental labels, marketing narratives and service design influence guest trust and brand credibility. It considers the gap between stated ethical preferences and actual behaviour without treating consumers as solely responsible for changing the tourism system. Ethical marketing should support informed choice while recognising that businesses retain responsibility for the environmental and social consequences of their operations. Panellists will explore how specific claims, comparable impact measures and verification by independent parties can strengthen confidence in hospitality brands. The discussion will examine the relationship between marketing and operations, including how evidence should be gathered before a claim is published and how organisations should communicate when targets are delayed or missed. Attention will also be given to selective disclosure, vague future commitments and the use of imagery or language that creates an impression of performance beyond what available evidence supports. Participants will receive a structured framework for assessing whether promotional communications are clear, relevant and proportionate to verified achievements. They will learn to identify the scope of a claim, test the quality of supporting evidence and distinguish meaningful progress from routine compliance. The session will also consider how corrective communication, accessible reporting and credible complaints procedures can protect consumer agency. These tools will help researchers and practitioners align sustainability communication with accountable corporate practice rather than relying on aspiration alone. This strengthens trust across markets.

Zoom link to be confirmed09:00 BSTFree

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Jun 202704Friday

Webinar

Climate-resilient tourism: From academic models to on-the-ground innovation in luxury eco-resorts

Luxury eco-resorts face growing exposure to extreme weather, heat stress, freshwater scarcity, coastal erosion, wildfire and ecological decline. This webinar examines how climate projections and local environmental knowledge can inform decisions about buildings, energy systems, water collection, food provision, biodiversity protection and emergency planning. It will distinguish climate resilience from short-term crisis response by considering how investments perform across several plausible futures and whether they protect essential services when environmental conditions exceed historical expectations. Panellists will evaluate scenario modelling, ecosystem restoration, passive design, resource efficiency and other forms of adaptation alongside the operational requirements of luxury service. The discussion will address the limits of forecasting and the need to revise plans as evidence changes. It will also consider dependencies beyond resort boundaries, including municipal water, transport networks, local food systems and emergency services. Particular attention will be given to adaptations that secure private assets by increasing costs, reducing access or transferring risk to neighbouring communities. Participants will learn to assess proposed measures according to their scientific basis, practical feasibility, distributional effects and capacity to reduce risk over the long term. The session will introduce criteria for comparing infrastructure investment with adaptation based on natural processes and for identifying situations in which both are required. Delegates will also consider how monitoring, community participation and transparent thresholds can guide future decisions. The objective is to connect climate research with responsible resort management while preserving ecological integrity and local wellbeing. This supports investment choices that remain defensible as environmental conditions change.

Zoom link to be confirmed13:00 BSTFree

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Jun 202711Friday

Webinar

Cultural tourism at a crossroads: Authentic Indigenous experiences, commodification and critical dialogue

Cultural tourism can support heritage continuity, community income and dialogue between visitors and hosts. It can also detach sacred practices, knowledge and historical narratives from the Indigenous communities that hold authority over them. This webinar places Indigenous self-determination at the centre of destination governance. It examines who decides what may be shared, how cultural material is interpreted and represented, and whether commercial activity reflects the priorities of cultural custodians rather than the expectations of external operators. Panellists will challenge universal definitions of authenticity and consider how they can restrict living cultures or reward performances designed for outside approval. The discussion will examine free, prior and informed consent, intellectual property, control of images and recordings, fair remuneration, visitor conduct and the right to protect sensitive knowledge. It will recognise that Indigenous communities are diverse political and cultural entities with different governance structures, development aims and views about tourism. Consultation alone will not be treated as evidence of meaningful authority. Participants will gain a practical framework for evaluating whether partnerships embody reciprocity, accountability and continuing consent. They will learn to examine ownership, contractual power, revenue distribution and access to remedies when agreements are breached. The session will also consider how tourism organisations can support community-led interpretation without imposing external measures of success. Its central question is whether Indigenous peoples retain genuine authority to make decisions about cultural representation, commercial participation and the future development of their lands and heritage. This places cultural authority above externally imposed measures of commercial success.

Zoom link to be confirmed09:00 BSTFree

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Jun 202718Friday

Webinar

The smart tourism revolution: AI, e-tourism and the future of personalised travel experiences

Artificial intelligence and digital platforms increasingly shape how travellers search for destinations, compare services, make bookings and navigate unfamiliar places. This webinar examines recommendation systems, conversational agents and connected visitor services as components of smart tourism. It asks when personalisation improves relevance, accessibility and convenience, and when algorithmic filtering narrows discovery or gives priority to commercial interests. The discussion will treat digital tourism as a system of governance and infrastructure rather than simply a collection of useful consumer applications. Panellists will examine privacy, informed consent, algorithmic bias, model explainability and unequal access to digital services. They will consider how data are collected across platforms, how inferred preferences affect later recommendations and whether visitors can meaningfully challenge automated outcomes. The session will also address platform power by asking who owns tourism data, which businesses can access digital markets and how the value created from visitor activity is distributed within destinations. Human oversight will be considered in relation to both routine decisions and service failures. Participants will receive a practical checklist for evaluating whether a digital tourism service is useful, inclusive and accountable. They will learn to identify the purpose of an automated system, assess whether its data practices are proportionate and determine where human judgement remains necessary. The webinar will also introduce questions about procurement, accessibility testing, audit rights and routes for correction. These criteria will help destinations and operators adopt digital innovation without weakening consumer autonomy, local economic participation or public responsibility. This supports innovation while preserving legitimate public oversight.

Zoom link to be confirmed09:00 BSTFree

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