Marian van der Ent

Marian van der Ent is a Lecturer at the Academy for Tourism, focusing on digitization trends and their impact on the tourism industry. His research explores topics such as short-term rental platforms (e.g., Airbnb), network economics in tourism, and the intersection of urban development with cultural branding. He has contributed to professional journals like Graphic Matters and travelnext.nl, analyzing case studies in destinations like Breda and Cyprus.

His work emphasizes the transformation of destination marketing organizations (DMOs) in response to digital disruption and the challenges posed by platforms like Airbnb. He has also evaluated the role of influencers and bloggers in reshaping tourism promotion strategies.

Van der Ent participated in a 2015 European Parliament-funded project on tourism enterprise digitization, addressing SMEs and policy frameworks. His media contributions include discussions on the identity crisis faced by traditional tourism organizations and the need for adaptive strategies in the network society.

Key themes in his research include community management in digital spaces, organic reach optimization for tourism stakeholders, and the preservation of local cultural identity while embracing modernization.