Meet ATLAS: Connecting tourism and leisure professionals worldwide

This article was written for Uncover magazine – From Global to Ground (10th edition). You can read the full magazine here. 

Authors: Jane Turner is college liaison tutor at Leeds Trinity University (United Kingdom) and coordinator of the ATLAS SIGs. Corné Dijkmans is associative director of Academy for Tourism at Breda University of Applied Sciences and chair of ATLAS.

What is ATLAS?
ATLAS is an international network that brings together educational institutions, researchers, and industry professionals in tourism and leisure. But do not let the word 'research' fool you into thinking this is purely academic. ATLAS was built on a practical premise: people working in tourism and leisure (whether in a classroom, a destination management organisation or a hotel) can learn enormously from each other, especially when they cross borders.

With 150 members in around 60 countries, ATLAS has grown into a truly global community. The network spans Europe (where it all began) to regional chapters in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East. This reach means insights from a cultural tourism project in Portugal can inspire a heritage initiative in Kenya or best practices from event management in Japan can inform approaches in Brazil.

History
ATLAS was established in 1991, emerging when the European Union's Erasmus programme  opened doors for international educational collaboration. The network started with a focus on developing transnational education in tourism and leisure, recognising that this growing sector needed professionals who could think and work across borders.

In its early years, ATLAS concentrated on building a shared 'body of knowledge' for tourism education that could facilitate student exchanges and professional mobility across Europe. Over time, the focus expanded to include substantial research programmes, always with an eye on practical application. Today, ATLAS continues to be coordinated from the Netherlands, with the support office located in the Netherlands and chaired by Breda University of Applied Sciences.

Relevance for practitioners
What sets ATLAS apart is its consistent focus on bridging theory and practice. The network's annual conferences and regional meetings aren't just about presenting academic work; they are opportunities for genuine exchange between educators, researchers and industry professionals.

Conference themes address real challenges that tourism businesses and destinations face. Recent events have explored community collaboration in times of crisis, destination futures and changing tourism employment. In 2024 for example, BUas hosted the annual ATLAS conference, themed “Leisure & Tourism 2030: Navigating the Future” in Breda. For industry professionals, ATLAS offers access to cutting-edge research that can inform strategy and operations. For educators, it provides essential connections to workplaces and industry partners. The result is a community where academic rigour meets practical application.

Special Interest Groups: where expertise meets
Perhaps the most dynamic part of ATLAS is its collection of Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Currently, ATLAS features 19 SIGs, covering an impressive range of subjects. Some focus on traditional tourism segments: Cultural Tourism, Heritage Tourism and Education, Urban Tourism, and Gastronomy and Tourism. Others address emerging challenges: Climate Change and Tourism, Artificial Intelligence & Robotics in Tourism and Hospitality, and Circular Economy. Several tackle more specialised areas: Dark Tourism, Medical Tourism, Volunteer Tourism, and the recently established Children in Tourism.

Each SIG runs its own programme of activities, including conferences, workshops, webinars, and collaborative research. They produce publications translating research into accessible insights. Most importantly, they create spaces where people passionate about specific aspects of tourism and leisure can connect, debate and innovate together.

In the following sections of this UNCOVER Magazine, five SIG coordinators share their perspectives, giving you a closer look at how these communities function and what they are currently exploring.

Getting involved
ATLAS membership is primarily institutional, meaning organisations join as members, giving their staff and students access to the network. Members receive regular updates on conferences, publications and projects, plus access to ATLAS mailing lists; valuable channels for networking.

For anyone working in tourism and leisure (whether in education/research, policy-making, destination management or operations), ATLAS offers a window into international best practices and a platform for genuine collaboration. 

In a sector that is inherently international, dynamic and constantly evolving, having access to such a network is not just nice to have; it is essential!

More information
https://www.atlas-euro.org