Thought Leaders in Responsible and Sustainable Tourism
A (nearly complete) resource for finding people who are making important contributions in the field of responsible and sustainable tourism research and education.
A (nearly complete) resource for finding people who are making important contributions in the field of responsible and sustainable tourism research and education.
An overview of academics who have made, and are making, significant contributions to the discussions about Caribbean tourism. Hopefully, Caribbean political leaders will take heed and develop tourism, both within their economies but also in a regional context, to benefit their people more so than has been done in the past. Ultimately the goal is to improve the quality of tourism delivery and to benefit all Caribbean peoples and nations, bringing sustainability and community values to 'top of mind' importance.
Featuring leading & inspiring professionals, activists and academics who practice, advocate for and/or research ecological & equitable tourism & living.
Celebrating world's sustainable tourism leaders and changemakers. Founded in 2014 by Florian Kaefer, independent researcher, editor and journalist, the Sustainability Leaders Project seeks to encourage tourism professionals to embrace sustainability by means of sharing the experiences and stories of leading sustainable tourism thinkers and doers worldwide.
Becoming a Tourism Scholar by Stephen L. J. Smith, Waterloo U, 2011. 16 pages
Abstract: An essay summarizing key lessons gleaned from the autobiographies of pioneers
of tourism geography, published as The Discovery of Tourism. Five lessons, based on common
themes among many of the personal histories, are presented with examples drawn from the
autobiographies.
Based on the book: The Discovery of Tourism by Stephen L. J. Smith, Emerald Group Publishing, 2010 (Google Books)
The study of tourism involves many disciplines but, arguably, none is more central than geography. Its defining interests in location, movement, and the relationships of people and places involve the essence of tourism. This book profiles some of the pioneers of tourism geography through their stories as told in their words. This collection began with an invitation from the editor to leading tourism geographers to reflect on their careers. This result is a view of the evolution of tourism as a subject of enquiry from the 1960's, how it varies across cultures, and how it has been shaped in different academic institutions. The voices in which these stories are told are as distinctive as the authors. In each case, the voice you "hear" is authentic, helping you discover, not just the details of the stories but something of the personalities behind them.
The study of tourism is but one small niche in social science, but the phenomenon of tourism is found in virtually every culture, every nation. The questions geographers ask are as diverse as the cultures of the earth itself. These stories reveal the rich textures of the lives of these scholars as well as the muses that inspire them. The book also provides insights into a distinctive phenomenon among tourism geographers ûmany do not work in traditional departments of geography. Regardless of in what type of institutional academic environment you will find these authors, every woman and man in this book has made significant contributions to understanding the people, places, and processes that are tourism. This book will be of interest, not only to students of tourism geography, but any thoughtful person intrigued by those who devote their lives to the pursuit of knowledge and contributing to the well-being of individuals, families, and communities.
Professor David Airey, U Surrey
David Airey is Emeritus Professor at the University of Surrey. Since he retired from his position as Professor of Tourism Management and University Pro Vice-Chancellor he has remained active in teaching, research, writing and various projects both in the UK, including at Surrey, and in many other parts of the world. He has been involved in tourism as a subject for study for nearly 50 years. During this time his academic interests have included tourism education, tourism policy, and destination development. He has written or co-edited a number of books and many top ranked journal articles on these topics and has supervised numerous PhD students.
Nancy Arsenault: Tourism Café
Nancy loves the tourism industry. Customer-centric to the core, she is a builder; not the bricks and mortar type, but rather one who builds the skills and knowledge of people in the tourism industry. Read about Nancy and the Tourism Café team.
Caroline Ashley, Ashley Insight (Google Scholar)
Caroline’s focus is how we build business models and economic models that drive socially-inclusive, equitable and sustainable development. Or to put it ambitiously, creating Capitalism 2.0.
Australia: Who's Who in Tourism Industry
BEST EN Think Tanks
BEST EN is an inclusive and collaborative network of tourism academics and practitioners committed to furthering the creation and dissemination of knowledge within the field of sustainable tourism. The acronym BEST EN stands for Building Excellence for Sustainable Tourism – an Education Network.
Bill Bramwell, Sheffield Hallam University
Bill is co-founder and co-editor of the Journal of Sustainable Tourism, and he has published widely on tourism policy and planning, tourism development in differing economic and political contexts, and sustainable tourism.
Dr. Kelly Bricker - see: Board of Directors, GSTC
Dr. Bricker is Professor and Director of the Hainan-Arizona State International Tourism College (HAITC), located in Phoenix, Arizona. She completed her Ph.D. research with the Pennsylvania State University, where she specialized in sustainable tourism and protected area management. She has research and teaching interests in ecotourism, sense of place, community development, natural resource management, value of nature-based experiences, and the impacts of tourism.
