Edinburgh Napier University

  Since its inception in 2005, Critical Tourism Studies (CTS) has profiled itself as a network of scholars who share a vision of producing and promoting social change in and through tourism practice, research, and education. It has sought to legitimize the critical school of thought in tourism studies, and to provide an inclusive environment for the alternative voices in the academy. Six CTS conferences later, a vibrant and inclusive network of scholars has emerged, representing a wide range of institutions and tourism interests. Yet as the network matures, the question has emerged on what the future holds for CTS. Has the network achieved its goals? Has it helped make the academy become more accepting of critical tourism research? Has it remained an inclusive environment for alternative voices in tourism studies? And if it has achieved its goals, does that now make the network redundant? We reflect here on what lies ahead, and which challenges we face in creating a renaissance in critical tourism studies. We will consider how these ideas can help us in elaborating on the critique of critical tourism studies itself.