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Tourism, Hospitality and Events Research Centre

Research Centre Leader: Dr Steven Rhoden

Research derives from the concept of tourism as a cultural activity and as a central component of modernity, rather than a reaction to it. Research explores the interaction between people and their environment (natural, built, composed, created and fashioned) whilst away from home; how and why people seek out the interaction, the nature of that interaction and the implications this has for the individual and society.

The Tourism Hospitality and Events Research Centre seeks to:

  • Extend and encourage Tourism Hospitality and Events staff to engage in research
  • Support all staff who have a commitment and motivation to research
  • Develop the quality of research within the Centre for both staff and postgraduate researchers.
  • To raise the profile of the Tourism Hospitality and Events Research Centre both locally, nationally and internationally.

Within the Research Centre there are various levels of engagement with academic research and consultancy work and we have an established reputation as a result of such work. The breadth and diversity of contacts with industry and international institutions offers strength to the Research Centre and there is also a community of postgraduate researchers based within the associated department of Food and Tourism Management.

The members are active in attending conferences and disseminating their research through peer-reviewed journals and their expertise is acknowledged through their roles as reviewers for journals, international project reviewers and external examiners for various UK institutions.

Research Groups

Tourism: research interests of staff and research students have included issues such as: ethnicity and culture; tourist experience; events experience; destinations and place; volunteers: events and tourism; centrality of cultural activity in tourism; sustainable development and the tourism, hospitality & events industries; academic tourism/educational travel; loyalty and consumer behaviour in service industries; eTourism

Hospitality adopt a multi disciplinary theme which includes: education; environmental policies; quality assurance; planning; strategy; product development; branding; technology and its applications; food safety and nutrition.

Events: volunteering in events; community events and social cohesion; events tourism and urban regeneration; religious events tourism; museum and educational events; multi media technology and events, international sporting events and politics.