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Personal profile
Personal Statement
I am a Lecturer in International Tourism Management and have worked at the University of Strathclyde Business School since 2006 and I am currently the Director of the Management Development Program (MDP) and also the Director for Teaching and Learning for Undergraduate Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies. I gained my PhD in Volunteer Tourism here at Strathclyde and I also hold a Masters Degree in Tourism in Third World Countries. I predominantly teach tourism related subjects, but also business ethics in the context of commoditised forms of tourism. My research focuses on different tourism niches and my expertise lies in the filed of international volunteer tourism. In my work I take a twin pronged approach examining different tourism phenomena. To this end I have been investigating both the demand and supply for different tourist products. In the case of volunteer tourism I have published on the motivations, expectations and outcomes of volunteer tourist experiences. In the process I have created my own conceptualization of the ‘heroic’ volunteer and discussed the balancing act which is intrinsic to the volunteer tourist’s experience. In the process I have written and published on the role of altruism, instrumentalism and expected outcomes in terms of the possible motivations of the participants. I have also written on volunteer tourism as a form of reflexive volunteering and the possible analogies and implications of this in terms of the management of volunteer tourists as reflexive volunteers sketching the journey and experience of a group of Glasgow 2014 volunteers.
My investigation into the supply for volunteer tourism lends to my interest in the field of social enterprise and the role that the third sector has played into the development of contemporary volunteer tourism. From small beginnings to the phenomenon that it is today, volunteer tourism has undoubtedly been shaped by individual initiative creating social goods where the public sector had failed. This drive to turn a vision into reality has opened a research path into transforming leadership and I have written about the way such organisations and their management have succeeded in selling their vision and mission and turning themselves into financially viable business entities. This relationship between businesses for profit within the context of the not for profit sector along with its possible ethical implications has been the focus of my recent research.
In brief, my research generates empirical and theoretical knowledge about the temporal dynamics of tourism phenomena and the tourists as consumers of marketized experiences.
Research Interests
My main research interests lie in the study of volunteering, volunteer tourism and other tourism niches. I would welcome post graduate students interested in the study of both the demand and supply for volunteering and volunteer tourism experiences but also the study of tourism niches and countercultures and how perhaps more deviant, non-conformist social activities, gradually find their way into the mainstream. More specifically I am very interested in the motivations, expectations and outcomes of various tourism niches.
I would strongly encourage students who are interested in investigating the role of altruism, instrumentalism and expected outcomes in terms of the possible motivations of volunteers as this is a very fertile ground for future research as reflexive volunteering is a relatively new concept and we need to learn more about its implications on the recruitment, training and management of volunteers.
I would also encourage applications from students who would seek to study volunteer tourism as a social enterprise and investigate the role that the third sector has played into the development of contemporary volunteer tourism. From small beginnings to the phenomenon that it is today, volunteer tourism has undoubtedly been shaped by individual initiative creating social goods where the public sector had failed. This drive to turn a vision into reality opens research paths into transforming leadership and how such organisations and their management have succeeded in selling their vision and mission and turning themselves into financially viable business entities. The evolution of the phenomenon is also interesting from an institutional theory perspective as a socio-cultural phenomenon as volunteering and helping others has become highly commoditised and homogenised due to market forces.
Perspective students are more than welcome to drop me a line with their ideas or questions at [email protected]
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy, Volunteer Tourism: An Ambiguous Phenomenon, UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE
Award Date: 1 Jan 2009
Master in Science, Volunteer Tourism: A Market Analysis, UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE
Award Date: 1 Jan 2005
Bachelor of Arts, Glasgow Caledonian University
Award Date: 1 Jan 2004
External positions
External Examiner, Leeds Beckett University
1 Feb 2014 → 1 Jul 2017
Keywords
- Tourism
- Volunteering
- Alternative Tourism
- Authenticity
- Backpacking
- Tourism Commodities
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Gambia Sustainable Energy for Development
Tomazos, K. (Academic)
10/10/12 → 1/05/14
Project: Knowledge Exchange
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Neurodiversity and Teaching Excellence: Improving the outcomes and employability prospects of Breaking Barriers graduates
Tomazos, K. (Principal Investigator), Bourkel, T. (Co-investigator), Smith, M. (Co-investigator) & Mcdougall, N. (Co-investigator)
1/01/24 → …
Project: Internally funded project
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Volunteer tourism: an ambiguous phenomenon
Tomazos, K., 13 Nov 2009, (Unpublished) p. 1-33. 33 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
File65 Downloads (Pure) -
Social entrepreneurship and volunteer tourism: beauty and the beast?
Cooper, W. & Tomazos, K., 2009. 24 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
Open AccessFile35 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
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RGS-IBG annual conference: Understanding the Complexities of Volunteer Tourism
Tomazos, K. (Participant)
27 Aug 2013Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference