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Academic Activities

Professional affiliations

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  • Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

  • Member of International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT)

  • Member of European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT)

  • Member of Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT)

  • Member of Tourism Management Institute (TMI)

  • Member of ATLAS – (Association for Tourism and Leisure Education)

  • Member of European Design for all eAccessibility Network (EDeAN)

 

Editorial work

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  • Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Spa and Wellness 

  • Associate Editor for the Event Management Journal

  • Guest Editor for the Event Management Journal special issue 'Events Innovation and Resilience during Uncertainty' (exp. end of 2023)

  • Guest Editor for the Tourism Planning & Development Journal special issue 'Tourism Innovation and Resilience during Uncertainty' (exp. end of 2023)

  • Guest Editor for the Tourism Planning & Development Journal special issue 'Revisiting Value Co-creation and Co-destruction in Tourism Development'

  • Guest Editor for the Event Management Journal special issue 'Revisiting Value Co-creation and Co-destruction in Events'

  • Guest Editor for the Event Management Journal special issue 'Events in a Changing World'

  • Guest Editor for the Hospitality & Society Journal special issue 'Hospitality in a Changing World'

  • Guest Editor for the Event Management Journal special issue 'Event Experiences'

  • Guest Editor for the Journal of Tourism Futures special issue ‘Accessible Tourism Futures’

  • Member of the Editorial Board of Annals of Tourism Research

  • Member of the Editorial Board of Event Management Journal

  • Member of the Editorial Board of Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism

  • Member of the Editorial Board of Research in Hospitality Management

  • Member of the Editorial Board of Int. J. of Hospitality and Event Management

  • Member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Tourism Futures

  • Member of the Editorial Board of Academic Research Community Archive (ARChive)

  • Member of the Editorial Review Board of International Journal of Business and Management

  • Member of the Editorial Review Board of Tourism Review Journal

  • Member of the Editorial Review Board of e-Review of Tourism Research (e-RTR)

  • Member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management (JHTM)

  • Member of the Editorial Board of International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (IJCHM)

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Scientific Committees and Reviews

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- Journals

  • Reviewer for Journal  Tourism Management

  • Reviewer for Journal Annals of Tourism Research

  • Reviewer for Journal e-Review of Tourism Research (e-RTR)

  • Reviewer for European Journal of Information Systems

  • Reviewer for Journal Tourism Management Perspectives

  • Reviewer for International Journal of Business and Management

  • Reviewer for Journal of Business and Hotel Management

  • Reviewer for International Journal of Tourism Cities

  • Reviewer for Journal Current Issues in Tourism

  • Reviewer for Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management (JHMM)

  • Reviewer for International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 

  • Reviewer for International Journal of Hospitality and Event Management (IJHEM)

  • Reviewer for Special edition of World Leisure Journal on Leisure, Health and Disability

  • Reviewer for Journal of Tourism Futures

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- Conferences

  • Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism, ENTER

  • Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research (ATLAS)

  • The hospitality and Tourism Educators (EUROCHRIE)

  • Tourism, Hospitality and Events International Conference (THEINC)

  • Tourism Naturally Conference (TNC)

  • 2023 International Conference on Management, Tourism an Technologies (ICMTT´23), Bogotá, Colombia

  • 26th Biennial International Congress (THI 2022) Tourism & Hospitality Industry –Trends and Challenges“, Croatia

  • International Conference  “Sustainable Business Practices in a VUCA World”, 2022 at Rabat Business School, Morocco

  • International Summit: Shifting gears in tourism and hospitality in a time of crisis, Sri Lanka

  • International Conference on Smart, Social and Accessible Tourism (SSAT), University of Aveiro, Portugal

  • International Conference on 'Contemporary challenges of tourism and recreation', Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland

  • Thailand International College Consortium International Conference

  • International Augmented and Virtual Reality Conference

  • International Conference on Social Media Technologies, Communication, and Informatics (SOTICS)

  • International Research Symposium in Tourism, Hospitality & Events, University of Sunderland

  • Research Conference on Cultural Sustainable Tourism Scientific Committee, organised by Institute for Research Enrichment (IEREK)

  • International Association of Cultural and Digital Tourism (IACuDiT)

  • Association of Events Management Education forum (AEME)

  • International Management Research Academy (IMRA)

  • Kos International Conference, Tourism as a Tool for Sustainable Growth

  • Conference of Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME)

  • European Conference of Information Systems (ECIS)

 

- Books

  • Reviewer of book proposals for CABI publications

  • Reviewer of book proposals for Springer publications

  • Reviewer of book proposals for Palgrave publications

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- Research Proposals

  • Appointment as an expert reviewer for the Cyprus National Funding Agency Research Promotion Foundation (RPF) for research and innovation activities of the RESTART 2016-2020 Programmes for Research, Technological Development and Innovation

