ICTR 2027
10th International Conference on Tourism Research
Biographies
Below are the ICTR Biographies of the Conference and Programme Chairs, Key Note Speakers and Mini-Track Chairs.
Conference and Programme Chairs
Paola Ossola is an Associate Professor at César Ritz Colleges and holds a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Pavia, Italy. Her teaching engages with entrepreneurship, startups, innovation, and management, and encourages students to develop impactful ventures. Her research focuses on ageing and longevity, exploring how hospitality, lifestyle, and innovation can foster an age-inclusive society. She is involved in projects on nutrition and dining experiences for older adults, ageing-friendly hospitality, dementia-friendly tourism, and travel motivations of people over 55. She is co-founder of The Business of Ageing in Hospitality, a Special Interest Group within ICHRIE. Her work is informed by prior experience as CEO of a social-impact startup supporting people with dementia and caregivers. She currently serves as Vice President of Progetto Rughe ODV and co-founder of Alzheimer Fest APS.
Giuseppina Menconi is an Associate Professor who holds a PhD in Computational Chemistry from the University of Durham and a master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Piemonte Orientale. She worked in investment banking in London for several years before joining César Ritz Colleges. She obtained a PGCert in Higher Education from the University of Derby and is a TEDx speaker.
Keynote Speakers
Coming soon…
Mini Track Chairs
Dr Christopher Moon is a multiple award-winning eco and social entrepreneur and Senior Lecturer in eco-entrepreneurship at Middlesex University. He has a PhD from Imperial College and is a fellow of the RSA, HEA and EEUK. He was formerly Head of Sustainability at two companies and teaches sustainable tourism, sustainable business and entrepreneurship and sustainability. He has over 100 publications including in the International Journal of Hospitality Management 2018. Chris has taken tourism students to Mallorca on study tour regularly where Middlesex has an Erasmus agreement with UIB, Palma. He has presented at UIB international week and was interviewed by Spanish TV on sustainable tourism. He is Visiting Professor at NUP, Cyprus.
Dr. Michaelle Deonarain is a researcher and academic affiliated with Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Her research interests include health, wellness and medical tourism, smart tourism systems, blockchain adoption in hospitality and digital transformation in tourism destinations. She is currently developing an intersectoral collaboration framework to strengthen integrated healthcare and hospitality ecosystems in South Africa. Her work focuses on destination competitiveness, emerging technologies, sustainability and innovation within health, wellness and medical tourism, particularly within emerging economies.
Prof. Sofia Gomes, an associate professor at the Department of Economics and Management at the Portucalense University (UPT) of Porto and an adjunct professor at the Higher Institute of Business and Tourism Sciences (ISCET). She holds a PhD in Applied Economics from the University of Santiago de Compostela and a PhD in Strategic Management and International Business from the University of Seville.She worked for 10 years as a financial risk analyst at a Portuguese bank. She is an integrated researcher at REMIT – Research in Economics, Management and Information Technologies, and the coordinator of the research line “Territories and Organizations for Sustainable Development” (TODS) at REMIT. She has publications in peer-reviewed journals and serves as a reviewer Her research interests focus mainly on entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability and the circular economy.
Dr. Mafalda Patuleia holds a PhD in Tourism from the University of the Algarve, a Master’s degree from ISCTE–University Institute of Lisbon, and a degree in Tourism from INP. She is Director of the Tourism Department at Lusófona University, Director of the Degree in Tourism and of the online Master’s in Management and Innovation in Tourism and Hospitality. She is a researcher at INTREPID LAB|CETRAD, Research Fellow at César Ritz Colleges Switzerland, and coordinates LABPATS|GESTUR-BE (Observatory for Tourism Management and People’s Well-being). With over 26 years of teaching experience, her research focuses on lifestyle entrepreneurship, second homes, destination competitiveness and tourism workers’ well-being.
Professor de Andreis is an Associate Professor of Geography at Giustino Fortunato University (Italy), where he leads the Bachelor’s Programme in Transport Science and Technology and serves as Rector’s Delegate for International Education and Environmental Sustainability Advisor. He is also an Affiliated Professor at Universidad del Atlántico Medio (Spain). His research spans human geography, economic geography, tourism, and territorial development, with interests in destination management, transport geography, sustainability, mobility, community participation, and entrepreneurship. He has recently focused on female and immigrant entrepreneurship and their role in local economies and tourism growth. He has coordinated and contributed to numerous national and international projects on tourism, territorial development, sustainability, and transport systems. Active in the academic community, he serves as reviewer, editorial board member, and conference contributor. His current work examines the relationships among tourism, territories, local communities, sustainability, and regional development.
Dr. Alexandra Lavaredas is a Researcher at the Polytechnic University of Leiria, specializing in sustainable tourism and cultural relations. Holding a PhD in Intercultural Relations and an MBA in Marketing, she bridges the gap between academic research and tourism practice. Her expertise encompasses the integration of digital technologies in tourism, cultural itinerary management, and the interplay between cinematic narratives and destination branding. An award-winning researcher, Dr. Lavaredas has a strong track record in managing international research applications and providing specialised technical consulting. Her multidisciplinary research integrates tourism entrepreneurship, sustainable practices and responsible innovation, with a particular focus on strategic territorial development, the design of tourism itineraries, and the scholarly valorization of cultural identity within the global tourism landscape.