News & Columns

HTHIC2020 Cancelled

The Heritage, Tourism and Hospitality, 4th International Conference, will not take place. Cancelling the conference was not an easy decision, for over the past few months we have been working hard to bring you a most interesting edition of HTHIC, together with speakers, partners and sponsors.

Reasons for the decision to cancel include:

The Swiss public health authorities expecting the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) to not come to a halt very soon. As a precautionary measure events involving more than 1000 persons were cancelled recently at their request. Organisers of smaller events need to send the full list of participants (for traceability reasons) to the cantonal authorities, which might veto a specific event. However, decisions are made only about 7-10 days in advance, which means that no decision would be made now for the beginning of April while HTHIC2020 registrants and partners need to have clarity sooner than later.

HTHIC host USI – Università della Svizzera italia is open and will remain open unless cases of contamination have been identified. Not a few HTHIC2020 speakers and delegates, however, would need to travel via North Italy (Milan) by train or plane and are either advised not to do so by their government or organisation or have had their flights cancelled already.

Authors of papers and other registrants will be contacted by the chairs of the Scientific Conference Board and informed about the consequences of HTHIC2020 being cancelled.

The HTHIC2020 team were very much looking forward to welcoming you in Mendrisio.
We are therefore exploring the possibility to postpone the conference to next year.

6 March 2020