Excerpt from Kelly Bricker Interview, ESTC 15
Juan Gabriel Brida, Full Professor of Economic Dynamics, Universidad de la República de Uruguay (Google Scholar)
Ralf Buckley, International Chair in Ecotourism Research, Griffith University (Google Scholar) (Homepage at academia.edu)
Richard W. Butler, Strathclyde University
Originator of: The Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) Model by Richard Butler
Jack Carlsen is Professor of Tourism Studies and Co-Director of the Curtin Sustainable Tourism Centre [CSTC] at Curtin University, Western Australia. He has expertise in sustainable tourism development, planning and management and has produced more than 100 publications in the form of academic books and journals, conference papers, reviews, technical reports, strategic plans, case studies and other scholarly contributions on tourism and related topics. He is currently Acting Dean of Research and Development in the Curtin Business School and is developing research themes, projects and initiatives both within Curtin and with other universities. (Innovation for Sustainable Tourism International Case Studies Liburd, Janne J.; Carlsen, Jack; Edwards, D; Forde, P; https://findresearcher.sdu.dk:8443/ws/files/3669/Case_Study_Publication_full.pdf)
Coastal & Marine Conference, Keynote Speakers, 2012 (archive.org)
Costas Christ, Beyond Green Travel
For the past 30 years, Costas Christ has been at the leading edge of the green travel movement, since way before it was ever called green or even a movement.
- NBC News
Erik Cohen, Hebrew University of Jerusalem | HUJI, Department of Sociology and Anthropology Ph.D. (Google Scholar)
Erik does research in Social Anthropology, Sociological Theory and Tourism Studies. His previously announced projects '1. Spirit mediumsship and the state in Southeast Asia; 2. Ethics, Philosophies and Theologies of Tourism' are by now completed and at a publication stage. His main current projects are 1.Animals in tourism, and 2. Space tourism (a book, edited by ErikCohen and Samuel Spector, 'Space tourism: The elusive dream', 2019 in Emerald's TSSS series).
Critical Tourism Studies, Keynote Speakers, U Surrey
Dr. Robertico Croes, Associate Dean, Administration & Finance; Professor, Rosen College of Hospitality Management, Rosen College, U of Central Florida
" [W]e should shift our management attention away from indicators such as arrivals, revenues and market share to real spending per arrival as our performance indicator. "
Geoffrey I. Crouch, La Trobe University
Geoffrey I. Crouch is Professor of Tourism Policy & Marketing in the La Trobe Business School. Before joining La Trobe University, he previously held joint positions in the Marketing Area and the World Tourism Education and Research Centre of the Faculty of Management at the University of Calgary, Canada (1992-1998), where he also served as Director of the MBA Program. Professor Crouch was also previously at the Graduate School of Management at Monash University, Australia (1988-1992).
Rachel Dodds, Sustaining Tourism | Rachel Dodds, Faculty, The Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ryerson U
A dynamic, self starter with over 25 years international experience across a wide spectrum of the tourism industry. Dr. Rachel Dodds has worked with hotels, large and small tour operators, tourism planners, sustainable tourism management and marketing projects, international development banks, landscape and park planning firms, governments, NGO’s, marketing organizations and hospitality and tourism attractions.
Ross K. Dowling, Honorary Professor, Edith Cowan U, Australia
Honorary Professor Dowling actively contributes to Tourism Research and Development in a number of capacities around the world, especially in the areas of Geotourism, Cruise Ship Tourism, Ecotourism and Tourism Planning & Development. He is an international speaker on tourism, providing advice for the industry in a number of countries around the world.
Andy Drumm, Sustainable Tourism Specialist, Haverfordwest, Wales.
Andy Dumaine (Andy died in 2017, age 55) | shrinkingfootprint (last known working page at archive.org) | YouTube
Andy Dumaine: “If you had a car and you went to the gas station and you put ten gallons of gas in it and five gallons leaked out on the ground, wouldn’t you think it’s time to get a new car?”
• Global tourism is a 50 year-old model and it’s time to create a movement that creates more benefits for the Caribbean. Andy Dumaine, Managing Director of Shrinking Footprint makes this argument in his presentation on the “Green Frontier for Caribbean Tourism” to delegates at the 11th Annual Sustainable Conference in Barbados.
• “This global tourism model is brought to you by people who don’t live here; therefore when you swipe your credit card at the hotel the money goes somewhere else. Its publicly available information in terms of what the economic leakage rates are in the Caribbean,” Dumaine said. He disclosed that in the Dominican Republic, 19 cents of every visitor dollar stays in the country but the best case is in Jamaica where 48 cents of every dollar stays in the country.
• Mr. Dumaine said his model for a new and different tourism requires collaboration and negotiation and a combined effort to influence the global market. He said the shared future requires the coming together of people to talk about the models and their benefits.
