Call 06 | Hospitality

HOSPITALITY

Travel architectures, between atopias and territorial identity

READ IN ITALIAN

The series of issues dedicated to the study of the drivers that regulate the functioning of the world’s coasts continues. For its sixth issue, the international journal SEASCAPE accepts contributions focused on different forms of hospitality. Professors, researchers, scholars, technicians, and professionals are invited to participate. Each abstract must be submitted according to the guidelines below. The selection process identifies abstracts that can be developed into full articles. These articles undergo a double-blind peer review.
Authors of selected abstracts receive instructions to write the full article, which is reviewed anonymously by two experts, chosen from the journal’s Scientific Committee or external reviewers.

How to partecipate

To participate in the Call for Abstracts, it is necessary to submit a proposal in Italian or English (one per candidate, and mandatory in English for foreign participants) within the indicated deadlines and in accordance with the format structured as follows (published and on the website):
– Title (maximum 100 characters);
– Subtitle (maximum 150 characters);
– Field of investigation (01/02/03);
– Abstract (maximum 2500 characters);
Maximum 2 optional images with captions (copyright-free images or including publishing permission by their rightful owner).
The abstract needs to be sent via e-mail to: editorial.seascape@gmail.com bearing the subject “Abstract- Seascape 06-Surname.” Proposals sent differently will be excluded from the evaluation process.

The theme

Since the 1970s, the term “hospitality industry” has become more common in the United States to describe the economic and commercial activities of large hotel chains, with the main goal being to create targeted “travel packages”. This concept quickly spread to Europe and worldwide, and it now represents a tourism model based on a major paradox: when choosing a destination, the focus is no longer on discovering unique places but on the travel experience itself. The decision is influenced by the images of accommodations, additional services offered, Michelin-starred restaurants, online reviews about comfort, and the cost and speed of transportation. Whether the destination is the sea, mountains, art cities, or major capitals, the specific location matters less.
In contrast, the next issue of Seascape will explore alternative approaches to tourism development. These approaches aim to meet the needs of tourists while enhancing the quality of life for residents and fostering a positive relationship with local heritage and resources. The call will focus on hospitality architecture as a reflection of the cultural changes in society. The positioning of these structures within the territory reveals the policies and strategies used to develop certain areas. The design and finishing of internal spaces also reflect the intended users of these spaces. Participation in the call requires the submission of abstracts related to one of the following topics.

Topic 01 – Architecture and Hospitality: The Iconic Hotel

After the unification of Italy, during the Belle Époque, Grand Hotels spread in major cities and coastal resorts. They made hotel architecture an icon of national style. Between the two world wars, the American model of standardized hospitality architecture emerged. It lowered construction costs and became the foundation of the change in hotel architecture that still exists today. Taking a vacation elsewhere became a normal part of social life for everyone. Today, the concept of “hybrid” architecture is spreading in hospitality structures. Many hotels are now in large buildings that combine offices, culture, sports, and housing. These spaces are flexible and adapt to other activities that are more economically beneficial at different times. With this in mind, can a hotel still be an icon of local or national culture, from Grand Hotels to Boutique Hotels?
In Topic 01, we explore the meaning of the hotel in contemporary architecture. We need to reinterpret iconic examples from history, highlight the physical connection to the places where they are located, and consider the idea of temporary and flexible structures in hybrid buildings.

Topic 02 – Living Together Temporarily

As Asterio Savelli points out in Sociologia del turismo (2021) (Tourism sociology), although leisure travel is dominant, many types of tourism help balance the tourism industry. These include travel for work, care, sports, and study, all of which have been around for a long time and continue to grow today. These trips depend on personal needs and life choices. This type of traveler has always played an important role in hospitality history and has led to significant architectural and territorial changes. The longer duration of stays (or repeated stays over time) leads to questions that mix the themes of living with hotel spaces. In these structures, common areas become more important than the hotel’s living areas, and rooms need to support activities beyond rest. This area includes structures for specific groups of travelers, such as students, workers, and athletes. It also includes summer camps and healthcare buildings (e.g., sanatoriums). In these buildings, the specific needs of users are not a limitation. Instead, they provide an opportunity for interaction with the place, also blending with the surrounding public space.

Topic 03 – Destinations: Between the Idea of Place and the Real Place

In large-scale tourism, many times the traveler is drawn more to the idea of a place than to the place itself. Marc Augé (1992) argues that large tourism systems like hotel chains, vacation clubs, amusement parks, airports, and stations are spaces of intense social use, but they are not really integrated with the cultural and social identities of the places they are in.
This issue is not limited to large tourist resorts but also affects areas with a rich historical and landscape heritage, particularly those involved in the trend of “rediscovering” villages at any cost. This nostalgic attraction is often distorted. It abuses the meaning of heritage recovery and the idea of “typical,” especially when it comes to traditional food and craft products. Smaller towns may risk becoming part of a staged setting, like newly invented tourist or commercial villages (Lanzani 2022). This makes the place itself an abstraction, where the choice of location matters less than the services offered.
Therefore, Topic 03 investigates the idea of “fake” hospitality: creating structures and places designed to meet the expectations of guests.

Costs

The selected articles will be published upon payment of a symbolic fee.
For more information costs, visit the page https://seascape.it/ >>> Publish with us

Timing

– Saturday, April 13, 2025_ Abstract deadline
– Saturday, April 19, 2025_ Communication of the double blind review results
– Saturday, May 31, 2025_ Full paper deadline.

For information

direction.seascape@gmail.com
editorial.seascape@gmail.com