ENTER26 eTourism conference

Conference theme

Advancing Tourism Technology for a Better Future

Digital transformation is no longer a buzzword—it’s the engine driving the evolution of tourism. At ENTER26, we ask: How can we harness technological innovation to create a future of tourism that is not only smarter, but more inclusive, ethical, and sustainable?

Building on over 30 years of legacy, the ENTER eTourism Conference continues to be the premier global platform at the intersection of travel, tourism, and technology. In 2026, we invite scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and tech innovators to come together and reimagine the role of ICTs in shaping a better tourism future for all.

From generative AI to robotics, from immersive virtual experiences to sustainable data-driven destination management—technology holds enormous potential. But with this potential comes responsibility. What does “better” mean in an age of hyper-automation, platform economies, and algorithmic decision-making? Who benefits from new technologies—and who might be left behind?

At ENTER26, we will explore these critical questions through rigorous research, thought-provoking debates, and inspiring case studies. Our aim is to bridge the gap between visionary research and practical implementation to foster resilient tourism systems that serve businesses, communities, and the planet.

In addition to papers focusing on the nexus between technology and tourism, this year we particularly welcome contributions that investigate:

• How can digital innovations advance sustainability, equity, and resilience in tourism?
• What ethical frameworks do we need for responsible tech deployment in tourism and hospitality?
• How can smart technologies be scaled without compromising human connection and cultural authenticity?
• In what ways can technology be leveraged to co-create value with tourists, employees, and local communities?
• How do new tools reshape learning, leadership, and labor in tourism ecosystems?
• What is the role of ICT in regenerative and climate-positive tourism?

Whether you’re building the next AI-powered travel assistant, researching the impacts of data governance, or developing XR-based experiences—ENTER26 is your opportunity to shape the conversation and build a better tourism future through technology.

The International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) invites academics, industry professionals, destinations, tech companies, and NGOs to join us in shaping a bold, collaborative, and human-centered vision of the future of tourism technology

We invite the academic and professional research community to submit cutting-edge research and the latest case studies on emergent and innovative concepts, applications, and business models of tourism technology to be shared at the ENTER26.

Let’s create the future—together.
Submit your work, share your vision, and be part of the change.

ENTER26 Research Track Co-Chairs:

Professor Peter O’Connor, University of South Australia ([email protected])

Professor Mattia Rainoldi, IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences ([email protected])

Dr. Julia Neidhardt, TU Wien ([email protected])

Each paper should be represented by at least one registered presenter.

If at least one author has not completed their registration by 30 December 2025 the paper will be removed from the programme and the proceedings.

The conference proceedings will be published by Springer. According to the editorial schedule, the proceedings will be available around June 2026. Accepted conference papers will be available online to conference participants for a period of six months.  The printed ENTER proceedings will be mailed directly to the lead author by Springer after the conference.

Why submit your research to the ENTER26 eTourism conference?

Interdisciplinary Knowledge Exchange

The ENTER eTourism conference is an annual event of the IFITT community. Each conference is designed to generate engagement and impact of your research as we work together towards the IFITT mission of sharing knowledge, experience, and passion for ICT in travel and tourism.

We invite travel, tourism, hospitality, IS, UX, ICT, and other researchers working in the following and related fields to submit their research to the conference and discuss the meaning of the research from the perspective of the conference theme. 

Informal networking opportunities with experts

The conference offers a worldwide and unique forum for attendees from industry, academia, government, and other organizations to actively exchange, share, and challenge state-of-the-art research, education practices, and industrial case studies on the application of information and communication technologies in travel and tourism. ENTER26 eTourism conference attendees will have a unique opportunity to learn from and network with interdisciplinary experts who work at the intersection of tourism and technology.

Ph.D. student engagement

The ENTER26 eTourism conference Ph.D. Workshop provides unique opportunities for postgraduate (doctoral) students to present and discuss their research with peers and leading scholars in the field.

Full Papers

We invite research papers across the wide spectrum of Information and Communication Technologies in travel, tourism, events, and hospitality management to be presented at the ENTER26 eTourism conference. Full papers should be irrelatively complete and innovative with the aim to advance the knowledge base of eTourism research. These papers should present major contributions to the field.

• The maximum length for full papers is 12 pages, inclusive of references (expected word count 4,000-5,000 words).  These must be prepared using the Springer template available here.
• All accepted full papers will be considered for awards and recognition, including the Best Full Paper prize, to be presented during the conference.
• All accepted full papers will be included in a Scopus-indexed Conference Proceeding publication to be published by Springer in 2026.

Guidelines

Papers should clearly state the background, introduction, purpose, theory, methodology, results, and conclusions, and be fully referenced with appropriate citations. All full papers should emphasize future research directions at the end of each paper.

