Introducing the 2015‐2016
World Leisure Centre of Excellence
at VIU’s Visiting Scholars
Dr. Rui Song
- China
Dr. Song’s research fields are leisure research and sustainable tourism. She has been working as the editor‐in‐chief of the Tourism Green Book of China and the Leisure Green Book of China for above ten years and four years respectively. She is expert of National Develop Bank, China National Tourism Administration, and peer reviewer of Journal of Sustainable Tourism and several Chinese academic journals. Dr. Song has led more than 10 academic research projects funded by the National Foundation of Social Sciences, CASS, EU‐China, and China's National Tourism Administration respectively. She studied in Gothenberg University (Sweden) and Pennsylvania States University (USA) as a visiting scholar in 2006 and 2011‐2012 respectively. She has published a considerable number of scholarly articles, three academic books and five translated books. Together with Dr. Geoffrey Godbey, she is co‐author of Finding Leisure in China, which will be published in Chinese and English.
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Joe brings expertise and experience in the areas of community‐based tourism, lifestyle migration and leisure. He is an Associate and co‐founder of the Bachelor of Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership program at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. Joe’s teaching and scholarship has brought him to many places around the world but he maintains specific projects in Peru and Mexico. He also maintains a consultancy carrying out work in destination management planning. Joe is especially keen to blend scholarship and practice in to challenge existing practice and thinking.
Betty Weiler holds a PhD from the University of Victoria (Canada) and is Research Professor in the School of Business and Tourism at Southern Cross University, which is on the east coast of Australia with campuses in northern NSW and the Gold Coast. Betty is known for her research collaborations with industry partners particularly national parks, tour operators, zoos and heritage attractions. Her research has centred on the role of communication in the tourist experience mainly in Australia but also in several overseas locations, including North America, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Her recent work focuses on the use of persuasive communication to influence tourist behaviour and as a tool for managing visitors in national parks. In addition to her 200+ publications, Betty is a multi‐award winning PhD supervisor, an editorial board member of six international tourism journals, and co‐author of Tour Guiding Research: Insights, Issues and Implications (2015).
Dr. Song’s research fields are leisure research and sustainable tourism. She has been working as the editor‐in‐chief of the Tourism Green Book of China and the Leisure Green Book of China for above ten years and four years respectively. She is expert of National Develop Bank, China National Tourism Administration, and peer reviewer of Journal of Sustainable Tourism and several Chinese academic journals. Dr. Song has led more than 10 academic research projects funded by the National Foundation of Social Sciences, CASS, EU‐China, and China's National Tourism Administration respectively. She studied in Gothenberg University (Sweden) and Pennsylvania States University (USA) as a visiting scholar in 2006 and 2011‐2012 respectively. She has published a considerable number of scholarly articles, three academic books and five translated books. Together with Dr. Geoffrey Godbey, she is co‐author of Finding Leisure in China, which will be published in Chinese and English. Dr. Joe Pavelka
‐ Canada
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Joe brings expertise and experience in the areas of community‐based tourism, lifestyle migration and leisure. He is an Associate and co‐founder of the Bachelor of Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership program at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. Joe’s teaching and scholarship has brought him to many places around the world but he maintains specific projects in Peru and Mexico. He also maintains a consultancy carrying out work in destination management planning. Joe is especially keen to blend scholarship and practice in to challenge existing practice and thinking. Dr. Betty Weiler
‐ Australia
Betty Weiler holds a PhD from the University of Victoria (Canada) and is Research Professor in the School of Business and Tourism at Southern Cross University, which is on the east coast of Australia with campuses in northern NSW and the Gold Coast. Betty is known for her research collaborations with industry partners particularly national parks, tour operators, zoos and heritage attractions. Her research has centred on the role of communication in the tourist experience mainly in Australia but also in several overseas locations, including North America, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Her recent work focuses on the use of persuasive communication to influence tourist behaviour and as a tool for managing visitors in national parks. In addition to her 200+ publications, Betty is a multi‐award winning PhD supervisor, an editorial board member of six international tourism journals, and co‐author of Tour Guiding Research: Insights, Issues and Implications (2015). Dr. Lisa Jokivirta
– Finland
Lisa Jokivirta is an action researcher and sustainability activist committed to promoting ecological sustainability, social justice and community wellbeing through leisure and tourism. A deep‐ rooted interest in environmental ethics, nature conservation, and alternative worldviews ensued, leading her to contemplate environmental issues in leisure and tourism from a social science perspective during her studies at Sciences Po Paris (2002), University of Victoria (2004), and University of Jyväskylä, Finland (2009). Most recently, Lisa has enjoyed undertaking five years of PhD fieldwork as an action researcher in Sámi indigenous tourism in northernmost Finland, Sweden, and Norway as part of a four‐ year post funded by the Academy of Finland. Lisa’s research and teaching interests include sustainability in leisure and tourism; indigenous tourism; community development; methods and ethical considerations in tourism research; and rural tourism. Alongside her research, Lisa remains actively involved in a range of environmental organizations including Earth Charter International and the IUCN.
Dr. Massimo Morellato
– New Zealand
Massimo is a Lecturer at the Department of Tourism and Events at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. He conducted his doctoral research at Simon Fraser University and he was research coordinator in Whistler, BC for '2010 Olympic Legacy Research' in collaboration with BC Ministry of Tourism Culture and Arts. Massimo has several years of work experience as a recreation coordinator, environmental educator, and adventure tour guide. Massimo holds a master's degree in Computer Science and has a wide range of experience working with international teams. His research interests span across the disciplines of tourism, marketing, events and he is particularly attracted by interdisciplinary studies that lead to more sustainable uses of natural and cultural resources. In New Zealand, he is currently investigating coastal and mountain communities engaged in learning about opportunities to influence their surroundings and to create attractive environments for both visitors and residents.
