Isabella Cheloti-Mapelu

Dr. Isabella Mulemia Cheloti-Mapelu is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Travel Management at the School of Hospitality and Tourism, Murang’a University of Technology, Nairobi, Kenya. With over sixteen years of experience, she specializes in Hospitality Operations Management, Tourism Economics, and Travel Management, contributing significantly to academic training and policy development in the tourism sector.

Her research interests center on practical and policy-driven aspects of hospitality and tourism, including destination marketing, sustainable tourism development, and the socioeconomic impacts of global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic. She has extensive experience supervising graduate students in tourism and hospitality fields and has contributed to regional tourism development through policy formulation and training workshops.

Dr. Cheloti-Mapelu has authored two books: an academic text on tourist expenditures in Kenya and a general-read book examining the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic from a social science perspective. While no peer-reviewed articles are listed in the provided text, her publications reflect a strong interdisciplinary engagement with tourism economics, public policy, and global health crises.

• Authored policy documents for Turkana County on eco-lodge feasibility.
• Developed nine institutional and county-level policy documents.
• Conducted training in hospitality, packaging, and marketing for the North Rift tourism circuit.

She holds a PhD in Tourism Management and a Diploma in Foundation in Travel and Tourism with Amadeus, and is IATA certified, reflecting her strong industry-academia linkage. She is actively engaged in digital diplomacy and tourism in Africa, exploring new opportunities for growth and collaboration.