  • Appointment as an expert reviewer for scientific quality with the purpose of establishing scientific centres of excellence in the Republic of Croatia, by Agency for Science and Higher Education of Croatia

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Recent Projects

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Project name: Marketing Report for the Sierra Leone Tourism Board

2021:  Sierra Leone Tourism Board

Funder: Africa Oracle and Sierra Leone Tourism Board

Duties / Responsibilities: Develop a strategic marketing plan for the Sierra Leone Tourism Board and: determine what types of tourism is appropriate in Sierra Leone based on its tourism products / assets; determine Sierra Leone’s proposition for the (potential) tourist; examine its strategic competitive positioning (i.e. conduct analysis of the current position in relation to its competitors in the West Africa, the sub-region); design marketing strategies and promotional activities for domestic and specific international markets (UK and USA)

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Project name: Marketing Report for the Tanzania Tourism Board

2017:  Tanzania Tourism Board

Funder: Africa Oracle and Tanzania Tourism Board

Duties / Responsibilities: Develop a strategic marketing plan for the Tanzania Tourism Board focusing the UK as a feeder market. The report included market trend analysis and visitor profiling, review of the current product offer and suggestion for product development, and travel trade outreach and engagement activities.

Deliverables:

 

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Project name: Wellness Tourism 2.0

2016:  Wellness Tourism Initiative

Funder: Global Wellness Institute

Duties / Responsibilities: Contributed to a wellness tourism think tank on creating and promoting wellness tourism destinations. Findings of the project focused on the importance of appropriate infrastructure to enable wellness activities. More than location, resources (natural as well as man-made), are critical to create, develop and promote wellness packages. Common denominators or push factors for wellness (including stress and health issues) were identified for destinations to assist them design experiences that address particular needs for wellness related experiences (i.e running away from crowded urban areas for solitude and mindfulness).

Deliverables:

 

 

Project name: Wellness Tourism for Destinations

2015:  Wellness Tourism Initiative

Funder: Global Wellness Institute

Duties / Responsibilities: Contributed to a wellness tourism think tank on creating wellness tourism destinations. The research engaged senior professionals from the tourism industry as well as destination management organisations to explore incorporating wellness culture into destination strategies. Key themes that emerged included data management and consolidation, investment priorities and cultural capital.

Deliverables:

 

 

Project name: Wellness Tourism Roundtable

2015:  Wellness Tourism Initiative

Funder: Global Wellness Institute

Duties / Responsibilities: Lead the project and planned, organised and delivered a think tank on wellness tourism to explore the shifting dynamics in health and wellness industry. The focus of the research was to identify key factors responsible for changing consumer demands for wellness travel in the UK. 

Deliverables:

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Member of Academic Boards

 

- External

  • 2024, External Examiner for the validation event of the MSc International Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management programme for University of Hertfordshire.

  • 2023, Member of the Scientific Committee for International Conference on Management, Tourism an Technologies (ICMTT´23), Bogotá, Colombia

  • 2022, Head of the Scientific Committee, Tourism, Hospitality and Events International Conference (THEINC) ‘Tourism, Hospitality and Events: Innovation and Resilience during Uncertainty’

  • 2022, Member of the Scientific Committee for Tourism Naturally Conference (TNC), "Protected Areas, Tourism and a Changing World", Colorado, USA

  • 2022, Member of the Scientific Committee,  International Conference  “Sustainable Business Practices in a VUCA World”, Rabat Business School, Morocco

  • 2021, Member of the Greek National Evaluation Committee for academic appointments

  • 2021, Member of the Scientific Committee, IV International Conference on 'Contemporary challenges of tourism and recreation', Adam Mickiewicz University in PoznaÅ„, Poland

  • 2021, Member of the Scientific Committee, International Conference on Smart, Social and Accessible Tourism (SSAT), University of Aveiro, Portugal

  • 2021, Member of the Scientific Committee for the International Summit: Shifting gears in tourism and hospitality in a time of crisis, Sri Lanka.

  • 2021-now, Elected Member of the Executive Board of the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME)

  • 2021-2025, External Examiner for National University of Ireland (NUI Galway), BBS International Hotel Management and Bachelor of Commerce in International Hotel Management.

  • 2020, Head of the Scientific Committee, Tourism, Hospitality and Events International Conference (THEINC) ‘Revisiting value c-creation and co-destruction in Tourism Hospitality and Events’

  • 2020-2021, Member of the Scientific Committee, SOTICS, The International Conference on Social Media Technologies, Communication, and Informatics

  • 2019, Member of the Scientific Committee, special interest group (SIG) Space, Place, Mobilities in Tourism, of the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research (ATLAS) Conference.

  • 2019, Member of the Scientific Committee for Tourism Naturally Conference (TNC), "Tourism, Transformational Experiences, Wellbeing and Sustainability in and around Protected Areas"

  • 2018, Member of the Scientific Committee, Tourism, Hospitality and Events International Conference (THEINC) “Tourism, Hospitality & Events in a Changing World"

  • 2018, Member of the Scientific Committee, Research Symposium "Tourism Hospitality & Events: Contemporary Issues and Future Scenarios"

  • 2018, Member of the Scientific Committee for Tourism Naturally Conference (TNC), "Nature based Tourism, Health & Well-being"

  • 2017-2022, External Examiner for Liverpool John Moores University, (BA (Hons) Business Studies

  • 2017-2021, External Examiner for University of Northampton (MSc International Special Events and MA International Hotel Management)

  • 2017, Member of the Scientific Committee, Research Symposium in Tourism Hospitality & Events "Dismantling Borders & Inter-connections"

  • 2017, Appointment as an expert reviewer for the Cyprus National Funding Agency Research Promotion Foundation (RPF) for research and innovation activities of the RESTART 2016-2020 Programmes for Research, Technological Development and Innovation

  • 2017, Member of the Scientific Committee, Research Conference on Cultural Sustainable Tourism, organised by Institute for Research Enrichment (IEREK)

  • 2016, Member of the Scientific Committee, International Association of Cultural and Digital Tourism (IACuDiT)

  • 2016, Member of the Scientific Committee for Tourism Naturally Conference (TNC), "Tourism, Wellbeing and Sustainability"

  • 2015, Member of the Scientific Committee, Kos International Conference, Tourism as a Tool for Sustainable Growth

  • 2014-2018, External Examiner for BU International College, (Tourism, Hospitality & Business Management)

  • 2013, External Member of Validation Panel, MA Travel Communication, University of West London

  • 2013-17, External Examiner for Teeside University (Travel & Tourism Management)

  • 2013, Appointment as an expert reviewer for scientific quality with the purpose of establishing scientific centres of excellence in the Republic of Croatia, by Agency for Science and Higher Education of Croatia

  • 2005-present, Member of the Scientific Committee for Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism (ENTER Conferences)  

 

- Internal

  • 2019-to date, University Professoriate Council, University of Derby

  • 2015-to date, College Research Committee, College of Business, University of Derby

  • 2012-2015, Academic Staff Appointment Board: L/SL in Hospitality Management,  L/SL in Culinary Arts Management, L/SL in Events Management, L/SL Tourism Management

  • 2012-2016, Admissions Committee for UG and PG for THES area, University of Derby

  • 2012-2019, Research Ethics Committee, University of Derby

  • 2011, Curriculum Reformation Board, University of Derby

  • 2011, Faculty Staff Development Board, University of Derby

  • 2010-2019, Research Degree Committee, University of Derby

  • 2010-2019, Faculty Research Board, University of Derby

  • 2010-2014, Learning, Teaching & Assessment Board, University of Derby

 

 

Invited Speeches/External Recognition

 

  • Invited panellist on ‘Accessible Tourism Theory and Practice: Engaging with Industry’ at the Northern Tourism Academics Network (NTAN) event at Liverpool John Moores University on Jan, 2024

  • Invited panellist at ‘Mental Health, Happiness and Travel and Tourism’ of the tourism webinar series, Dec 2022

  • Invited panellist at the ‘Editors’ Corner’ session, organised by University of Sunderland, Nov 2022

  • Invited Jury Member for the World Spa Contest, December 2022, Turkey

  • Keynote speaker at 5th Tourism Conference, 2022: “Northern Greece: A year-round destination” May 2022, Greece 

  • Invited presentation on ‘Writing for publication’ at research seminar series of the University of Eastern Finland Business School, May 2022

  • UK Parliament 2022 (Committees: Reimagining where we live: cultural placemaking and the levelling up agenda) used my research to provide evidence for developing #senseofplace and #placemaking through #technology digital #storytelling and #events, and publicised my proposal

  • UK Parliament 2022 (Committees: Promoting Britain abroad) used my research to provide evidence for developing #accessible and #heritage #tourism in the  UK, and publicised my proposal

  • Keynote speaker at 7th FsCongress International Conference on Excellence in Marketing & Tourism Management (ICEMTM) 2022, Turkey, January 2022 (Virtual Conference)

  • Keynote speaker at Tourism Naturally  Conference, 'Considerations on Wellness Tourism', Deggendorf, Germany, 2021

  • Keynote speaker at 2nd World Congress of Thermal Medicine Academy event 'The contribution of thermal medicine to public health' on 'Wellness Experiences in the UK', 2021

