The Future of Tourism and Mobility at the Heart of an International Conference at Jagiellonian University

From 28 to 30 September 2026, Kraków will host an international academic conference organised by the Department of Intercultural Mobility Studies at Jagiellonian University. The event will focus on the future of tourism, new forms of mobility, and the impact of technology and global transformations on the contemporary travel experience.

“Standing on the world’s summit, we once again launch our challenge to the stars!”
The Futurist Manifesto, 1909

More than a century after the publication of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti’s Futurist Manifesto, its call to transcend boundaries remains relevant. Today’s “fu-tourists”, however, have no intention of destroying museums or libraries, nor do they claim that a speeding car is more beautiful than the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Like the representatives of the avant-garde, however, they remain fascinated by speed, technology and almost unlimited mobility.

Contemporary tourism is increasingly entering realms that the Futurists could only have imagined — digital, space and hybrid environments. Yet the development of new possibilities is accompanied by growing concerns about the limits of experience, authenticity and humanity.

Drawing on the reflections of Daniel J. Boorstin, the conference organisers ask whether we are witnessing the end of ars apodemica — the classical art of travelling centred on reflection, learning and the acquisition of personal wisdom. An alternative perspective is that new technologies, developing in a world marked by multiple crises, enable contemporary travellers to transcend traditional boundaries of place and time and to redefine the very meaning of travel.

Keynote Speakers

The conference keynote speakers will include:

• Takamitsu Jimura — Musashi University,
• Jovana Janinović — University of Montenegro,
• Jonathan Skinner — University of Surrey.

Conference Themes

Researchers working in the fields of tourism, mobility and travel are invited to submit presentation proposals, particularly those representing perspectives from the humanities and social sciences, as well as interdisciplinary approaches.

The organisers also encourage participation from representatives of the creative industries, museums, culture, arts and the tourism sector.

Proposed presentations may address, among others, the following topics:

• new forms of mobility and tourist experience,
• tourism theory and critical tourism studies,
• ethics, aesthetics and the “fu-tourist” imagination,
• tourism in a world of global transformation.

Conference Dates

The conference will take place from 28 to 30 September 2026.

A detailed programme will be published shortly.

Abstract Submission and Registration

Those interested in participating in the conference can submit abstracts and register using the forms available on the event website:

• Abstract Submission — abstract submission form,
• Mobility Registration — registration form.

Media Patronage

The conference is held under the media patronage of Forum Akademickie — a nationwide Polish magazine and online portal dedicated to science, higher education and academic life in Poland.