ATLAS SIG Gastronomy and Tourism Meeting 2027
ATLAS SIG Gastronomy and Tourism Conference
Aphrodite’s Legacy: Gastronomy Tourism at the Crossroads of Cultural Identity, Sustainability and Innovation
Paphos, Cyprus
10-13 February 2027
Topic
According to legend, Aphrodite -goddess of love, beauty and pleasure- rose from the sea off the coast of Paphos. Few places in the world are so deeply associated with desire, the senses and the art of enjoying life. In Cyprus, this mythical heritage lives on at the table: in hand-made halloumi, village wines and Commandaria, carob and honey, the generous rhythm of the meze and the warmth of filoxenia. Here, food is not just eaten – it is felt, shared, told and remembered.
Today’s travellers no longer simply want to taste a destination; they want to live it through all their senses. Gastronomy tourism has moved from consumption to experience: multisensory, emotional, participatory and designed to be remembered and shared. At the same time, destinations face the challenge of turning myths and traditions into authentic experiences, while protecting the landscapes, producers and communities that make them possible, and embracing the opportunities of digital innovation.
Building on the 2026 meeting in Olot (“We are what we eat, we travel how we eat”), the 2027 meeting in Paphos invites researchers and practitioners to explore how myth, memory, sustainability and innovation come together through the senses in gastronomy tourism. How do stories and legends give meaning and value to food experiences? What makes a gastronomic experience memorable, and how do senses and emotions shape the way travellers remember a destination? How can these experiences contribute to more sustainable and resilient food systems? And how are technology, creativity and entrepreneurship reinventing the way we design, live and share gastronomy tourism?
Hosted by a Faculty dedicated to tourism, hospitality and entrepreneurship, this meeting aims to be an open, interdisciplinary and hands-on space to share research, practices and innovative proposals on the future of gastronomy tourism experiences, from local and global perspectives.
Sub Topics
Thematic axes for the call for papers:
1. Myth: cultural identity, heritage and storytelling on the plate
Food as an expression of intangible heritage
Myths, legends and gastronomic narratives in tourism promotion
Claiming local cuisines, local products and geographical indications (PDO/PGI)
Island and Mediterranean food identities
2. Memory: emotions and memorable food experiences
Culinary memories, nostalgia and place attachment
Cuisine as a memorable and transformative travel experience
Food, pleasure and romance in tourism
Foodies, motivations and emerging values of the new gastronomy traveller
3. The senses: multisensory gastronomy experiences and practices
Multisensory experience design: taste, smell, sound, sight and touch
Co-creation and hands-on experiences (cooking classes, workshops, producer and farm visits)
Gastronomic routes, festivals, markets and food walks
The role of restaurants, wineries and producers in tourism; food and wine pairing
4. Sustainability: food, ethics and responsible tourism
Agroecological tourism, short marketing circuits and local sourcing
Responsible practices, food waste and impact on territories
Food, climate change and water scarcity in tourism destinations
Foodscapes
Inclusive and accessible food experiences (dietary needs, accessibility)
5. Innovation: digital transformation, creativity and entrepreneurship
Influence of social networks, digital platforms and influencers
Gastronomic storytelling and online reputation
Artificial intelligence, virtual/augmented reality and “phygital” food experiences
Food tourism start-ups and new business models
6. Well-being: education, health and gastronomy
Taste education and family tourism
Healthy food and the Mediterranean diet as a tourist resource
Well-being, mindfulness and gastronomy in health tourism
Hospitality and culinary education for experience design
Abstracts Submission
All abstracts will be subjected to review by members of the scientific committee. Acceptance of a submission will be based on: theoretical and empirical significance; methodological soundness; relevance to the theme of the meeting and logical clarity.
The official language of the meeting is English.
Abstracts should indicate background, theoretical/practical implications, methods and/or data sources and indicative findings of the paper. Abstracts should have between 350–500 words. The titles should be no more than 12 words. Abstracts will be collected by ATLAS and published in a digital book of abstracts before the meeting.
