معرفی
Associate Professor Karen Hughes is a faculty member at the School of Business, University of Queensland (UQ), with an affiliation to the Centre for Marine Science. Her academic focus lies in sustainable tourism, visitor management, and environmental education. She holds a PhD from UQ (2009), studying conservation learning at Mon Repos Conservation Park.
Her research explores interpretation's role in shaping visitor behavior, particularly in wildlife and heritage tourism contexts. Key interests include values-based interpretation, technology in tourism, and replica sites' conservation potential. She has supervised seven postgraduate students and contributed to over 80 publications, including books on interpretive signage and sustainable tourism practices.
Prof. Hughes has held positions at James Cook University, Charles Darwin University, and Queensland University of Technology. Her work bridges theory and practice, emphasizing actionable strategies for environmental stewardship in tourism settings. Current projects include studying virtual influencers' impact and sustainability communication in post-pandemic tourism.
- Education:
- PhD in Tourism (2009), University of Queensland
- Masters and Bachelor's degrees in Tourism/Environmental Studies (not explicitly stated)
- Research Highlights:
- Designing effective interpretive frameworks for zoos and natural sites
- Evaluating technology's role in visitor engagement
- Exploring cross-cultural tourism behavior (e.g., Chinese tourists)
- Grants & Advising:
- Secured research funding for projects on virtual tourism and conservation messaging
- Advisory roles in UQ's Tourism programs and industry partnerships
- Labs/Teams:
- Centre for Marine Science collaborations
- Research hubs focused on sustainable tourism innovation