Larry Dwyer, Professor of Travel and Tourism Economics, University of NSW (Google Scholar) (Summary CV)
Eco Speakers (@ archive.org)
Names of people who have spoken about sustainability issues in a wide range of fields.
Deborah Edwards, University of Technology Sydney, Business School, Management, Haymarket, Australia
Dr Edwards has spent a number of years working in hospitality and tourism in Australia and overseas before finding my place in academia.
Megan Epler-Wood, EplerWood International (EWI) | twitter
The International Ecotourism Society | twitter feed
David Fisher - Senior Lecturer - Faculty of Environment, Society and Design, Lincoln U, NZ
David's research interests are: Tourism in Pacific islands, Tourism development, Time in tourism, Heritage tourism
Tonya Fitzpatrick, World Footprints
Tonya Fitzpatrick inspires people to discover their purpose as a pathway to success, how to embrace the transformative power of travel and navigate the world as a global citizen.
Xavier Font, Leeds Beckett University
Dr Font is a leading international expert in Responsible Tourism Marketing, with extensive experience in industry and government training on all aspects of sustainable tourism production and consumption.
Allison Gill, Simon Fraser U, Department of Geography
Dr. Gill is a social geographer who holds a joint appointment in the Department of Geography and the School of Resource and Environmental Management. She specializes in tourism with a focus on community development and planning issues in tourism environments.
Marinus Gisolf, Tourism Theories
Mr. Gisolf is senior consultant in tourism and sustainability and he was the general manager of Ecole Viajes S.A. for nearly 15 years – an incoming travel agent in Costa Rica with the highest level (5) of sustainability certification granted by the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism ICT in 2010.
Irene Lane: Green Travel Expert Shares About Sustainable Travel by Irene Lane, Founder & President of Greenloons
Dirk Glaesser: ITB Profile | linkedIn Profile | UNWTO profile (@ archive.org, 2018)
Dr. Dirk Glaesser is Director for the Sustainable Development of Tourism Programme of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The programme addresses the generation of social, economic and cultural benefits for host communities resulting from sustainable development of tourism while minimizing the negative impacts upon the natural or socio-cultural environments. Dr. Glässer also supervises the UNWTO Consulting Unit on Biodiversity and Tourism based in Bonn (Germany) and is a member of the Extended Management Team of UNWTO.
The Good Tourism Blog by David Gillibanks | Friends
Dedicated to a truly sustainable and sincerely responsible travel & tourism industry; featuring news, opinions, stories, and evolving best practices. The “Good Tourism” blog is a meeting place for Destination Partners, Insight Partners as well as Guest authors to share "insights, experiences, and thoughts about what’s "good" in tourism (or how to mitigate the "bad")".
Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
Dr. Harold Goodwin
Dr Harold Goodwin has worked on 4 continents with local communities, their governments and the inbound and outbound tourism industry. He is an Emeritus Professor and Director of the Institute of Place Management at Manchester Metropolitan University, Managing Director of the Responsible Tourism Partnership and advisor to the World Travel Market on its Responsible Tourism programme at WTM London, which attracts 2000 participants each year, and WTM Africa and Latin America and Arabian Tavel mart. He chairs the panels of judges for the World Responsible Tourism Awards and the other Awards in the family, Africa, India and Ireland. (haroldgoodwin.info)
International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT Leeds)
A community of Responsible Tourism Practitioners in business, government, NGOs, conservation and heritage. Started by Harold Goodwin, the ICRT is for Responsible Tourism. Based in Faversham, UK.
Charles R. Goeldner (U Colorado, Boulder) (Co-author with J. R. Brent Ritchie)
Stefan Gössling, Linnaeus University, Sweden | Wikipedia
Stefan Gössling is a professor of Tourism Research at Linnaeus University and Human Ecology at Lund University. His research focuses on the sustainability of tourism, transport & mobilities. (Stefan Gössling, Linnaeus University, Sweden)
Dr. Sonya Graci
Dr. Graci is a specialist in sustainable tourism, corporate sustainability and environmental management and has over 16 years experience in these fields. She is currently an Associate Professor at the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson University. She's also the Director of Accommodating Green, an environmental consulting agency that works with organizations to integrate sustainability in their business operations. She has worked in several countries developing sustainable tourism strategies including Canada, China, Indonesia, and Honduras.
Virginia Hadsell: Biographical notes
Colin Michael Hall, Prof. University of Canterbury (NZ); Visiting Prof. Linneaus Uni; Docent Uni. Oulu (Google Scholar) (Homepage at academia.edu)
Erika Harms, Engagement Officer, Sustainable Ocean Initiative, World Resources Institute
Travelers' Philanthropy Handbook, CREST, 2011 (PDF)
Travelers' Philanthropy was a program of the Center for Responsible Travel. See: Experts Bureau for a list of names involved in this program. (@ archive.org, 2018)
Dr Donald Hawkins, The George Washington U
Martha Honey, Co-Founder with William Durham & Executive Director at the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), Washington D.C.
