Crisis Response and Recovery: Nature-Based Tourism, Biodiversity, and Livelihoods

Jim Sano is the World Wildlife Fund’s Vice President for Conservation Travel. He directs WWF’s community-based conservation travel programs and serves as technical lead for WWF’s partnerships with private sector travel companies. Jim was formerly President of Geographic Expeditions, a San Francisco-based adventure travel company, and served as a National Park Service ranger in Yosemite National Park.

Dr. Bricker is a Professor and Director, Hainan – ASU Joint Tourism College (HAITC). 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. She has authored and edited books on sustainability, which highlight case studies in tourism meeting environmental and societal issues.

Urvashi Narain is a lead economist in the World Bank’s Environment, Natural Resources, and Blue Economy global practice, with over 20 years’ experience on issues at the intersection of environment and development policy. Her areas of expertise span from air pollution management, and watershed management, to nature-based tourism. Until recently she led the Nature-based Tourism Community at the World Bank, and currently leads the Environmental Economics Community, a group of 40 environmental economists at the World Bank. She has published widely in peer-reviewed journals including Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Environmental and Resource Economics, and Land Economics.

Dr. Miller is a global tourism and conservation leader committed to people, planet, and prosperity, joining CREST as Executive Director in 2019. Future of Tourism Coalition co-founder, with 25+ years as VP at The Nature Conservancy, President at American Hiking Society, and environmental advisor for USAID. Recognized by the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard as a leader in climate change projects, experienced across a broad spectrum of tourism’s economic, social, cultural, and environmental challenges.

Susan Snyman, PhD, is the Director of Research at the African Leadership University’s School of Wildlife Conservation, leading on a wildlife economy project across Africa. Previously, Sue worked for Wilderness Safaris, a private sector ecotourism operator, for 10 years in various roles. She is vice-chair of the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist (TAPAS) Group and Coordinator of the Communities & Heritage Working Group in TAPAS. She recently managed the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme for IUCN in 24 countries in Africa. Her overall research and work focus is on promoting sustainable, diversified wildlife economies in Africa and encouraging investment in conservation and related wildlife economy activities.

Derek de la Harpe has over 40 years’ experience working in southern and East Africa, with additional, brief work stints in south-east Asia and central America. He plays a vital role in driving strategy for the Wilderness Group as its Head of Risk Management and Commercial Director, with further responsibility for Legal and Sustainability. Derek’s current focus remains on overseeing the legal, risk, and insurance for the Group, driving its core focus on sustainability and non-profit partners, as well as playing a vital role in Wilderness Safaris’ Botswana business. 

Dr. Bricker is a Professor and Director, Hainan – ASU Joint Tourism College (HAITC). 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. She has authored and edited books on sustainability, which highlight case studies in tourism meeting environmental and societal issues.

Dr. Miller is a global tourism and conservation leader committed to people, planet, and prosperity, joining CREST as Executive Director in 2019. Future of Tourism Coalition co-founder, with 25+ years as VP at The Nature Conservancy, President at American Hiking Society, and environmental advisor for USAID. Recognized by the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard as a leader in climate change projects, experienced across a broad spectrum of tourism’s economic, social, cultural, and environmental challenges.

Jyoti Hosagrahar is Deputy Director for the World Heritage Centre at UNESCO. Among other responsibilities, she leads the implementation of the Historic Urban Landscape Recommendation, the Cities Programme, policies for cultural and natural heritage for the 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda, the Earthen Architecture Program, and the World Heritage Fund as well as the development and implementation of Thematic Indicators for Culture in the Sustainable Development Goals across the Culture Sector. From May 2016-November 2018, she served as Director of the Division for Creativity at UNESCO.

Dr. Manuel Woltering studied economic geography in Germany at the University of Munich and afterwards completed his PhD at the University of Würzburg in 2011. Since then he has been working there as a scientific assistant with a research focus on tourism and regional development and a special interest on protected areas in Central Europe.

Cathy Cullinane Thomas is an economist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Cathy works with land management agencies to conduct surveys, collect data, and build models to examine how public lands and natural resource use, policies, and investments affect regional economies and livelihoods. She is the lead modeler for the U.S. National Park Service Visitor Spending Effects model. Cathy was excited and honored to participate in the development of Visitors Count! 

Dr. Thiago Beraldo Souza is the Coordinator of the Economics Working Group of the Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS/IUCN). Thiago has a PhD in Ecology from the University of Florida, USA where he adapted the methodology Money Generation Model (MGM2) to measure economic impacts of tourism in protected areas of Brazil and other developing countries (Tourism Economic Model for Protected Areas – TEMPA). Dr. Souza is one of the authors of the new TAPAS guideline – Visitors Count!

