In a time when tourism and hospitality are being reshaped by global, social, and environmental transformations, Otherness, Othering and Space in Tourism Futures (Channel View Publications) offers a critical timely reflection on how we define and relate to “the other” in tourism encounters. Otherness refers to the places, cultures, human and non-human-beings that are different from us, perceived as fascinating, unfamiliar, and possibly unsettling. This otherness, whether geographical, species-specific, cultural, or technological, is understood, gazed at, consumed, experienced, and crossed through processes of othering in the physical and sociological tourism space.
Edited by Dr. Lucia Tomassini, Senior Research Lecturer at Hotel Management School Leeuwarden, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, and member of the Research Group Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism led by Prof. Elena Cavagnaro, the book challenges traditional human-centered perspectives and opens new ways of thinking about coexistence in tourism space.
Bringing together international scholars, independent researchers, and practitioners, the volume combines posthumanist thought, spatial theory, and futures studies to question how both humans and non-humans – for example, travelers and hosts, animals, technologies, and environments – interact, connect, and sometimes clash in tourism contexts. Through cases ranging from marine regeneration and rural landscapes to migration and virtual experiences, it invites readers to envision fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable forms of tourism and hospitality.
For the hospitality sector, the implications are profound. The book suggests that the design of guest experiences, destination management, and sustainability strategies should embrace a broader perspective; one that acknowledges the entangled relationships among people, places, and the wider ecosystems that sustain. Rethinking hospitality through this lens means fostering empathy across differences, designing spaces that welcome both human and non-human life, and preparing for futures where care, responsibility, and coexistence become central values of the industry.
We invite you to join the Editor and contributors Jessica Bell Rizzolo (Conservation Social Scientist), Dr. Minni Haanpaa (University of Lapland), and Michal Lovecky (Cyan Planet) for a discussion about others, otherness and space.
Purchase a copy of the book directly from Channel View and get 40% off with code OTHER40, valid until 31 December (use code upon checkout)
When: 10th December 2025, CET
Time: 3pm-4pm, CET (Amsterdam)
Format: Online and registration here