Over the last two decades, Dr. Honey has written and lectured widely on ecotourism, Travelers’ Philanthropy, cruise and resort tourism, and certification issues. Her books include Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? (Island Press, 1999 and 2008) and Ecotourism and Certification: Setting Standards in Practice (Island Press, 2002). She is currently writing a book on coastal and cruise tourism (Selling Sunshine, Island Press, 2015). Previously, Honey worked for 20 years as a journalist based in East Africa (Tanzania) and Central America (Costa Rica). She holds a Ph.D. in African history from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She was Executive Director of The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) from 2003 to 2006. Honey was profiled in Branded!, Michael Conroy’s book on certification (New Society Publishers, 2007) and was named one of world’s top 10 eco- and sustainable-travel “watchdogs” (CondeNast Traveler, 2008) (source: https://www.responsibletravel.org/whoWeAre/consultants.php)
Michael Hughes is a Research Fellow with the Curtin Sustainable Tourism Centre at Curtin University, Western Australia. He has a background in Biological Science and natural resource management. Michael moved into the area of tourism research when following an interest in exploring human-nature interactions. His PhD focussed on influence of site design and communication on the protected area visitor experience of nature. Michael currently pursues a diverse range of sustainable tourism related research interests. This includes social, economic and environmental values and impacts of tourism; tourism and protected natural area management; good practice tourism operation and tourism-community relationships. (Innovation for Sustainable Tourism International Case Studies Liburd, Janne J.; Carlsen, Jack; Edwards, D; Forde, P; https://findresearcher.sdu.dk:8443/ws/files/3669/Case_Study_Publication_full.pdf)
International Academy for the Study of Tourism, Directory of Fellows
Glenn Jampol, Chair, Global Ecotourism Network
Ariane Janér — Sustainable business consultant and a founder of the Global Ecotourism Network*
Ariane Janér is a Dutch zoologist with an MBA who has been working with ecotourism and sustainable development in Brazil since 1991. She is active in the field both as a consultant and through NGOs, with ample experience in product development, marketing and business plans.
Through her company Bromelia Consult she has been involved with projects that range from developing community tourism projects to implementing sustainable procurement in large companies. She is also a co-founder and technical director for Instituto Homo Caballus (iHOCA), which aims to spread equestrian culture and help people connect to nature through horses. Personal interests in ecotourism are conservation, animal welfare and nature interpretation.
Jafar Jafari
Jafar Jafari is Professor of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Department of Hospitality and Tourism (USA).
Judy Karwacki
Judy is the founder and owner of SmallPlanet.travel, a sustainable tourism consulting and marketing consultancy, and JubileeTravel.travel, a travel agency. Judy is an industry veteran and has worked around the globe in sustainable tourism and emerging destinations tourism, including numerous indigenous tourism projects. Judy is passionate about authentic tourism experiences that provide local communities and destinations with sustainable long-term economic and social benefits while protecting in their natural and cultural heritage. Based in Vancouver, Canada.
Dr. Ross A. Klein, Memorial U, Newfoundland, Canada
Ross A. Klein, PhD, is an international authority on the cruise ship.
Jacqueline Kuehnel, Vox International
Jacqueline has 28 years of business experience in product development, operations, sales and marketing. Until 2004, she was Vice President of Product and Operations for Signature Vacations Canada, which is owned by TUI Travel PLC – a FTSE 100 corporation and leader in corporate social responsibility in its sector.
In 2005, Jacqueline established JK Consulting Enterprises, and has gained expertise in climate change and sustainable business practices. She is the Canadian Associate for the UK-based The CarbonNeutral Company and works closely with organizations such as Canadian Business for Social Responsibility to assist businesses with carbon management strategies. Jacqueline is also an expert in all aspects of travel and tourism and consults extensively in this area.
Jacqueline is a regular lecturer at the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ryerson University (Toronto) and at the University of Waterloo where she lectures on climate change, corporate social responsibility and sustainable businesses best practices.
(source: https://web.archive.org/web/2012*/cbsr.ca/about-cbsr/our-team/jacqueline-kuehnel)
Previously working for Apple Hostels in Philadelphia (2012).
Dr Kristin Lamoureux, Collegiate Associate Professor, Virginia Tech University
Kristin Lamoureux, PhD is an accomplished hospitality and tourism professional with over 25 years of experience as an educator, researcher and consultant in tourism and hospitality, tourism development, destination management and marketing, hospitality management, marketing, strategic planning and research.
