Leading international tourism expert wins research medal

Leading international tourism expert wins Canterbury research medal

September 11, 2014

Professor Michael Hall, a leading international sustainability and tourism researcher, has won the University of Canterbury’s annual Research Medal.

The award goes to university researchers whose work has been recognised as world class in their respective disciplines. Professor Mike Steel, of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, won the second of two research medals, which are the highest honour the university’s council can extend to its academic staff in recognition of research excellence. The 2014 medals will be presented to the recipients at the Chancellor’s annual dinner later this year.

Professor Hall is highly regarded and admired by key figures in his area of study. His research in spatially-integrated tourism management, environmental change and planning has broken new grounds, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Steve Weaver says.

``The significance of his research is attested by the fact he is the most frequently cited tourism scholar in the world. At the end of last year he had been cited more than 20,400 times. He has published 34 authored and 35 edited books and has published 165 refereed journal articles and 319 book chapters,’’ Professor Weaver says.

He also has honorary doctorates in science from the University of Oulu, Finland, and in the arts from Umeå University, Sweden.

In 2009, he was the recipient of the leading international publisher Elsevier ScienceDirect's For Great Thinking award for the arts, humanities and social sciences which was judged from researchers throughout the world.

``Since his earliest publications Michael has been at the forefront of advancing the field. In particular he has had a significant impact on the thinking around tourism policy, regional development, event marketing and management, food and wine tourism, biosecurity and issues surrounding environmental change.

``The letters of support received for Michael’s nomination indicates that he is held in the highest esteem internationally and has made an outstanding contribution to the field of tourism management over a sustained period of time,’’ Professor Weaver says.

Professor Hall has longstanding teaching, publication and research interests in tourism, regional development and social or green marketing with particular emphasis on issues of place branding and marketing as well as conservation and environmental change, event management and marketing, World Heritage, second homes, and the use of tourism as an economic development and conservation mechanism.

More recently he has been undertaking research on wine and food marketing and gastronomy, which he claims has required strenuous research in the field.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (College of Business and Law) Professor Sonia Mazey paid tribute to the contribution he had made to the University of Canterbury.

``Michael is an outstanding researcher, committed teacher, inspirational supervisor and supportive colleague. The university is lucky to have him.’’

ENDS

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