Tourism Research Centre Blog

Meet the Tourism, Hospitality and Events Industry Advisory Board – Kim Kjaerside

My introduction to Edinburgh Napier University began in 2013, when several industry colleagues enrolled in the newly launched Destination Leadership Programme (DLP). Designed to strengthen leadership within Scotland’s tourism sector, the programme quickly gained a reputation for offering both high-quality content and valuable professional networks. At the time, I had been living in Scotland for eight years and spent over a decade working across hospitality and tourism in the UK, most recently with Apex Hotels. Networking was central to my role, and I soon noticed how many of my peers participating in the DLP were emerging leaders from across Scotland’s tourism landscape. Their enthusiasm for the programme—and the opportunities it created to collaborate, learn, and engage with destinations in new ways—made a lasting impression.

This interest grew alongside my involvement with destination management organisations (DMOs) through my role at Apex. In 2015, I became part of a collaboration of six Scottish content creators who founded Scotland’s first independent travel-blogging collective, The Scotlanders. In our spare time we partnered with DMOs including Visit East Lothian, Visit Fife, Dundee, the Outer Hebrides, and others, while also contributing guest articles to publications such as The Scots Magazine. These experiences deepened my connection to local destinations and broadened my understanding of Scotland’s diverse tourism offering.

By 2017, I moved into a role at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre while continuing occasional campaigns with The Scotlanders. The DLP had already established a strong alumni community, and its graduates were contributing to a wide range of successful initiatives across the sector. Despite my long-held interest, I had never had the opportunity to join the programme myself.

That changed in 2021. I was then working for a local Edinburgh attraction as the tourism and hospitality sector faced unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our DLP cohort met online due to restrictions, but this format unexpectedly expanded the experience: participants from across Scotland were able to join more easily, and guest speakers from as far as Australia and the United States brought valuable international perspectives.

When we completed the programme in May 2022, it had significantly enriched my understanding of place-based tourism and reinforced the importance of community involvement in shaping destination strategies. I was proud to join the DLP alumni community and now contribute further by supporting Edinburgh Napier University’s Tourism, Hospitality and Events Industry Advisory Board.

Since completing the course, I have moved into a role with the global online travel agent Expedia Group, where destination engagement continues to be central to my work. In 2023, I also joined the board of trustees at the Scottish Seabird Centre, allowing me to bring together my commitment to improving responsible tourism and my passion for protecting Scotland’s marine environment. By championing nature‑positive travel, I hope to help strengthen the Centre’s work in safeguarding coastal ecosystems and inspiring visitors to play an active role in protecting our seabirds and wider marine environment.

Over the past 13 years, I have had the privilege of getting to know many of the University’s academic and professional staff through industry events and collaborative initiatives. It is a pleasure to support Edinburgh Napier University’s efforts to develop the next generation of tourism, hospitality, and events leaders.

“Attending the Host City Conference 2025 in Glasgow was a valuable learning experience”

Attending the Host City Conference 2025 in Glasgow was a valuable learning experience as third-year Festival and Event students at Edinburgh Napier University. The conference provided us with the opportunity to apply what we had learned in our course to real-life examples and expand our professional network within the events sector.

The Host City Conference brings together professionals from across the global events industry, including sporting, cultural, and major international events. Speakers represented backgrounds from host cities, event organisations and governing bodies. Through a series of panel discussions, the conference explored key themes such as event legacy, impact, and the future direction of the events industry. These discussions offered valuable insight into the complexity of event planning and delivery at a large scale.

An element and recurring topic that stood out to us was the evolving role of host cities within the event planning process. Rather than being solely venues for events, host cities are now increasingly involved in strategic planning and decision-making. A strong emphasis was placed on ensuring that host cities benefit meaningfully from events, particularly in terms of economic, social, and cultural legacy. This shift highlighted the importance of collaboration between organisers, stakeholders, and local communities.

Another important theme at the conference was the increasing focus on sustainable practices and inclusive planning, which closely reflected the topics we have studied at Napier. A few examples of panel discussions include sustainable catering practices and alternative sustainable public transport routes for event goers. This helped us connect our theoretical knowledge with real-world practice. Concepts from our lectures became much clearer when we heard practical examples from industry professionals. The conference also highlighted how the events landscape continues to evolve.

It was inspiring to be surrounded by professionals who are passionate and involved in delivering major, well-known events. The opportunity to speak with them during coffee and lunch breaks was particularly insightful, as it provided an informed perspective into the range of career paths available within the events industry. Hearing accomplished individuals share their career journeys and experiences made it clear that building strong professional relationships is one of the most important aspects of working in this sector.

Attending the conference has been an inspiring and motivating experience for us as students. It allowed us to think about our future careers in the events industry and how we can positively contribute to event planning and execution with sustainability, inclusivity and legacy.

We would like to extend our thanks to Ben Avison and Host City 2025 for the generous opportunity and to Dr David Jarman for encouraging students to attend such insightful events by presenting and facilitating experiences such as this.

For Host City 2025 Highlights watch this video: https://youtu.be/TG0Nay2U5SY

Written by Anna Kjærulff Dal & Maya Takagi-Vlahek, BA(Hons) International Festival and Event Management, third year students

Postgraduate Student Dissertations – Meet Ryan MSc International Festival & Event Management

An Investigation into Social Capital Generated or Impacted by Transformational Festivals

My dissertation studies the relationship between Social Capital (the ties between individuals and within social networks and the trustworthiness and reciprocity that is generated amongst the group as a result) and Transformational Festivals (typically week-long festivals in harsh or challenging environments with an emphasis on co-creation and ritualisation), expanding on previous festival and events literature and deploying a sociological lens within the field of Transformational Festivals. The Research utilised 11 semi-structured interviews over 4 time-zones and thematic analysis to identify and analyse recurring themes. Key findings were a high prevalence of Social Capital building at Transformational Festivals by most respondents, and a belief that powerful connections were built more rapidly than elsewhere. However, there was the understanding that these bonds were often temporal and not likely to expand beyond the festival perimeter, whereas occasionally bonds were not built at all, particularly when attending within a group with pre-defined social dynamics. Although these festivals are typically geared towards to collective experiences, the study found higher than expected levels of individual Social Capital. Finally, interviewees tended to agree that Transformational Festival attendance leads to societal advancement, yet the source of these improvements was disputed with more respondents believing them to be the result of transformational experiences and personal growth, rather than the building of community or social ties, again alluding to the individual dimension.

Read the full dissertation from Ryan Webster, MSc International Festival & Event Management

33rd Nordic Symposium on Tourism and Hospitality Research

From the 17^th-19^th September, I had the pleasure of attending the 33^rd Nordic Symposium on Tourism and Hospitality, hosted by the Centre for Regional and Tourism Research (CRT) on the island of Bornholm, Denmark, under the theme “The transformative power and potential of tourism”. The Nordic Society for Tourism and Hospitality Research (Northors), who organise the annual Nordic symposium, provides a platform for the development of hospitality and tourism in Nordic countries- Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland, and surrounding areas in a European and global context.

I presented findings from a public engagement activity on how making souvenirs at the destination can support visitor environmental education, with Drs. Xinguyu (Chloe) Tao and Sam Vettese from the School of Design at Edinburgh Napier University. I presented a second paper titled seeking public value in the licensing of Edinburgh’s short term lets from my interdisciplinary work with Dr. Janice McMillan, Human Resource Management Group, at Edinburgh Napier University. Both papers were very well received and led to some very engaging conversations about what we truly value in tourism and its transformative potential for destinations, businesses, visitors and individuals. I was able to reconnect with researchers from Denmark and make new connections with participants from Finland, Norway and Scotland!

The island setting was significant for the conference – Anders Wiberg, director of destination Bornholm Forside – Destination Bornholm ApS – vi arbejder for turismen) discussed how the island has positioned itself as a year-round destination for visitors, capitalising on nature, music and the island’s reputation as Denmark’s leading gastronomy destination.