Neil Leiper and Leiper's Tourism System (tourismteacher.com)
Leiper’s Tourism System provides a good representation of the way that the many parts of the tourism industry work together as a system, rather than individually. Neil Leiper was a lecturer at Sydney Technical College, he died in 2010.
Alan A. Lew, Professor Emeritus (retired), Northern Arizona University (Google Scholar)
Janne Liburd, interview at the 'Sustainability Leaders Project'.
Dr. Janne Liburd is Professor and Director of the Centre for Tourism, Innovation and Culture at the University of Southern Denmark. She is a cultural anthropologist. Her research interests are sustainable tourism development, collaboration, national parks, innovation, higher education, and the being of the university. By two ministerial appointments, Janne Liburd is the Chairman of the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea National Park (2015-2022). She served on the National Tourism Forum, charged with developing the first strategy for tourism in Denmark (2015-2018). She has published more than 100 peer reviewed articles and book chapters. (The Centre for the Study of Global Human Movement, Cambridge U; humanmovement.cam.ac.uk/events/role-voyager-mobilities-tourism)
Prof Geoffrey Lipman — President of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners;
Geoffrey Lipman is a former top official and innovator at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). In his current roles as chief disruption architect and professor at GreenEarth.travel, and co-founder of the SUNx Program, Prof Lipman advocates concepts such as "green growth", "impact-travel", and "travelism", and asserts that climate change is "existential". Prof Lipman's firm belief that climate change has the potential to knock out our species has not only inspired him to add the "x" to SUNx, but is also driving him to pursue the most ambitious project of his career; the realisation of a Strong Universal Network (SUNx) that will empower and resource current and emerging generations who must face the existential threat head on. (His Sunx Bio) — “GT” Pod #1 * ; See also: Tourism Leaders at ICTP.
Deborah McLaren
Dr Donald MacLeod, U Glasgow
Dr Macleod has a D.Phil in social anthropology from the University of Oxford. He has been a Visiting Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Macalester College, USA; taught social anthropology at Goldsmiths' College, London University, and tutored social anthropology on the Human Sciences programme at the University of Oxford.
Ron Mader, PlanetA
Ron Mader is a communications catalyst and professional speaker, writer, photographer, and tweeter. Among his most popular workshops are those focusing on strategies for using the social web. Ron also hosts and updates the free Digital Literacy Quiz.
Highlighting meaningful conversation and action about environmental and cultural conservation, tourism, responsible travel, and peacemaking are the core focal points.
Making Waves Keynote Speakers, Bournemouth U, 2013
Dr. Edward T. (Ted) Manning, Tourisk, Associate Professor, Carleton U Department of Geography; linkedIn Profile
Ted Manning. Dr. Edward W. (Ted) Manning is the President of Tourisk Inc. and a consultant and lecturer in tourism and environmental topics internationally.
Seleni Matus, George Washington U, International Institute for Tourism Studies (IITS)
Seleni Matus has spent more than 15 years designing and directing large, multi-stakeholder initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean that have enhanced the quality of tourism offerings and helped to ensure the long-term health of natural ecosystems. These include the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative and the Sustainable Destinations Alliance of the Americas. She is currently the executive director of the International Institute of Tourism Studies at the George Washington University School of Business and an adjunct professor of tourism.
Andreas Matzarakis, University of Freiburg
Andreas' core research interests are in human bioclimatology and urban climatology, climatology of tourism and climate change impact research.
Dean MacCannell, UC Davis
Dean MacCannell is Professor Emeritus of Environmental Design and Landscape Architecture at UC Davis. He also chaired the Graduate Group in Geography at Davis. He is an active member of the Tourism Studies Working Group and author of The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class (1976, 2013), Empty Meeting Grounds: The Tourist Papers (1992), and The Ethics of Sightseeing (2011), and The Time of the Sign: A Semiotic Interpretation of Modern Culture (1982) with Juliet Flower MacCannell. In addition to his work on tourism, MacCannell studies rural poverty and homelessness. He designed and supervised multiple censuses of the homeless populations in Yolo and Placer Counties, and he wrote the first Poverty Report for the State of California. He has given expert testimony on rural poverty and inequality to the Congress of the United States, and the United States Secretary of Agriculture. MacCannell received his A.B. degree in Anthropology from Berkeley and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Rural Sociology from Cornell. (H-Net Bio)
Bob McKercher, Tourism Professor, U Queensland, Australia (Google Scholar)
Prof. Bob McKercher has been a tourism academic since 1990. Prior to that he worked in the Canadian tourism industry in a variety of advocacy and operational roles. He received his PhD from the University of Melbourne in Australia, a Master's degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada and his undergraduate degree from York University in Toronto, Canada. He has published over 300 scholarly papers and research reports, is the author/co-author of The Business of Nature-based Tourism, Cultural Tourism and Tourism Theories, Concepts and Models. He has also edited a number of other books. Prof McKercher is the Past President of the International Academic for the Study of Tourism; a Fellow of the International Academic for the Study of Tourism; the Council for Australian University Tourism and Hospitality Education and; the International Academy of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research.
