Organising Committee

Tracy Berno is an Associate Professor at the School of Hospitality and Tourism, Auckland University of Technology (AUT), where she lectures in food and culture, and food politics. Tracy’s link to the SDGs evolves around the notion of sustainable food systems in tourism and agriculture-tourism linkages. Her book, Me’a Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific,  won best cookbook in the world in 2010. Read more about Tracy.

Karla Boluk is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo.  Her research program overlaps with many of the SDGs although she is particularly interested in SDG4 “Quality Education” because she believes it holds the potential to solve many of the SDGs.  Read more about Karla.

Joseph Cheer lectures in the School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics, Monash University. For Joseph, the links between tourism and the SDGs are underpinned by social-ecological resilience and the development of adaptive capacities in host communities. He is most interested in the overarching question of the extent to which tourism privilege host communities. Read more about Joseph.

Emma Hughes is a postdoctoral fellow in the Institute of Development Studies and Research Advisor Pacific at Massey University, New Zealand. Her PhD in Development Studies investigated the impact of corporate community development in the tourism sector in Fiji, prioritising community and indigenous perspectives. This led to an examination of the role of the private sector and the SDGs, and she is now researching the localisation of the SDGs in the Pacific.  Read more about Emma.

Gabriel Laeis is a PhD student at Massey University concerned with the role of cuisine in tourism-agriculture linkages in Fiji. In his research, he is regularly reminded of how difficult it is to reconcile the different SDGs. For instance, how can Fijians safeguard life on land and below water (SDG14 & SDG15) and consume responsibly (SDG12), yet grow their economy (SDG8)?.  Read more about Gabriel.

Apisalome Movono lectures in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at the University of the South Pacific. His commitment to the South Pacific region involves researching and promoting development that is fair, resilient and sustainable for his people and future generations. His work seeks to create understanding about Pacific Islands people and to find solutions and long-term strategies for the region’s challenges. Read more about Api.

Christian Schott is Senior Lecturer at Victoria Business School at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. With respect to the SDGs, Christian is the VBS coordinator for the UN-backed Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME), which is essentially a vehicle to raise awareness and engagement with the SDGs in business schools. His teaching on sustainable tourism references the SDGs. Read more about Christian.

Hazel Tucker is Associate Professor in the Department of Tourism at the University of Otago, New Zealand, and specialises in tourism’s influences on socio-cultural relationships and change. She connects with the SDG agenda through her focus on tourism and poverty alleviation, gender, women and tourism work, and empowerment. Read more about Hazel.