Publication Plan
Information will follow soon
International Scientific Committee
Petros Kosmas – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Antonis Theocharous – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Alexis Saveriades – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Anastasios Zopiatis – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Hristo Andreev – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Stelios Marneros – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Constantinos Papadopoulos – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Prokopis Christou – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Maria Charitou – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Francesca Afxentiou-Nicolaou – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Agathoklis Christou – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Petros Giannoulis, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Maria Panagopoulou, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Antreas Kavazis, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Annita Antoniadou, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Marina Kyriacou – Health Education Teachers Association, Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, Cyprus
Silvia Aulet – University of Girona, Spain
Joaquim Majó – University of Girona, Spain
Dolors Vidal – University of Girona, Spain
Francesc Fusté – University of Girona, Spain
Carlos Fernandes – Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, Portugal
Organising Committee
Petros Kosmas – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Antonis Theocharous – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Anastasios Zopiatis – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Hristo Andreev – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Stelios Marneros – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Maria Charitou – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Francesca Afxentiou-Nicolaou – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Agathoklis Christou – Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Keynote Speakers
Information will follow soon
Provisional programme
Wednesday, 10 February
Individual arrival and check-in
17.00 – Welcome walk in Paphos (e.g. Paphos harbour and medieval fort, Kato Paphos, old town and Municipal Market)
19.00 – Welcome reception (venue / sponsor to be confirmed)
Thursday, 11 February
VENUE: Cyprus University of Technology, Paphos (Central Amphitheatre)
9.15 – Registration
9.40 – Opening session: Dean of the Faculty, SIG Gastronomy coordination and ATLAS
10.00 – Keynote presentation
10.45 – Coffee break
11.15 – Presentations
13.00 – Lunch
14.30 – Presentations
16.30 – Gastronomic / technical visit (e.g. a halloumi producer, a winery in the Paphos wine villages and/or culinary demonstrations at CUT)
20.00 – Conference dinner at CUT’s restaurant – Mediterranean cuisine
Friday, 12 February – 2nd Conference Day
VENUE: Cyprus University of Technology, Paphos
9.00 – Presentations
10.30 – Coffee break
11.00 – Presentations
13.00 – Lunch
14.30 – Presentations
16.00 – ATLAS SIG meeting: publication opportunities and 2028 meeting location
17.00 – Closing session
20.00 – Farewell dinner (decide: included in the fee or at own cost)
Saturday, 13 February – Cultural day (optional)
More information on the Cultural Day will follow soon
Important Dates
Abstract submission: 15 November, 2026
Notification of acceptance: 30 November, 2026
Event: 10-13 February, 2027
Full paper submission: 13 April, 2027
Participation fee
| ATLAS members | |
| Non members | |
| Students ATLAS members | |
| Students non members | |
| Cultural day OPTIONAL | |
| Certificate |
Information on the fee structure will follow soon
Cancellation Policy
If written cancellation is received before January 29th 2027 a refund of all meeting fees will be made, minus an administration fee of € 50. No refund will be possible after January 29th 2027, but substitute delegates can be nominated.
Conference Venue
Information will follow soon
Sustainability
In line with ATLAS policy, the meeting will aim to reduce its environmental impact: no printed materials (documents shared in PDF by e-mail and on the website), no disposable water bottles, waste reduction, and no bags or gifts unless truly needed and sustainable. Catering will prioritise local and seasonal Cypriot products.
Accommodation
Information will follow soon
Arrival Options
Cyprus is served by two international airports: Larnaca International Airport (LCA) and Paphos International Airport (PFO). Paphos airport is approximately 15–20 minutes from Paphos city centre; Larnaca airport is approximately 1.5 hours away by road. Both are served by airport shuttle buses and taxis.
More information will follow soon
Registration and Contact
- Contact
- Please contact: e-mail admin@atlas-euro.org
- Registration
- Submit this form to register for the conference
- Abstract submission form
- Submit this form to submit an abstract for the conference