INVITED SPEAKERS

Talha Uğurluel is a Turkish historian, author, and professional tour guide, widely recognized for his work on Ottoman history, Islamic history, and sacred cities such as Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina. He is known for presenting historical knowledge in an engaging and accessible manner to both academic and general audiences through conferences, seminars, and media appearances.

With extensive experience in tourism guiding, Uğurluel combines historical narratives with spatial context, offering a distinctive approach to place-based storytelling. His ability to interpret historical events within their geographical settings makes his work particularly valuable in the fields of cultural heritage interpretation and experiential learning. He has organized and led numerous cultural tours both in Türkiye and internationally, focusing on conveying history in its original setting.

Uğurluel is the author of several books, primarily centered on Ottoman sultans, the history of Jerusalem, and Islamic civilization. In addition, he has contributed to television programs as a presenter and commentator on historical topics. Although he does not hold a formal academic title, his field expertise and narrative style have enabled him to reach a broad audience.

As an invited speaker at our congress, Talha Uğurluel is expected to provide valuable insights particularly on:

• Interpretation and presentation of cultural heritage
• Historical identity of destinations
• Experiential tourism and guiding practices
• Faith tourism and narratives of sacred places

Dr. Ahmet Ozturk is an Associate Professor at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida. He holds a Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration with a concentration in Information Systems from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Ozturk’s research primarily focuses on human–robot interactions, the use of AI in hospitality and tourism, digital marketing, and information technology adoption. He is the author of more than 100 refereed papers published in leading academic journals and proceedings of international conferences. His publications have appeared in high-impact indexed journals, including International Journal of Information Management, Computers in Human Behavior, Information Systems Frontiers, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, and International Journal of Hospitality Management. Additionally, Dr. Ozturk edited a book titled Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategies for Tourism and Hospitality Organizations, published by Goodfellow Publishers. He serves on several editorial and advisory boards for international academic journals and conferences and is currently the Coordinating Editor for one of the leading SSCI-indexed journals, the International Journal of Hospitality Management (IJHM). His teaching areas include Management Information Systems, Research Methods, and Statistical Analysis.

Dr. Ozturk is ranked among the top 2% of scholars worldwide in the field of Sport, Leisure, and Tourism. He has received several awards for his research and teaching contributions, including the Research Excellence Award from Oklahoma State University; the Best Paper Award from the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology; the Best Paper Award from the International Hospitality Information Technology Association (iHITA); the Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award; and the Research Incentive Award and Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award from the University of Central Florida.