The 2025 ATLAS PhD Seminar will focus on how tourism and leisure research engages with contemporary challenges facing tourism and tourism destinations. In focussing on the tourism sector, there is much talk of sustainability and resilience, but what does this actually mean? How can tourism, tourism destinations, tourists themselves and wider stakeholders adapt, respond, develop, innovate or transform in this fast-changing world? The complexity of tourism means that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to the many problems facing the sector. Is it possible for tourism to move beyond business as usual to address some of the wicked problems evident across the globe? This year’s PhD seminar provides a space for PhD researchers to engage in conversation and debate around the challenges facing tourism and tourism destinations, especially in light of the crossroads in which tourism currently sits. The seminar allows space for PhD researchers to discuss their research with others and help highlight how their work can contribute to better understandings of how tourism and tourism destinations are evolving and adapting in this age of transition.

The ATLAS Annual Conference 2025 theme highlights the interdisciplinary nature of tourism and illustrates the complexity involved in trying to address wide-ranging questions about the future possibilities for tourism and tourism destinations. Whether the focus is ‘just’ on destinations or on the wider industry, the questions remain. Political challenges, global crises (war, health, natural disaster), and climate change are impacting the day-to-day offerings and imaginings of tourism. As the conference call highlights, there is a need for a nuanced understanding that allows for the emergence of solutions, observations, discussion, insights and expertise to allow for a transition to a sustainable, resilient tourism future. It is within these discussions, that the PhD seminar is situated.

This PhD seminar aims to bring together PhD candidates who are engaging in research about tourism, leisure, hospitality, recreation and their related fields that can be linked to wider conference call. The seminar aims are two-fold: it offers the opportunity to gain one-on-one peer feedback on research and writing (outside of the supervisory process) as well as providing a small, intimate environment in which to get to know like-minded PhD colleagues. Co-hosted by a leading scholar in the area of tourism destinations and sustainability, this PhD seminar is an opportunity to get a head-start on the ATLAS Annual Conference and the wonderful destination of Vila-seca.