Susanne Becken

Susanne Becken holds multiple prestigious academic and advisory roles. She is a Professor of Sustainable Tourism at Griffith University, Australia, and a Vice Chancellor Research Fellow at the University of Surrey, UK, within the Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences and the Surrey Hospitality and Tourism Management department. She also serves as a Principal Science Investment Advisor for tourism in the Department of Conservation, New Zealand. Her work bridges research, policy, and sustainability practice across the Asia-Pacific region.

Her research focuses on sustainable tourism, climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental policy, and systems thinking. She investigates carbon emissions in tourism, public engagement in conservation, and the use of digital tools such as social media analytics and AI for environmental monitoring. She has led projects on climate adaptation in Vanuatu, blockchain for carbon markets, and assessing aesthetic values of the Great Barrier Reef using eye-tracking and AI.

Her recent publications (2020–2024) demonstrate a strong trend toward interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research using innovative data sources. Themes include decarbonizing tourism, public sentiment on climate and flying, and the integration of citizen science with professional monitoring. She frequently employs social media data, systems modeling, and behavioral analysis to understand tourism’s environmental footprint and transformation pathways.

Scientific Awards and Recognitions:

• Fellow of the International Academy of the Study of Tourism

Advisory and Governance Roles:
Susanne advises on sustainability through her membership in the Air New Zealand Sustainability Advisory Panel, the NOW Transforming Travel Advisory Board, and the Whitsunday Climate Change Innovation Hub. She has contributed to tourism policy integration assessments across 61 countries and advocates for regenerative tourism paradigms, particularly in government contexts such as New Zealand’s Department of Conservation.

Labs and Research Teams:
She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams across Griffith University, University of Surrey, and international institutions. Her work integrates computer science (Bela Stantic), ecology (Rod Connolly), and social science (Johanna Loehr, Jinyan Chen), forming a robust network for hybrid environmental monitoring and policy analysis.