The Green Solution House Hotel (GSH) which was the conference venue, is a global pioneer of sustainable hotel operations and design, named by The Guardian (UK) as one of the most sustainable hotels in Europe in 2021.

One of our evening activities involved setting on an island food tour, where we were lucky to sample locally produced drinks and participate in an interactive session with local entrepreneurs on the future of Bornholm as a food destination.

Additionally, Bornholm is a Maker’s Island. It has a vibrant arts and craft scene and is the first place in Europe and first island in the world to be designated World Craft Region, for producing unique handicrafts.

Edinburgh Napier Visiting Professor, Greg Richards, provided one of the keynote presentations entitled (Transforming Culture In the Curated Countryside) as part of the CROCUS project (www.crocus.europe.eu) around the transformation of tourism and experiences in rural areas through the transfer of gentrification processes usually associated with urban development. Another highlight of the conference was the panel conversation “Enough with the rhetoric: How can we effectively work with tourism’s growth and challenges in the years to come? considered how the work academics can inform broader discussions around the value of tourism and tourism policy priorities.

During the gala dinner, we enjoyed local folklore and storytelling accompanied by traditional Danish bagpipe music. The similarity to Scottish bagpipes was hard to miss and much of the island setting, pride in local food, heritage and cultural tradition, also served to remind us, how tourism can transform places and people if managed thoughtfully and with the local community at the driving seat.

Written by Professor Constantia Anastasiadou

Postgraduate Student Dissertations – Meet Sanjana MSc International Heritage & Cultural Tourism Management

Bridging Nature and Culture in the Western Ghats: Rethinking Mixed Heritage Management

The Western Ghats in India, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, represent a rare case where natural and cultural values overlap. My dissertation examined how these “mixed heritage” landscapes are managed, highlighting the tensions between international conservation frameworks and local traditions of stewardship.

Through interviews with government officials, conservationists, tourism operators, journalists, and community members, I explored different perceptions of the relationship between nature and culture. The findings revealed a disconnect between top-down policies—often rooted in Western conservation thought—and the lived realities of local communities, who view nature and culture as inseparable.

This gap creates challenges in governance, sustainable tourism, and conservation practice. Yet it also opens opportunities: by integrating local voices and indigenous knowledge systems into management strategies, heritage sites like the Western Ghats can move toward more inclusive and resilient futures.
The study contributes to global debates on sustainable heritage management, while offering practical recommendations for India’s conservation and tourism sectors. By rethinking how we bridge global frameworks with local perspectives, mixed heritage sites can be safeguarded not only as ecological treasures but also as living cultural landscapes.

Read the full dissertation by Sanjana Simha Chennarayapatna Umesha, MSc International Heritage & Cultural Tourism Management

Meet the Visiting Professor – Dr Greg Richards

Travel is part of my DNA. I started travelling at a time when Brits still looked at you strangely if you had a suntan. As tourism became a mass phenomenon, I also took full advantage, travelling around Europe and kicking off my career as a research assistant on a PhD project with Chris Devereaux in the Algarve. I went on to work in the industry with my father, who had worked in airlines and hotels, and had set up a tourism research and marketing consultancy (TRAM), which I am still running today.

I was also lucky enough to start my academic career at a time when the EU was beginning to support Erasmus exchanges. That allowed me to meet lots of researchers from different countries and backgrounds, which eventually took me to the Netherlands to work at Tilburg University. In those days, teaching was still in Dutch, so of course I had to learn the language as well. That was my gateway into the culture, and an important basis for learning other languages later on. I set up the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research (ATLAS), which generated yet more international contacts. ATLAS also brought me in touch with Napier, who has been a key member of the network for almost 20 years now. Napier staff were active participants in the ATLAS Cultural Tourism Research Project, and it was cultural tourism that took me to Spain in 2003, with a Marie Curie Post-Doc on festivals in Catalunya. I worked at the Interarts Foundation in Barcelona for a few years and also moved TRAM to Spain.

