2014

Elisa Backer, Federation University

The CAUTHE conferences are an extremely valuable experience to tourism academics and PhD students. They provide delegates with opportunities to meet and learn from a terrific range of people, who generously offer supportive and useful feedback. Through attending CAUTHE conferences, I have become friends with some wonderful people who, like me, are serial attendees. It has also enabled me to collaborate with people and thus, CAUTHE has provided me with the opportunity to work with others who share an interest in the same research area. I recommend people not only go just to attend or present a paper, but to listen to others’ presentations, participate in social functions (drinking bubbly is a must), and support and get involved in the CAUTHE organisation.

2011

Deborah Edwards, University of Technology Sydney

A special time in my career was being the 2011 recipient of the CAUTHE Fellows award. As an STCRC senior research fellow during this period I was also fortunate to pursue the research in which I was interested. One project explored residents’ perceptions of tourism, and the challenges that tourism presents for local governments in urban destinations. Today the results have significant resonance in light of the push back from residents in some urban destinations. Indeed, at the invitation of ‘Wonderful Copenhagen’ I recently presented the insights from this research to their board. It is satisfying to know that our research can have impact beyond the report date. Currently I am Director (Postgraduate Research) for the UTS Business School, a role that I thoroughly enjoy. Students are grappling with any number of wicked problems and I am inspired by their social conscience and desire to make a difference for more positive futures. (CAUTHE Newsletter, September 2018)