Minoo Esfehani

Dr. Minoo Esfehani is a Lecturer in Sustainable Tourism and Events at York Business School, York St John University. She holds a PhD in Tourism Planning from the University of Otago (2017) and has over 14 years of international experience across academia, industry, and policy-making. Her research focuses on sustainable tourism development, socio-cultural justice in tourism, ecotourism in protected areas (natural and cultural), and climate change adaptation strategies.

She has collaborated with UNESCO, IUCN, and GGN on projects in New Zealand, South Africa, Mozambique, Iran, and the UK. Her work emphasizes policy development for intangible cultural heritage integration in tourism strategies, stakeholder education in marine conservation, and equity in protected area access. She has advised governments and NGOs on heritage recognition (UNESCO) and national park development.

Research interests include: (1) Cultural Heritage and Tourism, (2) Protected Area Management, (3) Climate Change Adaptation in Tourism, (4) Socio-Cultural Equity in Tourism Access, (5) Event Tourism Planning. Over 10 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters demonstrate her contributions to these fields.