By-Laws of the International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism (AIEST)

I. Name, Registered Office and Objectives

Article 1

The AIEST «International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism» («Association internationale d'experts scientifiques du tourisme», «Internationale Vereinigung wissenschaftlicher Fremdenverkehrsexperten», Associazione internazionale degli esperti scientifici del turismo», «Asociación internacional de expertos científicos del turismo») is a registered not-for-profit association according to the Swiss law (Swiss Civil Code Article 60; "Verein") of persons engaged in or particularly promoting scientific activities in the field of tourism. 

Article 2

The registered office of the Association is located at the place of its secretariat. Its location may be changed by a decision of the General Meeting.

Article 3

The AIEST in an Association enabling connectedness and exchange within a global community of interest in tourism and hospitality. For that, the Association likewise fosters dialogue and builds bridges within as well as between academia and practice. Its principal objects are: 

  1. to foster professional as well as friendly relations among its members; 
  2. to promote and support scientific and professional collaboration on the part of its members;
  3. to foster early career scholars and professionals in the advancement of their career;
  4. to support the activity of centres of research and education specializing in tourism and hospitality, and to develop relations between them, as well as between them and the members of the Association; 
  5. to organise and to co-operate in conferences and other meetings and courses on tourism and hospitality:
  6. to enable and support the dissemination of knowledge within as well as beyond the Association:.

2. Members

Article 4

The Association has the following categories of members:

1. Regular Members

Persons may be admitted as regular members if they produce satisfactory evidence that, within the field of tourism and hospitality, they: 

  • are engaged in teaching or research at a scientific level and interested in disseminating knowledge into practice, or
  • endeavour, in practice, to apply scientific methods or to translate the findings of scientific research or
  • are specifically involved in the promotion of research, education and practices.

2. Early Career Member

Persons may be admitted as Early Career Members if they are a scientific expert at an early stage of their academic or professional career according to Article 4, section 1. Early Career membership expires after a maximum of five years and entitles the holders to become egular members without any formal application.

3. Member Emeritus/a

AIEST members can apply for a Member Emeritus/a Membership the year after their retirement begins and under the following conditions:

  • they have been a regular member for at least 6 years
  • they are at least 60 years old.

4. Honorary Member

Persons may be designated as honorary members, whether or not they are regular members, if they have rendered special services to research or to education within the field of tourism.

5. Associate Member

An organization may be admitted as an associate member with consultative voice, if it is an organisation or institution which is interested in or committed to the objectives of the AIEST.

Each associate member, or body, is entitled to send participants to the Association's annual conference, provided that their representation does not exceed a maximum of three delegates.

6. Kindred Association Member (territorial or sectorial organisations)

An organization may be admitted as a kindred association member with consultative voice, if it is an organisation or institution whose members are potentially interested in or committed to the objectives of the AIEST.

Each kindred association member is entitled to send participants from its highest representative body (e.g. board of directors or similar) to the Association's annual conference at AIEST rate, provided that their representation does not exceed a maximum of three delegates.

Each member, individual or institution, of a kindred association member is entitled to a preferential regular membership fee, providing that membership is granted in the first place.

Article 5

Membership is granted by the Board of Directors of the Association.

Article 6

Membership of the categories set out in Article 4 expires:

  1. on resignation, which must be notified in writing to the President, with a minimum of three months' notice to expire at the end of a calendar year. The subscription for the year, in which the resignation is tendered, is due in full
  2. on death (for individual members)
  3. on exclusion from membership, which in case of an individual and an associate member may be made by the Committee


Members who have resigned or who have been excluded from membership have no claims of any kind on the Association.

3. Executive Bodies of the AIEST

Article 7

The executive bodies of the Association are:

  1. The General Meeting
  2. The Board of Directors (BoD), consisting of the President and the Directors (members of the BoD)
  3. The Executive Committees
  4. The Secretariat General
  5. The Auditors

3.1 The General Meeting

Article 8

The General Meeting consists of all members according to Article 4 and is held normally at least once a year.

The General Meeting is convened by the President on behalf of the Board of Directors, at least one month before the date of the meeting. The notice convening the meeting must state the business to be dealt with, on which alone the General Meeting may decide.

Article 9

The General Meeting has, in particular, the following responsibilities: 

  1. To elect the Board of Directors, i.e. the President and the members, as well as the Secretary General and the auditors of the Association, in accordance with Article 11, Article 17, and Article 19 respectively.
  2. To approve the annual accounts and the annual budget; it may delegate this power wholly or in part to the Board of Directors.
  3. To determine the annual membership fees for regular members and the potential allowances to the Directors, the Secretary General, and the members of the Executive Committees.
  4. To ratify the decisions of the Board of Directors in the period since the last General Meeting..
  5. To decide amendments to the By-Laws.
  6. Reach a decision on matters referred to it by the Board if Directors.

  7. To decide on the dissolution or liquidation of the Association.

Article 10

Each member has one vote at the General Meeting. The Kindred Association Members as defined in Article 4, section 6, have a consultative voice only.

All voting and elections take place by a show of hands unless the General Meeting decides otherwise.

Voting and elections are decided by a simple majority of the members with voting rights present. In the case of equal numbers of votes, the President has the casting vote.

A two-thirds majority of the members with voting rights present is required to decide amendments of the By-Laws.

A two-thirds majority of all members with voting rights is required to decide on the dissolution or liquidation of the Association.

