معرفی
Laura Lesar is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Law & Commerce at the College of Business, Government, and Law, Flinders University. She is also a Full Member of the Centre for Social Impact and the Torrens Resilience Initiative. With a multidisciplinary academic background, her work bridges environmental studies, sustainable tourism, and business governance. She holds a PhD in Sustainable Tourism from Griffith University, a Master of Science in Travel Industry Management from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Her research focuses on practical quality control tools that enable tourism providers to enhance sustainability and resilience. These include certification programs, sustainability indicators, net zero initiatives, adaptation strategies, capacity building training, and ESG reporting. She has developed over 100 tools for industry use and a replicable method for co-creating customized sustainability toolkits with stakeholders.
Laura’s publications appear in top-tier journals such as Journal of Travel Research and Journal of Sustainable Tourism. Her recent articles highlight trends in sustainable tourism tool development, SDG integration, drone-based overtourism monitoring, and diffusion challenges in sustainability adoption. These works emphasize practical, industry-relevant solutions grounded in community and stakeholder engagement.
- Research Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Industry Engagement and Impact, 2024
- Best Reviewer Award (Early Career Reviewer), Journal of Travel Research, 2023
- Outstanding Achievement by an Early Career Researcher, 2021
- Teaching Award, University of Hawaii, 2020
- Accredited Sustainable Tourism Consultant and Auditor, 2011
- WSET Level 2 Certification in Wine
Laura has secured AU$9.8 million in industry-engaged research funding and leads a current project on co-designing sustainability toolkits for events. She has advised organizations including Royal Caribbean, Expedia, UN Environment Programme, and government councils. She has delivered keynotes and workshops globally, including at the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations. She also serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Travel Research.
She teaches and coordinates courses in wine tourism, sustainability in tourism and events, and governance. Her industry experience in the wine sector and professional accreditations enrich her applied teaching approach. She is also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the Griffith Institute for Tourism.
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