Is this the end of tourism and hospitality as we know it?
We invite scholars, practitioners, and visionaries to contribute to The End of Tourism, a bold new volume in the “Future of Tourism” series published by Channel View Publications. This book , led by researchers from the European Tourism Futures Institute and the Hotel Management School Leeuwarden explores the collapse of tourism, hospitality and leisure through the metaphor of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—infectious disease, dystopia and conflict, injustice and greed, and environmental scarcity. In an age of polycrisis and climate disruption, we ask: what happens when tourism, hospitality and leisure can no longer sustain itself, and what might emerge in its place?
Hotels are symbols of comfort and luxury but will declining demand, unsustainable energy use, labour exploitation, and backlash from local communities bring about the end. For airlines, the end of tourism is not a distant dystopia it is a looming reality shaped by climate imperatives, geopolitical instability, and shifting public sentiment.
Four Horsemen of Apocalypse
We are looking for provocative, interdisciplinary, and forward-thinking abstracts that engage with one of the four thematic sections: White Horse (pandemics and health crises), Red Horse (conflict and dystopian futures), Black Horse (social injustice and economic collapse), and Pale Horse (resource scarcity and environmental degradation). Contributions may include case studies, philosophical reflections, speculative scenarios, or methodological innovations. We especially welcome diverse global perspectives and approaches that challenge conventional thinking and offer pathways for deep adaptation and ethical transformation.
A call for contributions
Abstracts (300–500 words) should be submitted by 1st December 2025 to akke.folmer@nhlstenden.com. Please include your chapter title, author details, and indicate the relevant section. All submissions will be reviewed for originality, relevance, and alignment with the book’s aims. See full details of the book proposal and call for abstracts here: Proposed Book End of Tourism V5 References
Let’s rethink the future before it’s too late and imagine what comes after.
Editorial Team
Dr. Akke Folmer
Ben Wielenga
Professor Albert Postma
Professor Ian Yeoman