  • Invited panellist on ‘ORIZONTES 5: Digital tools and SMART technology’, 2021

  • Invited panellist for the CHME PhD Colloquium, Sheffield Hallam, UK, 2021

  • External Assessor for REF UOA24 for University of Sunderland, UK, 2020

  • Keynote speaker at Future of Wellness event on 'Publishing in Spa and Wellness areas' online, 2020​

  • Keynote speaker at International Robotics Festival on ‘Tourism for all: accessibility as market and technology challenge’ (organised by University of Pisa and  Istituto di Management, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna), Pisa, Italy, 2018​

  • Guest lecture on ‘Problem solving and 'firefighting' at Mega Events’ at University of Sunderland, UK, 2018

  • Public presentation on 'Understanding Wellness Markets: The death of segmentation?', organised by Global Wellness Institute (GWI) , at World Travel Market (WTM), November 2017 

  • Guest lecture on ‘Planning and Operations at Mega Events’ at University of Sunderland, UK, 2017

  • Founding Member of the Wellness Tourism Initiative – Global Wellness Institute

  • Invited panellist on a public panel on 'Creating a winning wellness strategy for your destination', organised by Global Wellness Institute (GWI) , at World Travel Market (WTM), November, 2016 

  • Invited panellist on a public panel on 'Wellness Tourism 2.0: How To Make A Destination Successful By Incorporating Wellness', organised by Global Wellness Institute (GWI), at Global Wellness Summit, Kitzbuhel Austria, October, 2016

  • Guest lecture on ‘eTourism Developments’ at University of West London (UWL), UK, 2016

  • Keynote speaker at ‘Unlocking the potential of accessible and inclusive tourism’ event (organised by Isle Access), on ‘Fundamentals of Accessible Tourism Development’ , Isle of Wight, March, 2016

  • Keynote speaker at Visit Isle of Wight Tourism Conference, (organised by the VIOW and IW Chamber of Commerce, approx. 280 attendees), ‘Accessible Destination Development’, Isle of Wight, March, 2016

  • Guest lecture on ‘Digital Destinations’ at Bournemouth University, UK, 2016

  • Invited panellist on a public panel on 'Attracting High Yield Travelers Via Wellness Tourism', organised by Global Wellness Institute (GWI) (attended by approx.400), at World Travel Market (WTM) Platinum Stage, November, 2015

  • Invited contributor for a closed-doors Round Table ‘The State of Wellness Tourism in the World Today’ organised by Global Wellness Institute (GWI) at World Travel Market (WTM), November, 2015

  • Invited contributor for Round Table event on the topic of ‘Wellness: Shifting Dynamics, Response over Function’ organised by Global Wellness Institute (GWI) hosted by UDB on October, 2015

  • Keynote speaker at EUROPEAN FORUM OF TOURISM FOR ALL (organized by ISTO - International Social Tourism Organization and INATEL), on "Digital Strategies for Destinations" Algarve, Portugal, 22-23rd October, 2015.

  • Invited presentation on "Quantitative Data Analysis", at Leeds Metropolitan University, School of Events Tourism and Hospitality, UK, 2015

  • Invited presentation on "Website Usability Guidelines", at University of Bedfordshire, Business School, UK, 2015

  • Invited presentation on "Using mixed-method research designs", at Leeds Metropolitan University, School of Events Tourism and Hospitality, UK, 2014

  • Guest lecture on "Accessible Tourism" at Public Lecture Series at Buxton, UK, 2014

  • External examiner for Bournemouth University (Tourism & Hospitality Management), 2014-2018

  • External examiner for Teeside University (Travel & Tourism Management), 2013-2017

  • Appointment as an expert reviewer for scientific quality with the purpose of establishing scientific centres of excellence in the Republic of Croatia, by the Agency for Science and Higher Education of Croatia, 2013

  • Invited presentation on Accessible Tourism and Social Media for the ESRC Event on Social Media: ‘Make or break your reputation’, at Bournemouth University, UK, 2013

  • External examiner for the validation event of a new MA Tourism Communications programme at University of West London, 2013

  • Invited presentation on "Accessible Tourism" at Leeds Metropolitan University, School of Events Tourism and Hospitality, UK, 2013

  • Invited presentation on "Tourism for all and Inclusive Design Principles" at University of Northampton, Business School, UK, 2012

  • Invited presentation on "Technology acceptance of accessible tourism information systems", at University of Bournemouth, Business School, UK, 2011

  • Invited presentation on "Evaluating users information needs for tourism systems", at University of Bournemouth, Tourism School, UK, 2011

  • Invited presentation on "Addressing Disabled User Requirements: A Destination Perspective" for Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism, at ENTER 2010, 10th - 12th of February, Lugano, Switzerland, 2010

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