Coming back to the Netherlands a few years later, I had more contact with Napier, via events research. As my work developed around ‘eventful cities’, Edinburgh became a natural focus for collaboration. From Breda University, we sent groups of students (178 in 2012!) to Edinburgh, where they were ably hosted by Napier staff. The events’ connection with Napier continued through the ATLAS Events Special Interest Group, for which Napier organised a meeting in 2020. Unfortunately, this was during Covid, so I didn’t actually get to Edinburgh! But I did supervise David Jarman’s PhD thesis on Social network analysis and festival relationships together with Jane Ali-Knight. One thing I love about being linked to Napier is catching up with other old friends. These include fellow Visiting Professor Brian King on many research projects over the years, Angela Chu, who worked with Brian and I on cultural tourism and placemaking in the Greater Bay Area of China, and Afiya Holder, who I collaborated with at the UNWTO.

Written by: Professor Greg Richards

44th International Society of Travel & Tourism Educators (ISTTE) annual conference, “Tailored experiences: The future of hospitality and tourism industry and education” Recap

The 44^th Annual Conference of the International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators (ISTTE) was held from October 22-24, 2025, at The Business School at Edinburgh Napier University. The event was in-person; there was no virtual component. This delivery modality allowed 46 registered participants worldwide to connect and share research and best practices in travel and tourism education.

The theme for the two-and-a-half-day conference was “Tailored Experiences: The Future of Hospitality and Tourism Industry and Education.” The conference featured a range of engaging sessions and events. To open the conference, attendees networked at a welcoming reception and facilitated group dinners nightly throughout Edinburgh. The following day began with welcoming remarks from the host institution’s leadership, Deputy Dean Paul Barron and ISTTE President Nicholas Thomas, followed by a keynote session by Dr. Gary Kerr (Atlantic Technological University), who provided insights into creativity and innovation in tourism and events education. Day two ended with an engaging special feature session with JTTT providing a practical guide for authors, reviewers, and academic contributors. The final day provided a unique backdrop overlooking Arthur’s Seat with engaging presentations from keynote Murat Kizildag (University of Central Florida), who discussed a financial dotplot of investing in experiences, as well as a special feature session with Timothy Flohr (University of Memphis), who provided a strategic approach to realigning industry and academia.

The program included 22 stand-up presentations covering a variety of pedagogical topics as well as five workshops designed to enhance participant knowledge across other topics relevant to our membership. All presentations were face-to-face, and this modality will continue until further notice

A unique feature of the ISTTE conference is its attendee workshops. This year, participants were able to participate in engaging workshops related to, among other things: (a) expanding access to the industry, (b) flipped and experiential classrooms, (c) team-based learning approaches, (d) designing ELITE experiences for career-ready graduates, and (e) post-graduate students and sustainability.

The conference recognized several outstanding contributions to advancing the goals of ISTTE. Kara Wolfe (Missouri State University) won the Martin Oppermann Lifetime Achievement Award, and Edmund Goh (Les Roches) won the Heidi Sung Achievement Award. Additionally, Les Roches received the Institutional Achievement Award. Two deserving students were presented with scholarships to support student educational endeavors: graduate student Nikol Lopez Llantuy from Iowa State University and undergraduate student Liraysa Ponson from Breda University of Applied Sciences.

The Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism (JTTT) 2024 Best Paper Award went to Drs. Feri Ferdian, (Universitas Negeri Pedang), Mohd Salehuddin Mohd Zahari, Mohd Onn Rashdi Abd Fatah, Zuraini Mat Issa, and Mohd Hafiz Hanafiah (Universiti Teknologi MARA) for their paper entitled “Investigating the Effectiveness of Conventional Hosptality Education Curriculum in Shaping Millennials’ Career Commitment: An Empirical Inquiry.” The JTTT 2024 best reviewer award went to Dr. Elizabeth Whalen (Middle Tennessee State University). The conference also featured several notable paper awards:

Best Paper: “Beyond the Plate: Cultivating Work-Life Balance in the Hospitality Industry” by Sasi Gangiah
Best Workshop Paper: “Beyond Internships: Designing ELITE Experiences for Career-Ready Graduates in Hospitality, Tourism, and Culinary Education” by Timothy Flohr and William Mullins
Best Working Paper: “Visualizing the Sequence of Service AI-Generated Flowcharts” by Sarah Belanger and Edmund Goh
Best Pecha Kucha Paper: “AI in Hospitality and Tourism: Rewriting the Customer Journey” by Annamarie Sisson, Rui Costa, Minwoo Lee, and Billy Bai

The 44^th ISTTE Conference continued the return of exclusively in-person gatherings for the travel and tourism education community. A resounding success, the conference showcased innovative research and teaching practices through insightful sessions, valuable networking opportunities, and a celebration of excellence with the awards ceremony. As always, the hallmark of an ISTTE conference, the strong sense of community, fostered a ‘family and friends’ atmosphere throughout the event. Attendees left feeling energized and inspired to continue pushing the boundaries of tourism education.

I am especially grateful for the efforts of the ISTTE Board of Directors in planning this conference. Special mention goes to Dr. Annamarie Sisson (Edinburgh Napier University) and Dr. Cora Wong (Macao Polytechnic University). Dr. Sisson tirelessly executed the logistics of hosting the conference at Edinburgh Napier University, while Dr. Cora Wong was responsible for the conference paper review process.

The 45^th annual ISTTE conference will take place in mid-October at Breda University of Applied Sciences. The theme for this year is yet to be determined. As always, travel, tourism, and hospitality educators, researchers, graduate students, and destination and industry practitioners are welcome to join us in Breda, Netherlands. We are open to a variety of contributions, including research papers, case studies, curriculum modules, teaching methods, and other original work about the theme. There will be four award categories: Best Paper, Best Working Paper or Poster, Best Case Study, and Best Workshop. Authors of exceptional papers will be invited to submit their work to the Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism. On behalf of the entire ISTTE board, I look forward to seeing you in Breda. For more details on the conference, including the Call for Papers and program information, please visit: https://istte.org/

Disclosure statement: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Written by: Dr. Annamarie Sisson (they/them), Lecturer

Postgraduate Student Dissertations – Meet Christy MSc Marketing with Festival and Event Management

Beyond the contract: Edinburgh festival fringe performers and their relationships with key stakeholders

“It becomes quite difficult to capture the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in a single sentence. With a programme that includes everything from theatre, comedy, and dance to music, cabaret, and spoken word, the options are seemingly endless. As the Edinburgh Fringe Society likes to illustrate, the festival plays host to the world’s greatest platform for creative freedom.

My dissertation examines the intricate relationships between performers and key stakeholders at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, beyond the contract. With the use of a qualitative research approach, I was able to interview an array of key festival stakeholders to critically explore how these connections influence artists’ campaigns and the overall festival experience.

The findings uncovered the strategic use of power within the festival’s social structures and highlighted a collective objective among stakeholders to enhance the creative development for visiting companies and all artists venturing to the Edinburgh Fringe. The festival should be used as an inclusive development platform as opposed to a performance space for favored or polished productions. There is immense risk involved for all contributing stakeholders across the entire ecosystem in which the most damage falls on the financial. This paper takes a valuable look into the importance of stakeholder connections for the longevity of the festival. It also provides insights for both artists and key festival stakeholders on how to leverage these vital networks that inevitably elevates the performing arts and culture escapade.”

Read the full dissertation by Christy Tukalo, MSc Marketing with Festival and Event Management

How the Edinburgh Festivals make the city a better place to live, work and play in

The World Leisure community gathered in Breda for the 18th World Leisure Congress: Leisure for a Better Society, held from August 25-28, 2025, bringing together over 400 participants and experts in the field from 40 countries. With a full program of inspiring sessions, vibrant poster presentations by emerging scholars, and the World Leisure Awards Ceremony, the event celebrated individuals and organizations driving leisure as a force for inclusion, human growth, and social transformation.