3.2 The Board of Directors

Article 11

The Board of Directors consists of up to 7 regular members, including the President and the Directors (BoD members).

One term of office of the President and the Directors lasts three years; members are normally eligible for re-election for a maximum of two terms.

The Board of Directors constitutes itself. In particular, it elects its Vice President and distributes the duties and responsibilities among the members.

 

Article 12

The Board of Directors has, in particular, the following responsibilities:

  1. To secure operations of the AIEST against the background of the objectives in Article 3. For that, departments can be defined, and Executive Committees set up. Regarding the Executive Committees, the Board of Directors has the right to appoint members to the committees and hereby define and name additional executive roles and functions.
  2. To make preparations for the General Meeting, to arrange for it to be convened, and to carry out its decisions.
  3. To decide on the admission of members in accordance with Article 5.
  4. To decide on the exclusion of members in accordance with Article 6, section 3.
  5. To decide on the use of the funds of the Association on the basis of an annual budget in accordance with Article 22, to be responsible for keeping the accounts, and to approve the annual accounts and the annual budget, in so far as this power is delegated to it by the General Meeting in accordance with Article 9, Section 2.
  6. To set up a service level agreement with the Secretariat General (represented by the Secretary General) on possible services and the related remuneration in accordance with Article 18.
  7. To designate the persons to represent the Association and to sign on behalf of the Association.

Article 13

The Board of Directors meets at least once a year. It is convened by the President. Its resolutions are decided by a simple majority and in the case of equal numbers of votes, the President has a casting vote. Voting must be unanimous for:

  1. the admission of a member in accordance with Article 5, Para 1;
  2. the exclusion of a member in accordance with Article 6, Para 3.

3.3 The Executive Committees

Article 14

The Board of Directors can set up any number of Executive Committees, in accordance with Article 12.

Executive Committees are composed of members of the AIEST according to Article 4, Para 1, sections 1-5 (excluding section 6) and presided by a Director according to Article 12.

Executive Committees constitute themselves.

Article 15

The Executive Committees are set up to

(1) support the Board of Directors in fulfilling its duties according to Article 12, Para 1, section 1;
(2) execute any temporary or permanent assignment

Article 16

The Executive Committees convene at their convenience.
They are convened by the Director.

3.4 The Secretariat General

Article 17

The Secretariat General consists of a General Secretary and any assistant staff.

The Secretary General, who must be a regular member, is elected for a period of three years and is eligible for re-election.

Article 18

The tasks and responsibilities of the General Secretariat are defined and remunerated as part of a service level agreement with the Board of Directors..

3.5 The Auditors

Article 19

The Auditors are two regular members who must not be members of the Board of Directors or of the Secretariat General of the Association.

The Auditors are elected for a period of three years and are eligible for re-election. They examine the annual accounts of the Association and submit a written report on them to the General Meeting and to the Committee.

The General Meeting may commission a fiduciary society to carry out the audit.

4. Financials and Funding

Article 20

The Association derives its funds from:

  1. Annual fees of members as defined in Article 4. The annual membership fee for regular members is fixed by the General Meeting.
  2. Other means or donations.
  3. Interest on investments.

Article 21

The annual membership fee for all members other than regular members are as follows

  • Early Career Member: 50% of the regular membership fee
  • Member Emeritus/a: 50% of the regular membership fee
  • Honorary Member: no membership fee
  • Associate Member: 200% of the regular membership fee
  • Kindred Association Member: fees to be determined by the Board of Directors

Article 22

The use of funds of the Association is decided in accordance with Article 12, Para 5, by the Board of Directors on the basis of an annual budget submitted for approval to the General Meeting, unless otherwise decided in accordance with Article 9, Para 1, section 2.

The General Meeting determines the allowances to the Directors, the Secretary General, and the members of the Executive Committees according to Article 9, Para 1, section 3.

Article 23

The liability of the Association is limited to its capital. The liability of the members is limited to their membership fees.

Article 24

The financial year begins on 1 January and ends on 31 December of each year.

5. Dissolution and Liquidation

Article 25

In the event of dissolution of the Association being decided upon (Article 9, Para1, section 7, and Article 10, Para 5), the Committee appoints the liquidators. 

Any surplus remaining after the repayment of debts, will be handed over in accordance with the decision of the General Meeting which has agreed upon the dissolution, to tax exempt not-for-profit institutions devoted to research, study and education in tourism.

6. Conclusions

Article 26

These By-Laws were approved by the General Meeting of Association in Bolzano (Italy) on 26 August 2024. They include amendments which were approved by the General Meeting of Association in Brainerd (USA) on 29 August 2005, in Macau, (China) on 20 August 2007, in Barcelona (Spain) on 29 August 2011, in St. Gallen (Switzerland) on 9 May 2014, in Plzen (Czech Rep.) on 25 August 2014, in Lijiang (China) on 24 August 2015 and in Tbilisi (Georgia) on 4 September 2017.

They supersede those approved by the inaugural meeting in Rome on 31 May 1951, and the General Meetings in Palermo on 23 June 1954, in Stresa on 24 September 1960, in Belgrade on 5 September 1975 and in Alexandria on 21 September 1978, and Montreux on 02 September 1985.

St.Gallen and Bolzano, 26 August 2024

AIEST, International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism
 
President: Prof. Dr. Harald Pechlaner

Secretary General: Prof. Dr. Christian Laesser