Liisa Kajala is a senior advisor in Metsähallitus, Parks & Wildlife Finland. She works on monitoring and management of sustainable outdoor recreation and tourism in state-owned protected areas. Her special interests include developing visitor monitoring methodology thereby making visitor information and benefits of nature-based solutions on human well-being widely available, accessible, and efficiently used by managers, decision-makers, and the general public.

Jan Philipp Schägner is an environmental economist working at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. He has more than 10 years of experience in the assessment, mapping, modeling, and valuation of ecosystem services. A central focus of his research are recreational services and nature tourism, as well as the question of how the value of such services emanates from the spatial interactions of human, social, build, and natural capital. 

Susan Snyman, PhD, is the Director of Research at the African Leadership University’s School of Wildlife Conservation, leading on a wildlife economy project across Africa. Previously, Sue worked for Wilderness Safaris, a private sector ecotourism operator, for 10 years in various roles. She is vice-chair of the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist (TAPAS) Group and Coordinator of the Communities & Heritage Working Group in TAPAS. She recently managed the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme for IUCN in 24 countries in Africa. Her overall research and work focus is on promoting sustainable, diversified wildlife economies in Africa and encouraging investment in conservation and related wildlife economy activities.

Jim Sano is the World Wildlife Fund’s Vice President for Conservation Travel. He directs WWF’s community-based conservation travel programs and serves as technical lead for WWF’s partnerships with private sector travel companies. Jim was formerly President of Geographic Expeditions, a San Francisco-based adventure travel company, and served as a National Park Service ranger in Yosemite National Park.

As a lead scientist at WWF-US, Dr. Robin Naidoo investigates the ecological and economic issues that impact wildlife conservation. His work, from mapping ecosystem services to monitoring animal migrations, places nature at the center of sustainable development and helps support a future where species and people coexist. He has conducted tourism-related research at several sites in east and southern Africa, and has led research on the economic benefits of tourism at continental and global scales.

Judy Kepher Gona is a sustainable development practitioner with over two decades of working in sustainable tourism in Africa as a manager, strategist, researcher, lecturer, global speaker, motivator, and consultant. Her interests are in sustainable tourism strategy and design, particularly inclusion, equity, supply chain sustainability, sustainability assessment, and accountability through reporting. Judy founded Sustainable Travel & Tourism Agenda-(STTA) to equip, enable, and empower tourism practitioners and destinations to thrive by designing value-led organisations with sustainability as the foundation.

Dr. Bricker is a Professor and Director, Hainan – ASU Joint Tourism College (HAITC). 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. She has authored and edited books on sustainability, which highlight case studies in tourism meeting environmental and societal issues.

I have devoted my professional career to nature protection. I hold a PhD. in Biological Sciences, with a special focus on species conservation. For fifteen years, I coordinated FEDENATUR – Periurban Parks Association. Since 2016, I work for the EUROPARC Federation, the largest European Protected Areas network, where I manage several projects and programs, such as the European Charter of Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas.

Dr. Bricker is a Professor and Director, Hainan – ASU Joint Tourism College (HAITC). 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. She has authored and edited books on sustainability, which highlight case studies in tourism meeting environmental and societal issues.

Dr. Anna Spenceley is an independent consultant who works on sustainable tourism issues across the world. Anna is Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group), is on the Board of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and sits on the Independent Advisory Panel of Travalyst. She is editor of the new “Handbook for sustainable tourism practitioners” from Edward Elgar and author of “Tourism and visitation to protected areas amid COVID-19,” from the European Union.

Studied microbiology at university.

Working as a program manager at the Korea National Park Service.

Conducting visitor surveys, such as research and analysis of the number of visitors and the development of a visitor congestion notification service.

Developing new services such as the national park stamp tour and sounds of natural healing and are providing them to the public.

A firm believer that sustainable tourism is a perfect opportunity for promulgating his country, Bhutan’s development vision of Gross National Happiness. Obtained his master’s from the University of Edinburgh and PhD in tourism from the University of Sydney. He worked for many years for the National Parks in Bhutan initiating and advocating the development of ecotourism. As a proactive person, he founded the Bhutan Sustainable Tourism Society, an informal body consisting of like-minded people with the aim to foster partnerships in tourism development. He serves as a Board member for the Bhutan Tourism Council, Asian Ecotourism Network, and Chair of the IUCN Green list program for Bhutan.

Tena Koutou Katoa, Ko Miro Miro te Maunga, Ko Waiau Uwha te awa, Kei te mahi ahau kei te Papa Atawhai, Kei te Pou Matarautaki aku mahi, No reira, Tena Koutou Katoa

Andy is proud to lead the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) Mahaanui operations team based in Christchurch, New Zealand. He has had fantastic exposure to new and innovative approaches in conservation while holding senior advisor or management positions with DOC in the national recreation team, as the concessions and tourism manager for DOC, working for the directorate of parks and wildlife in Namibia (for UNDP as concessions and tourism specialist) and with the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (as manager visitor services). Andy has also completed assignments for UNDP in China and Mongolia.

Jim Sano is the World Wildlife Fund’s Vice President for Conservation Travel. He directs WWF’s community-based conservation travel programs and serves as technical lead for WWF’s partnerships with private sector travel companies. Jim was formerly President of Geographic Expeditions, a San Francisco-based adventure travel company, and served as a National Park Service ranger in Yosemite National Park.

Dr. Anna Spenceley is an independent consultant who works on sustainable tourism issues across the world. Anna is Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group), is on the Board of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and sits on the Independent Advisory Panel of Travalyst. She is editor of the new “Handbook for sustainable tourism practitioners” from Edward Elgar and author of “Tourism and visitation to protected areas amid COVID-19,” from the European Union.

Martha Honey is Director of Responsible Travel Consulting based in Rhinebeck, New York. She is also Director Emeritus and was co-founder and Executive Director (2003-2019) of the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), headquartered in Washington, DC. Over the last two decades, Martha has written and lectured widely on responsible and sustainable travel, including on ecotourism, Travelers’ Philanthropy/Impact travel, cruise and resort tourism, coastal and marine tourism, climate change, overtourism, and certification issues. Martha’s latest book is Overtourism: Lessons for a Better Future, edited by Martha Honey and Kelsey Frenkiel, May 2021, Island Press.

Learn more about Responsible Travel Consulting at their website: www.responsibletravelconsulting.com

Dr. Amran Hamzah is an academic practitioner who specialises in tourism policy planning. He is a Professor in Tourism Planning at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and has been active as a tourism consultant – having led more than 100 consultancy projects. Amran was the lead consultant for Malaysia’s National Ecotourism Plan (2016-2025) and National Tourism Policy (2020 – 2030). He is also a member of the Advisory Board of UNWTO’s Best Tourism Villages of the World initiative.

John has 34 years of experience in the National Park Service beginning his career as a Park Ranger in Yellowstone National Park. As the Management Assistant for Acadia National Park, John formulates policies and coordinates planning efforts to manage visitor use and protect park resources. He also administers the park’s alternative transportation program. John holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech, and a Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Recreation from Colorado State University.

Bill Borrie is an Associate Professor in the School of Life and Environmental Science at Deakin University, Australia. His research interests are focused on the values, experiences, and management of parks and protected areas. Dr. Borrie has conducted research in Yellowstone National Park; the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex; the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge; the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and Petrified Forest National Park. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Leisure Sciences.

Dr. Anna Spenceley is an independent consultant who works on sustainable tourism issues across the world. Anna is Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group), is on the Board of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and sits on the Independent Advisory Panel of Travalyst. She is editor of the new “Handbook for sustainable tourism practitioners” from Edward Elgar and author of “Tourism and visitation to protected areas amid COVID-19,” from the European Union.

Dr. Miller is a global tourism and conservation leader committed to people, planet, and prosperity, joining CREST as Executive Director in 2019. Future of Tourism Coalition co-founder, with 25+ years as VP at The Nature Conservancy, President at American Hiking Society, and environmental advisor for USAID. Recognized by the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard as a leader in climate change projects, experienced across a broad spectrum of tourism’s economic, social, cultural, and environmental challenges.

Dr. Bricker is a Professor and Director, Hainan – ASU Joint Tourism College (HAITC). 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. She has authored and edited books on sustainability, which highlight case studies in tourism meeting environmental and societal issues.

Jeremy is a globally recognized leader, facilitator, speaker, and advocate working at the crossroads of tourism, community engagement, and conservation. In his current role as CEO of The Travel Foundation, Jeremy leads a global team focused on unlocking systems change in the travel and tourism sector towards a more equitable and inclusive tourism economy that benefits communities and the environment. Jeremy was instrumental in setting up the Future of Tourism Coalition in 2020 and currently serves as the Chair. He also serves on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Destination Stewardship Working Group and is Co-Chair of the Destinations Working Group for Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency.

Natalie is the Chief People and Purpose Officer at Intrepid Travel, the world’s largest provider of adventure travel experiences. Globally recognised as a leader in responsible travel, Intrepid supports eight SDG goals, has advocated on issues such as climate action, animal welfare, child protection, and gender equality, is a certified B-Corp, and has been carbon-neutral since 2010.

Natalie is responsible for the development and implementation of the company’s global people and sustainability strategies. She is also a board member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

Ecologist and natural resource economist currently working as a full-time professor, researcher, and Co-Director of the Institute of Applied Ecology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador. Her long-term research goal is to integrate ecology, economics, and environmental policy to promote sustainable development. Currently, her research is focused on two main topics: tourism economics and monitoring of island ecosystems and protected areas; and, application of economic valuation methods to the conservation of endangered species and ecosystem services. Both research topics have been developed mainly in the Galapagos Islands working together with research and public institutions.