Kevin Moore - Associate Professor - Faculty of Environment, Society and Design,incoln U, NZ
Kevin's areas of expertise are psychology, wellbeing, tourist behaviour and psychology of leisure.
Martin Mowforth, Plymouth U
Martin Mowforth lecturers at the University of Plymouth in the UK. He is the author of The Violence of Development (Pluto, 2014) and co-author of Tourism and Sustainability: Development, Globalisation and New Tourism in the Third World (2009). (Google Books)
Ian Munt: Urban Development Consultant
National Geographic Our Explorers
Andrea Nicholas, Managing Director of Green Tourism
Andrea Nicholas is a Sustainable Tourism Certification expert with over 25 years experience, founder of World leading Green Tourism certification standard, Commissioner on Edinburgh Climate Commission, developer of digital GreenCheck platform for sustainability management monitoring and assessment. (linkedIn profile)
Nova Scotia Tourism Summit 2019 Keynote Speakers
Planning for Sustainable Tourism in MPAs: Instructor Biographies (PDF)
PATA Adventure Travel & Responsible Tourism Conference & Mart, Special Advisors
Polly Pattullo
Polly Pattullo has written widely about the Caribbean region. She works for the Guardian and Caribbean Insight in London and co-founded a tour-operating company in the Eastern Caribbean. (google books)
Aviva Pearson
With one of the most solid backgrounds in the tourism and travel industry, Aviva has been the CEO of four major destinations, held executive positions within major Travel Technology Companies, and sat on the Board of many Travel Associations and Organizations. With a solid sales and marketing background, she is focused on increasing sales and profitability through intensive marketing. (crunchbase)
Paul Peeters, NHTV Breda University
Paul Peeters (1957) is Professor Sustainable Transport and Tourism at Breda University of Applied Sciences since December 2002. He is one of the professors of the Centre for Sustainability, Tourism and Transport and specialises in the environmental impacts of tourism and tourism transport in general and climate change mitigation in particular.
Greg Richards, Professor of Placemaking and Events at Breda University of Applied Sciences and Professor of Leisure Studies at the University of Tilburg in The Netherlands. (Homepage at academia.edu)
The Legacy of Taleb Rifai, former Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
J. R. Brent Ritchie, U Calgary
J.R. Brent Ritchie held the Professorship of Tourism Management in the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. He also served as Chair of the University’s World Tourism Education and Research Centre. Dr. Ritchie, who was the Founding Chair of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Tourism Education and Science Council, is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing his extensive contributions to research and publication in the field. They include the TTRA Lifetime Achievement Award and the UNWTO Ulysses Prize. In addition, he is co-author of two widely acclaimed textbooks: TOURISM: Principles, Practices, Philosophies, and The Competitive Destination: A Sustainable Tourism Perspective. (linkedIn profile)
Christian . M. Rogerson, Professor School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg (Google Scholar)
Christian M. Rogerson is a Research Professor attached to the School of Tourism & Hospitality. A human geographer by training, Chris obtained a BSc (Hons) from University College, London, MSc from University of Witwatersrand and a PhD from Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada. His research interests straddle issues of local and regional development, small enterprise development and tourism in the global South. (U Johannesburg)
Responsible Travel & Tourism Forum: RTTF, Toronto (archive.org)
Daniel Scott, Professor and University Research Chair, U Waterloo
My research interests are in the interface of global change (environmental, demographic, economic) and sustainable tourism. A particular focus has been on two-way interactions of climate change and tourism, understanding the implications of a changing climate and climate sensitive environmental systems for tourism at the tourist, operator, destination and tourism region scales, as well as the contribution the global tourism sector makes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions and land use change.
Dr Noel Scott - Adjunct Professor, University of Mataram, Queensland, Australia — “The keys to managing growth and sustainable tourism governance” (Interview)
Chris Seek, Sustainable Tourism Development and Marketing Specialist, Social Entrepreneur, President/CEO of Solimar International
David Simmons, Lincoln U, NZ
David is the leader of Lincoln University's tourism programme and a founding staff member of the Social Science, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Group. He has been at Lincoln University since 1978 and a faculty member since 1980.
Skal International: Connecting Travel and Tourism Professionals all around the World
Sri Lanka Tourism Conference Keynote Speakers, 2021
Dr Anna Spenceley, Director of Spenceley Tourism and Development (STAND)
Dr Anna Spenceley is a tourism expert with over 20 years international experience and an extensive publication record, rich diversity of project experience, an international network of associates with whom she collaborates. (source: STAND Bio)
Sustainable Tourism Consultants (sustainability-leaders.com)
You are looking for someone to give a keynote presentation or contribute to a workshop or seminar on sustainability leadership and entrepreneurship, perhaps (but not necessarily) with a focus on tourism? Listing of arount 70 sustainable tourism consultants.
