Charter
Bylaws of International Tourism Studies Association
First Draft August 2006
Article I: Name
The name of the organization shall be the International Tourism Studies Association (ITSA), hereafter the Association.
Article II: Objectives
The objectives of the Association shall be to bridge the gap between developed and developing countries in tourism research, to provide a forum for exchange of research ideas and good research practices in tourism studies among scholars around the world with a particular focus on the developing countries and to diffuse research findings for the benefits of the tourism industry and those affected by it.
Article III: Membership
Section 1: Membership of the Association is open to all tourism academics and practitioners in both developed and developing countries. There is no restriction on the membership size of the Association.
Section 2: There will be two types of membership – institutional membership and individual membership. The fees of these two categories of memberships will be set by the Executive Committee and ratified by members at the General Member Meetings. The membership fees will be reviewed in every three years.
Section 3: Benefits of members. The members who have paid their annual membership fees will enjoy the following benefits: receiving free quarterly Association Newsletters, attending ITSA annual conference with a reduced registration fee and free access to the Association’s expert database for research and consultancy purposes.
Article IV: Organizational Structure
The Association is founded in Hang Zhou by19 founding members (Wu Bihu, Song Haiyan, Cai Liping, Alastair Morrison, Chris Ryan, Li Gang, William Gartner, Geoffrey Wall, Keith Hollinshead, Chen Wei, Krishna Govender, Asli Deniz Asiye Tasci, Abd Azis Bin Abd Majid, Kong Yew Wong, Yeong-Hyeon Hwang, Janet Chang, Siu Ian So, William Feihery and Dang Ning), and headquartered at Peking University in Beijing, China. The association is governed by a Distinguished Scholars Group, and Executive Committee (Standing Committee) and A Country Representative Group. The Distinguished Scholars Group consists of world renowned scholars in tourism research, and the role of the Distinguished Scholars’ Group is to advise on the strategies, policies and directions of the Association. The Executive Committee is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Association and it consists of 11 members who are elected from both the Distinguished Scholars Group and Country (Regional) Representatives Group. Country (Regional) representatives are elected by the delegates from the same countries who attend the annual ITSA conferences.
Article V: Officers of the Executive Committee
Section 1: The Officers of the Association shall be Chairman, Vice Chairman, President, Secretary-General, Vice President, Treasurer, Symposium and Meeting Director, Director of Publications (Newsletter/Journal), Membership Director, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, and Director of Graduate Research and Education.
Section 2: The term of all officers of the Association shall be three (3) years and the officers are elected triennially at the appropriate annual conference. The Nomination Committee shall be responsible for preparing the slate of officers and distribute the ballot to all members at the conference. A majority of the votes who present at the conference shall signify election. In case there is no majority for an officer, a second vote shall be taken.
Section 3: The office of the President shall normally be limited to no more than two (2) consecutive terms.
Section 4: In case of the incapacity of any elected officer, the President will appoint another member to complete the term of that office. In case of the incapacity of the President while in office, the Vice President shall assume that office.
Article VI: Committees
Section 1: A Nomination Committee for Association Officers shall be formed one year before the office term is completed and the committee members need to be elected by majority vote of members present at the General Membership Meeting of the Association. The Nominating Committee will normally be composed of three members and be responsible for preparing the slate of officers for election as specified in Article V:1. Additional candidates may be nominated by at least Twenty (20) members of the Association.
All other Standing Committees, such as Conference Organizing Committee and Best Paper Award Committee, shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. Members of each Standing Committee shall, following their appointments, elect one of their members as the Chair of that Committee and convey this person's name to the Executive Committee as soon as possible.
Section 2: The Executive Committee shall confer at least once each year at the call of the President. The minutes of the Executive Committee shall be distributed to the members of the Association as promptly as possible.
Section 3: The Executive Committee shall confer to conduct the business of the Association and other members may also be invited by the Executive Committee to participate in discussion of matters within their special competence.
Section 4: Actions of the Executive Committee shall be ratified by the members of the Association at the General Membership Meeting.
Section 5: From time to time ad hoc committees may be appointed by the Executive Committee who will, through the President, appoint the chair.
Article VII: Meetings and Business
Section 1: The Association shall hold a General Membership Meeting every year at the annual conference.
Section 2: The Agenda of the Membership Meeting shall be mailed to the Association members one month prior to the Meeting. All business must fall within the scope of goals of the Association.
Section 3: Business Affairs may be transacted either by mail ballot or at the Membership Meeting by a quorum of members. One third (1/3) of the total number of members shall constitute a quorum. If a quorum is not available, a new meeting for which a quorum will not be required shall be called.
Section 4: The Association shall be incorporated as a nonprofit organization in a country selected by the Executive Committee.
Section 5: The Association may establish such financial reserves as considered appropriate by the Executive Committee, subject to the regulations and laws of the country in which the Association is incorporated.
Section 6: The Association shall not operate at a deficit.
Section 7: The Officers of the Association may establish such banking procedures and bank accounts as deemed appropriate and necessary for the efficient operation of the Association.
Section 8: The officers shall have authority for signing cheques and approving expenditures of the Association. All financial transactions exceeding US$500 shall require the signatures of the Treasurer and one other officer.
Section 9: The Treasurer is responsible for preparing an annual financial report which shall be sent to all members and such reports shall be approved by a majority of members present at the Membership Meeting.
Section 10: The annual financial report shall be subject to a review by a professional accountant.
Section 11: No officer of the Association shall receive remuneration for the performance of his or her duties.
Article VIII: Changes to the Bylaws
Changes in the Bylaws shall be made by two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of members voting either in person or by mail, provided that the proposed changes have been mailed two (2) months in advance of the proposed date for voting.
Article VIIII: Dues
All members shall pay an annual membership fee as set by the Executive Committee and ratified by the membership.
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