Rachel Dodds

Dr. Rachel Dodds is a full Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University's Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, where she has built a 25+ year career spanning academia and industry. Her dual expertise connects scholarly research with practical tourism consultancy for governments, tour operators, and destination management organizations globally.

Her research centers on sustainable tourism development, with groundbreaking work on overtourism mitigation and tourism governance. Dr. Dodds examines consumer motivations for sustainable travel, environmental management in tourism contexts, and strategies for shifting destinations from volume-based to value-driven success metrics. Her globally applicable research combines policy analysis with practical industry solutions.

Dr. Dodds' publication record demonstrates consistent high-impact output, particularly in overtourism solutions (2022) and festival sustainability (2020-2022). Her work appears in top journals like Journal of Cleaner Production and Tourism Review, with her co-edited volume Overtourism: Issues, realities and solutions (2019) establishing her as a field leader.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• TTRA Distinguished Research Award (2025)
• University Inaugural Research Award (2025)
• Emerald Literati Award (2020)
• Multiple Dean's Scholarly Awards (2018, 2014)
• Early tenure and promotion (2009/10)

Dr. Dodds actively advises students through undergraduate and graduate courses while maintaining industry connections via her sustainabletourism.net platform and federal council appointment. Her research integrates government collaboration, documentary production (The Last Tourist, 2022), and international fieldwork across 80+ countries.

Her research group operates through sustainabletourism.net, providing resources for destinations seeking regenerative tourism models. Current projects focus on transforming tourism measurement frameworks from visitor volume to experiential value, with applications across Canadian and international destinations.