Professor Jane Ali-Knight sat on a panel discussing ‘The role of leisure in creating livable and lovable places’; participated in a WLJ Podcast and delivered one of the conferences keynote sessions titled: Fringe benefits: how the Edinburgh Festivals make the city a better place to live, work and play in. Drawing on recent research, examining Fringe Festival Networks in Perth, Adelaide and Edinburgh, Jane has been involved in with ENU colleague David Jarman and other academic collaborators from Australia, she delivered an interactive and informative presentation highlighting how the festivals contribute to the wellbeing of the city.

There is little doubt that the festivals significantly contribute to making Edinburgh a better place to live, both culturally and economically. They bring in visitors, boost local businesses, create jobs, and enhance the city’s global reputation which in turn generates soft power. The festivals also offer residents a variety of cultural experiences and contribute to their quality of life. Festivals also have a positive social impact on local communities: building community cohesion, offering positive emotions and shared connections, promoting social interaction and cultural exchange, and contributing to a general sense of wellbeing, especially in turbulent times (Yolal et al. 2016). The 2025 Edinburgh Fringe sold over 2.6m tickets featured 3,893 shows across 301 venues, and hosted performers from over 60 countries.

It is a myth that Edinburgh’s residents are anti the festivals. More residents support than oppose them with large numbers actively participating in and/or attending events. The latest study by BOP Consulting (2023), which surveyed 22,000 people – shows that the Edinburgh Festivals continue to be Scotland’s world-leading cultural brands. Recent studies show that a substantial percentage of residents believe the festivals make Edinburgh a better place to live and are ‘Loved by locals’. Around 1.5m festival attendances are local residents (that is c50% of total audience) while 89% of Edinburgh residents say that the festivals increase local pride in their home city.

Beyond direct employment, festivals play a critical role creating work and supporting many thousands of jobs for wider service businesses and local traders. The festivals alone create the full-time equivalent of 5,850 jobs in Edinburgh. This sector together with arts, entertainment, recreation and other services are significant employers in the city, accounting for 44,000 jobs between them. (Edinburgh Festival City, 2022).

Finally, festivals are playful…. one month of the year the city takes on a joyous carnival atmosphere which tens of thousands of locals join in. They are escapist and bring joy and laughter to communities, and the places in which they reside. It’s a privilege having so much world class, innovative art on our doorstep.

So, as the planning cycle begins for the 2026 festivals, amid a background of public funding cuts and drops in sponsorship revenue, rising inflation and production costs, cost-of-living challenges, and shortages of skilled labour and materials, the organisers of Edinburgh’s world leading events will have to assert the contribution of its festivals make to Edinburgh making it a better place to live. Echoing a Guardian writers’ opinion…’Cultural institutions like the fringe are about more than making money and stars. In our age of disinformation, artificial intelligence and alienation, such gatherings of people, talent and ideas are more vital than ever’ (2025).

Note: The 2025 Best Poster Award was presented to Dr. Afiya Holder for her outstanding presentation on Reimagining Leisure as a Tool for Inclusivity and Social Cohesion: The Transformative Potential of African-Caribbean-Scottish Shared Cultural Heritage Tourism.

Written by Dr Jane Ali-Knight

Undergraduate Student Dissertations – Meet Natasha BA (Hons) International Business Management

Culture shocks encountered by Spanish expatriates in UK Hotels: Adapting to British working culture

“My dissertation explores the culture shocks experienced by Spanish expatriates working in UK hotels, focusing on how they adapt to British workplace culture. This research is fundamental as the hospitality industry heavily relies on international staff, particularly in the hotel industry. Understanding these cultural dynamics can improve employee integration, satisfaction, and retention. The findings offer practical insights for HR teams and hotel managers to create an inclusive and supportive work environment in a multicultural setting, in addition to providing Spanish expatriates planning to work or currently working in a British hotel with information regarding the cultural differences they may experience and how best to navigate them. Through qualitative interviews, key differences between British and Spanish working culture in the hotel industry were identified, including communication barriers, differences in management styles, and contrasting attitudes towards hierarchy and formality. This research also contributes to the understanding of different methods hotels may use to support Spanish expatriates in adjusting to their new work environment.”

Read the full dissertation by Natasha Anderson, BA (Hons) International Business Management