What’s the Future for Tourism Research & Education?

How will tourism research and graduate education adapt and diversify post-COVID? This week, Gary and Hannah discuss the outlook for travel and tourism across South East Asia from an academic perspective with Prof. Joseph Cheer of the Center for Tourism Research at Wakayama University in Japan, and Dr. Mary Mostafanezhad, Associate Professor at University of Hawaii at Manoa. The broad-ranging interview discusses how travel may look in the early recovery phases, the challenges of educating a new generation of tourism professionals in uncertain economic times and whether the travel and hospitality sectors will continue to engage with universities in future. We also discuss the expected Chinese outbound and ASEAN intra-regional travel rebounds, low-cost carriers, short- and long-haul flying and travel bubbles. Plus, voluntourism, environmental sustainability and resort over-development, plastic trash and air pollution. It’s a fascinating chat.