About Tetowaco2024

Embark on a journey with the Teaching Tourism - Walking Conference (TeToWaCo), an immersive experience designed for those seeking a unique blend of tourism and education. It is primarily offered as an extension to a summer school course for international and domestic "Teaching Tourism" organised by Hokkaido University (HSI) participants, who will be prioritised when assigning places. It is, however, also open to non-course participants up to capacity.

The central theme of the conference, ‘Multiliteracies in Tourism Education’, sought to reimagine how we engage with tourism as a subject and a practice. Participants were invited not merely to present, but to literally step out of conventional conference spaces and into a walking environment. This innovative format encouraged deep conversations while hiking, allowing participants to reflect on and challenge their own understandings in real-time and in a 'real’ space. The hiking experience created a rare space where everyone could act as both “learner” and “teacher,” breaking down the traditional barriers between presenter and participant, and fostering a collaborative approach to learning. Such spaces are rare in higher education, where rigid structures and hierarchies often separate “experts” from “learners,” limiting opportunities for genuine exchange and mutual growth. In contrast, collaborative learning empowers participants to engage actively, contribute meaningfully, and respect diverse perspectives. 

From a values-based standpoint, this approach fosters humility, empathy, and a sense of shared responsibility, essential qualities for socially responsible educators and researchers in tourism. Embracing these values helps build a more interconnected academic community and supports the development of students and scholars who are mindful of their impact on the world.

Keeping to the conference multimodal and multiliteracies theme, abstract can be submitted as a text file which should be 250-300 words in length. Alternatively, it can be a 30-second-long audio or video file. The abstract can also be a visual file with one or several images encapsulating the essence of the submission.

The conference includes the following themes:

• Development of education and curriculum through multiliteracies pedagogy
• Critical reflection on the values of tourism developments
• Empowering communities and contributing to urban and rural revitalisation through education
• Exploring how cultural heritage and ecological environments can be preserved through tourism education
• Establishing connections between tourism education and local social enterprises for tourism responsibility
• Experiencing, learning, and fostering indigenous values in education