Sustainable Travel International Staff
Brian Mullis
Brian T. Mullis is a destination management specialist with more than 25 years of experience in sustainable development, conservation and tourism. Prior to assuming the role of Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, he founded and led Sustainable Travel International, a global leader in the responsible tourism movement. Mullis also owned and operated an international ecotourism and adventure travel company. He has held leadership positions on the World Economic Forum Future of Travel and Tourism Council, UN 10YFP Multi-stakeholder Advisory Committee, and the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. Throughout his career, he has assisted hundreds of businesses and destinations worldwide in implementing innovative sustainable tourism initiatives that generate positive socio-economic and conservation outcomes in communities and protected areas. The father of two energetic children from Ethiopia, Mullis and his family actively seek out nature and adventure travel experiences and local food and culture. (Linking Tourism & Conservation)
Louise Twining-Ward, WorldBank, former CEO at Sustainable Travel International, Brooklyn, NY
Louise Twining-Ward is a tourism sector expert with extensive global experience in the design, implementation, and monitoring of tourism development projects. Louise has a Ph.D. in Sustainable Tourism Monitoring and an M.Sc. in Tourism Management from the University of Surrey in the UK. She is a strong advocate for the use of tourism as a tool for the advancement of women and the conservation of the environment. Louise previously led the NGO Sustainable Travel International (STI) where she managed sustainable tourism projects in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. She is the author of the 2010 UNWTO Global Report on Women and Tourism, and a co-author of the World Bank Group publication Tourism in Africa: Harnessing Tourism for Growth and Improved Livelihoods.
Steven Thorne
Steven Thorne is a specialist in “place-based cultural tourism” (PBCT)—a phrase that Steven, he himself, coined. He helps cities, towns and regions to realize their potential for cultural tourism by using his company’s holistic, place-based planning approach. The approach weaves together heritage, arts, agritourism, culinary and natural history experiences to reveal a destination’s “cultural terroir” and unique sense of place. (source: U Vic)
John Tribe, Professor of Tourism - University of Surrey, UK
Professor John Tribe studied his first degree, Masters and PhD at the University of London. He was Head of the Department of Tourism at Surrey for ten years and has served as Chair of The Association for Tourism in Higher Education and Co-Chair of the UNWTO Education Council. He is a member of the scientific committee of the EAJG Journal Quality Guide with a responsibility for ranking Tourism and Hospitality journals. He holds fellowships from the Higher Education Academy, the International Academy for the Study of Tourism, the Association for Tourism in Higher Education and the Academy of the Social Sciences. He edits the Journal of Hospitality, Leisure Sport and Tourism Education and was editor of Annals of Tourism Research for ten years.
Bruce Poon Tip, Founder and CEO, G Adventures (Wikipedia)
Robin Tauck
A member of the Tauck family, one of the world’s iconic families admired for playing a critical part in pioneering global tourism for almost a century, Robin has lived her life’s love of exploring, discovering and contributing to people and places worldwide since she was a child. ... Today, Robin takes on a new challenge of stewardship — as Chairman 2021 of Tourism Cares, whose mission is to “Advance the travel industry’s Social and Environmental Impact” as a collective unification of over 160 companies nationally and globally, at a critical, pivotal and transformative time in the entire travel and tourism industry.
Valere Tjolle, linkedIn profile
Founder Totem Tourism, editor of VISION on Sustainable Tourism newswire
Valere Tjolle is an authority and key proponent of direct and alternative marketing and product creation in the travel and tourism industry with over 40 years “hands on” experience at every level. As principal of Totem Tourism he has led sustainable tourism projects in Africa, USA, Asia Pacific, Central Asia and Europe for clients as diverse as the European Union, the World Bank, the UN World Tourism Organisation, the Department for International Development, UNEP. (ICTP)
Valere Tjolle is Sustainable Tourism Editor the world's largest global online community for the Travel and Tourism Industry - travelmole.com - and edits travelmole's VISION on Sustainable Tourism, VISION on Climate Change, VISION on ProPoor Tourism and VISION on Green MICE. He is an authority and key proponent of direct and alternative marketing and product creation in the travel and tourism industry with over 40 years in-depth "hands on" experience at every level. In the travel industry since the 1970's, for the last 12 years, Valere has specialised in the ethical development and marketing of sustainable tourism projects. Projects have included tourism developments in Africa, USA, UK and Eastern Europe for clients as diverse as the European Union, the World Bank, the Department for International Development and local and international travel and tourism entrepreneurs. Valere is also advisor to a number of travel-oriented enterprises who wish to get greener AND more profitable. (Blogger profile)
The Travel Foundation, Jeremy Sampson, CEO since 2019
The Travel Foundation is an international sustainable tourism organisation dedicated to ensuring that tourism has a positive impact on destinations. Mr Sampson is well-known and respected within tourism and conservation networks and comes to the role with a wealth of experience in sustainable tourism, having worked across the spectrum of destinations, industry, NGOs, and academia. Here is the Executive Team. The Travel Foundation is based in Bristol, UK.
