Below are the ICTR Biographies of the Conference and Programme Chairs, Key Note Speakers and Mini-Track Chairs.
Conference and Programme Chairs
Mafalda Patuleia has a PhD in Tourism from the Faculty of Economics at the University of the Algarve. She graduated in Tourism from INP and obtained a Master's degree from ISCTE-University of Lisbon in Communication, Culture and Information Technologies. She is currently Director of the Tourism Department at Universidade Lusófona and a researcher at INTREPID LAB|CETRAD|Lusófona University. She is the Director of the Degree in Tourism and the master’s in management and Innovation in Tourism and Hospitality (online Master's). She was Director of the INP, President of the Scientific Council, the Pedagogical Council and the General Council of the INP. She has lectured at various universities in Portugal and abroad. She has over 23 years' teaching experience and produces research in the areas of creative tourism, lifestyle entrepreneurs, second homes and the competitiveness of tourist destinations. She is the author of articles in scientific journals and book chapters and currently participates in research projects funded by the European Union. She takes part in public procurement tenders in the field of tourism and leisure. She sits on doctoral and master's degree juries. She is married and has a daughter. Her main hobby is travelling, and she has been to more than 50 countries.
Marco António Noivo has been a certified National Tourist Guide since 1997 and has served as a university lecturer in Tourism since 2005. He holds a PhD in Tourism from the University of Seville, a Master's degree in Art and Heritage from the School of Arts and Humanities at the University of Lisbon (FLUL), with a specialization in the military-historical heritage of the Lines of Torres Vedras, and a Bachelor's degree in Tourism from the Instituto Superior de Novas Profissões. Since 2015, he has been affiliated with Universidade Lusófona in Lisbon, where he lectures in the undergraduate Tourism program and coordinates the Postgraduate Programme in Tour Guiding. His academic and professional work is primarily focused on Cultural Tourism, with a particular emphasis on Military Tourism. Marco Noivo is a member of the Intrepid Lab, through which he conducts and publishes research in the areas of Cultural Tourism, Creative Tourism, and Battlefield Tourism, especially within the context of the Iberian battlefields of the Peninsular Wars. His research interests also encompass immersive tourism experiences, co-creation practices, and the implementation of creative laborato
Teresa Palrão is a Professor at Lusófona University in the Department of Tourism. She holds a PhD in Tourism Management from ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, in partnership with Universidade Europeia. She has extensive expertise in tourism management, tourism marketing, gastronomy, events, and hospitality sustainability. Currently, Teresa is pursuing a postdoctoral research project at the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, focusing on The Role of Urban Transport in Tourism Attractiveness, where she investigates the synergy between mobility, urban culture, and tourists' experiences of destinations. Her research contributes to sustainable urban development and supports more environmentally friendly and culturally immersive tourism practices. A passionate advocate for sustainable gastronomy, Teresa’s work bridges academia and the food industry, emphasizing the critical role of culinary innovation in fostering sustainability. Her research contributes to impactful projects that enhance the tourism sector’s alignment with eco-conscious practices, community engagement, and educational initiatives. With numerous academic publications, Teresa is recognized for her ability to connect theory with practice, particularly in the fields of hospitality and gastronomy. Her expertise in this area promotes sustainable education, and responsible tourism.
Keynote Speakers
Álvaro Dias, associate professor with habilitation at ISCTE-IUL, has been teaching since 1995, specializing in Tourism, Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Alongside his teaching, he has served as a consultant for various organizations, including the Ministry of Economy, IAPMEI, AIP, AEP, AERLIS, GNR, ACT, CCP, Turismo de Portugal, and numerous private companies. He holds two PhDs, one in Management with a focus on Marketing and the other in Tourism. Additionally, he possesses a Master's in Strategy, an MBA, a bachelor’s in management, and has completed postgraduate studies in E-business. Álvaro has led the Economic and Business Sciences department at UAL, directed the Master's and bachelor’s programs in Marketing, and co-directed the bachelor’s in management at ISG. He also coordinated the Tourism Destination Management Master program at Lusófona University. As an author, he has written 26 books and published over 240 Scopus indexed articles.. His international teaching and research experience includes countries such as Angola, Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Spain, Poland, Romania, and Finland.
Tânia Gaspar, Associate Professor with Aggregation at Lusófona University has an aggregated and PhD in Psychology, PhD in Management, master’s in public health with the Specialization - Health Promotion and Prevention and bachelor’s in clinical psychology. She is Director of the Service for Psychology, Innovation and Knowledge (SPIC) at Lusófona University, Coordinator of the Portuguese Laboratory for Healthy Workplaces and Coordinator for Portugal and Coordinator of Zone A (Mediterranean Countries) of the Study Health Behaviour School Aged Children at the World Health Organization. Her focal Point PROMS and PREMS is patient satisfaction in Breast Cancer and Mental Health working for the OECD, The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Tânia is also a researcher at the Digital Human-Environment Interaction Labs (HEI-LAB) and part of the expert consultative group on adolescent well-being measurement at the World Health Organization.
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