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Last modified: 28. September 2026

ICTF 2026: Conference Participation Report

Taufiq Kurniawan, a PhD student from the Doctoral School of Economics and Regional Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), under the supervisor: Prof. Aniko Khademi-Vidra, participated in the 13th Sino-European International Tourism Conference: Island & Coastal Tourism Futures (ICTF), held in Heraklion, Crete, Greece, from September 21-23, 2026. The conference brought together academics, researchers, and industry professionals to discuss current challenges and future directions in island and coastal tourism.

On the first day, September 21, the conference opened with the Welcome Address & Opening Remarks, followed by the keynote speech “Seasonal Island Geographies: The Future of Mediterranean Small Islands” and the Academia & Industry Panel on “Sustainable Resources Management in Island and Coastal Destinations.” In the afternoon, Taufiq successfully presented his research project, co-authored and supervised by Prof. Aniko Khademi-Vidra, titled “Beyond Tourism Growth: Community-Based Rural Tourism, Regional Development, and Tourism Resilience in Island Destinations, using Lombok Island in Indonesia as the research context. The discussions also highlighted the importance of sustainable local livelihoods, particularly through community-based tourism, local products such as handicrafts, and cultural heritage, including traditional weaving, Presean, dan Gendang Beleq. Later in the day, he also participated in the Workshop: “From Reaction to Resolution: Managing Workplace Conflict in Tourism,” which focused on workplace conflict in the tourism context. The first day concluded with the guided city tour “Discovering the City of Heraklion.”

On the second day, September 22, the program began with the keynote speech “Islands on Edge: Tourism Futures between Fragility and Fantasy” and the Academia & Industry Panel “Taste of Place: Gastronomy as a Driver of Tourist Experience and Island Competitiveness.” The day continued with parallel sessions covering sustainability, circular economy, climate resilience, regional development, governance, investment, tourist experience, accessibility, and digital innovation in tourism. Taufiq also visited the Heraklion Archaeological Museum and participated in a guided tour of the Palace of Knossos, which provided an opportunity to explore Crete’s cultural and historical heritage alongside the academic program.

On the third day, September 23, the conference began with the keynote speech “Slow Tourism and Wellness,” followed by parallel research sessions addressing youth and solo travel, human capital and workforce management, coastal cultural heritage, community empowerment, tourism marketing, gastronomy, wine tourism, and cultural heritage. Taufiq also participated in another workshop: “Meet the Editors, “which provided an opportunity to engage with top-tier journal editors and gain insights into academic publishing and research dissemination. The conference program concluded with the Closing Ceremony & Awards, followed by a visit to CretAquarium and Gala Dinner.

Professional and cultural program

International PhD students and faculty members of the Doctoral School of Economic and Regional Sciences, along with staff from the University’s Doctoral and Habilitation Council, participated in a special professional and cultural program. The program, organized by Dr. Bernadett Bringye, began in Dobogókő, where Ádám Brandhuber, director of the Forests for the Public Good Foundation, gave a comprehensive professional lecture and led a field exercise for the students. The expert introduced the concept of “perpetual forest management,” an approach to sustainable forest management that is also practiced in the Pilis forests.

The students learned the essence of the method: unlike traditional clear-cutting—where trees are cut down all at once across an entire area—perpetual forest management involves harvesting only carefully selected trees. In this way, the forest—as a living, complex natural space and a home to biodiversity—is sustained over the long term, and the remaining trees receive more light and nutrients. The director also highlighted the role of so-called deadwood: fallen, decaying trees that remain in the forest provide a vital habitat for countless living organisms.

As part of the professional program, the group also stopped by two lookout points in Dobogókő. Although the weather intervened, and the dense fog prevented them from admiring the panorama, the unique atmosphere of the fog-shrouded forest on the mountaintop made up for it to some extent.

After the field exercise, the group recharged their energy with a group lunch at the Emma Restaurant in Pilisszentkereszt, then wrapped up the afternoon with a relaxed, enjoyable hike in the Dera Gorge.

The field trip provided an excellent opportunity for the international doctoral students to study Hungary’s nature conservation and forestry efforts in practice, while also enriching themselves with cultural and community experiences.

       

32nd EMOK International Conference

Four doctoral students represented the Doctoral School of Economics and Regional Sciences (GRDI) at the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences (MATE) at the 32nd EMOK International Conference, which was held in Mád from August 24–26, 2026.
Organized by the University of Debrecen under the motto “Collectively Shaped Marketing Science,” the event’s first day—dedicated to PhD students—featured Zsolt Szitás, representing MATE, who led a workshop on the comparison of netnography and AI-based analysis, while Ágnes Balogh-Berecz and Kathrin Takács presented their respective research areas.
On the second day, following the plenary session, participants attended 59 presentations across 10 sections.  In the “Sustainability and Ethical Consumer Decisions” section, Bence Rappay presented his research findings under the title “Unconscious Awareness”: The Role of Emotions and Cognitive Load in Hungarian Consumers’ Sustainable Purchasing Decisions. Kathrin Takács gave a presentation in the “Higher Education Marketing” section titled “How Visible Is Science? The Coverage of University Research Findings in the Mainstream Online Press.”
On the third day, the conference concluded with exciting AI workshops.
The three-day event provided an excellent opportunity to build and deepen professional relationships among doctoral students from higher education institutions in Hungary and abroad, and it also helped our doctoral students engage with the field of marketing science.
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