UNWTO Knowledge Network: Member Directory (@ archive.org, 2019)
John Urry, Distinguished Prof of Sociology, Lancaster University (Google Scholar)
John Richard Urry (1946 - 2016) was a British sociologist who served as a professor at Lancaster University. He is noted for work in the fields of the sociology of tourism and mobility. His works include: The Tourist Gaze (1990, 2002: 2nd edn.), Consuming Places (1995), Touring Cultures (1997, edited with Chris Rojek), Tourism Mobilities (2004, edited with Mimi Sheller), and Performing Tourist Places (with J-O Barenholdt, M Haldrup, J. Larsen). (Wikipedia)
Muzzo Uysal | Isenberg School of Management | UMass Amherst
Myriam Jansen-Verbeke (PDF)
David B. Weaver, Author of The Encyclopedia of Ecotourism (Google Scholar)
Dr. David Weaver, employed as a Professor of Tourism Research at Griffith University (Australia) since 2008, has more than 30 years of experience teaching and researching in the areas of ecotourism, sustainable tourism, and destination management. He has held prior academic appointments in Australia (also Griffith University), Canada (University of Regina), and the USA (George Mason University & University of South Carolina), and during this time has authored or edited 10 books and written more than 100 refereed scientific journal articles and book chapters. Dr. Weaver is also the editor of the Encyclopedia of Ecotourism and sits on the editorial boards of seven academic journals. In 2009 he was elected as a Fellow in the International Academy for the Study of Tourism, the peak international body for tourism academics. In recent years he has been invited to deliver keynote addresses in Korea, South Africa, Russia, New Zealand, Norway and China, and has participated in consultancies in destinations as diverse as Thailand, Panama and Andorra. Dr. Weaver holds a prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant to investigate the willingness of protected area visitors in Australia to participate in activities that enhance the environmental condition of national parks. (archive.org, 2015)
David B. Weaver received his PhD in Geography from the University of Western Ontario (Canada) in 1986. He is currently Professor of Tourism Research at Griffith University, Australia, and has published more than 120 journal articles, book chapters and books. He maintains an active research agenda in sustainable destination and protected area management, ecotourism, and resident perceptions of tourism. Current projects include investigating the willingness of protected area visitors to participate in site enhancement activities. Professor Weaver has published extensively in leading journals such as Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, Journal of Travel Research and Journal of Sustainable Tourism. His widely adopted textbooks include Tourism Management (5th ed.) and Ecotourism (Wiley Australia), Encyclopedia of Ecotourism (CABI), and Sustainable Tourism: Theory and Practice (Taylor & Francis). He is a Fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism and has delivered numerous invited international keynote addresses on innovative tourism management topics. He has worked with organizations such as UNWTO and PATA as an expert advisor. (Stylus Publishing)
Brian Wheeller, NHTV Breda University of Applied Science, Breda, The Netherlands
Brian Wheeller has degrees in Economics, in Applied Economics, in the Economic Impacts of Tourism, and in American Literature. His doctorate is in Critiquing Eco/Ego/Sustainable Tourism, a subject he has published extensively on over the years. In addition to issues related to tourism development, Brian’s current research revolves around the links between travel, tourism and popular culture – in particular literature, art, film and music and their relevance to contemporary tourism thinking. His interests also embrace humour, the visual and the use of image in tourism and tourism education.
Prior to NHTV, Brian was Senior Lecturer in Tourism at the University of Birmingham, UK where, for ten years, he was Director of their successful Tourism Policy and Management Masters programme. He has experience within the UK as Government reviewer and assessor; has sat on over twenty university validation panels and also has vast experience as External Examiner – acting at undergraduate, masters and PhD levels. (Tourism Master)
WTF Lucerne: Events | Front Runners
WTM London Responsible Tourism Advisory Panel Members
Sandra Zapata-Aguirre, Universidad de la República de Uruguay (Google Scholar)
Many of these authors come from a geographic background and have made an enormous contribution to the high-level study and understanding of tourism.
* Refer to: The Good Tourism Blog 'Friends' for these and many more.
© Alan Barry Ginn, January 2022 (March, 2015) 
Trademarks are the property of their respective rights holder; Not guaranteed to be a complete list!