To make sure your submission adheres to copyright regulations, Figures or Tables must include an appropriate citation in their caption (e.g. Source: O’Connor, 2023). When citing Figures or Tables created by someone else (even if substantially modified), you must have written permission to republish such copyrighted material (typically held by the publisher, rather than the author). You, as the author, are responsible for obtaining such permissions in writing and submitting them with your final revised paper. For self-created Figures or Tables, explicitly note in their caption that they have been created by the authors (typically “Source: Author’s own”). All authors will be required to submit a statement certifying that figures/tables are their own original work or provide evidence of permission to reuse previously published work, on submission of their final revised paper. 

All paper submissions should be prepared in Word or LaTeX according to the Springer proceedings guidelines. Please, find here the Word template and here the LaTex template to be used (other formats will not be accepted).  Please use the Springer toolbar to format your paper within the template, and refrain from adding any other formatting commands.

In keeping with the conference theme, we invite all authors to specifically reflect in their paper on how their contributions advance tourism technologies for a better future.

Important dates

• Submission link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=enter26
• Submission deadline: 8-Sep-25
• Notification of initial acceptance: 13-Oct-25
• Deadline to resubmit revised paper: 27-Oct-25
• Final acceptance decision: 10-Nov-25 

All deadlines refer to 23:59 (11:59 pm) in the AoE (Anywhere on Earth) time zone. Conference organizers reserve the right to modify the paper submission schedule.

Review Process

All submissions to the research track are rigorously evaluated for novelty, significance, and soundness. The peer-review process is double-blind by the members of the ENTER26 eTourism conference Scientific Committee; submissions must not include information identifying the authors or their affiliations. Please be aware that plagiarized papers will not be accepted for ENTER26 eTourism conference and the content originality of all papers will be checked using an automated tool.

Conference Presentations

The conference presentation category is intended for various types of research, teaching, and practice outputs that are of interest to the ENTER community but are better suited to presentation rather than publication. This category includes but is not limited to industry cases, teaching cases, early research, research methods demonstrations, or academic work at a very early stage of conception.  The length for conference presentation submissions is in the format of an extended abstract of 2 pages, inclusive of key references.  Accepted conference presentations will have a stand-up presentation slot at the conference but will not be published.

Guidelines

Conference Presentations should be submitted as extended abstracts. This should include the problem background, purpose, method, significance, or any other section that fits your particular submission type and the development stage.   Submissions should be prepared in Word or LaTeX according to the Springer proceedings guidelines. Please, find here the Word template and here the LaTex template to be used (other formats will not be accepted).  Please use the Springer toolbar to format your paper within the template, and refrain from adding any other formatting commands.

In keeping with the conference theme, we invite all authors to specifically reflect in their abstract on how their contributions advance tourism technologies for a better future.

Important dates

• Submission link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=enter26
• Submission deadline: 15-Oct-25
• Notification of initial acceptance: 19-Nov-25
• Deadline to resubmit revised paper: 3-Dec-25
• Final acceptance decision: 17-Dec-25 

All deadlines refer to 23:59 (11:59 pm) in the AoE (Anywhere on Earth) time zone. Conference organizers reserve the right to modify the paper submission schedule.

Review Process

All submissions to the research track are rigorously evaluated for novelty, significance, and soundness. Research discussion proposals will be evaluated by members of the ENTER26 eTourism conference Scientific Committee; submissions must not include information identifying the authors or their affiliations.

Research Discussions

Research discussions are an informal way of stimulating discussion about topics of interest to the ENTER community. Successful proposals will be allocated a table during a special session during the conference where they can interact with other conference participants and share their points of view. Multiple research discussions will occur simultaneously during the session, with participants free to move from one to the other. 

Proposals should take the format of a single A4 page outlining the subject matter and objectives of the discussion and justifying why the topic is of interest to ENTER participants. Topics may be conceptual, methodological, pedagogical or industry focused.  Accepted research discussions will be listed in the conference program.

In keeping with the conference theme, we invite all authors to specifically reflect in their proposal on how their contributions advance tourism technologies for a better future.

Important dates

• Submission link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=enter26
• Submission deadline: 15-Oct-25
• Notification of initial acceptance: 19-Nov-25
• Deadline to resubmit revised paper: 3-Dec-25
• Final acceptance decision: 17-Dec-25 

All deadlines refer to 23:59 (11:59 pm) in the AoE (Anywhere on Earth) time zone. Conference organizers reserve the right to modify the paper submission schedule.

Review Process

All submissions to the research track are rigorously evaluated for novelty, significance, and soundness. Research discussion proposals will be evaluated by members of the ENTER26 eTourism conference Scientific Committee; submissions must not include information identifying the authors or their affiliations.