The Otago approach for shaping sustainable tourism futures

This article was written for Uncover magazine - Meaningful Leisure Experiences. 

Authors: Associate Professor Anna Carr, Dr Stu Hayes and Dr Pooneh Torabian are part of Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka Department of Tourism at the University of Otago.

Teaching 
The Department provides teaching at the undergraduate level through the BCom (Tourism, major or minor, and a hospitality minor) and BA (Tourism, Languages, and Culture) which attracts a variety of students to Otago. At the postgraduate level, the Department offers a PgCert (Tourism), PgDip (Tourism) and Master of Business (Tourism). Examples of specialised papers we offer include TOUR216 Sport Tourism, TOUR306 Ecotourism operations, TOUR 310 Leisure: Lives and Societies  and TOUR522 (master’s level) Tourism and Global Environmental Change which run alongside core papers on destination management, research methods, and ethics.

Student demand in tourism is rapidly increasing, as more people recognise the sector’s potential for well-paid, meaningful careers. Many pursue postgraduate studies, aspiring to roles in planning, governance, academia, and consultancy. There is a strong demand for skilled graduates in this field, and we educate them to become forward-thinking policymakers and decision-makers, planners, and managers in heritage, conservation, tourism, and leisure sectors.

Graduates work for destination management organisations and government departments e.g. the Department of Conservation, Heritage New Zealand, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and a variety of tourism operations. Many local graduates go on their ‘Overseas Experience’ working in tourism and related positions in London, India, China, Vietnam, Australia, Canada, Europe as well as major New Zealand tourism destinations or cities. Many of the international students fall in love with our city and country, staying on to live in Dunedin.

Our research-informed teaching explores issues including the UN SDGs, resilience and regenerative tourism, featuring case studies and work alongside communities at a range of Southern and Central Otago locations. Connection to and protection of our natural landscapes, cultural heritage and diverse coastal, alpine, and rural environments are central to what we teach. Visitor demand is important but not as much as the resilience of local communities and the environmental habitats that host the visitors. We are also interested in degrowth and the repositioning of the tourism sector in a manner responsive to local communities’ needs and quadruple bottom lines (not just tourism industry demand and visitor demand). 

Experiential learning and field-based opportunities are a cornerstone of all our programmes. A strong example of this is our undergraduate and postgraduate event management papers. These courses teach students how to plan, design, implement, and critically assess event experiences across diverse contexts. Blending theory with practice, students work in teams to create and deliver real events - such as a Community Night Market and an Orienteering for Good event - born out of classroom planning activities.

Research
Following the 2023 World Leisure Congress, which took place in Otago, Dr Stu Hayes and postgraduate student Hannah McKeeman (University of Otago), in collaboration with Dr Willem Coetzee from Western Sydney University (WLCE), conducted research examining how - and to what extent - New Zealand leisure organisations foster inclusive environments for LGBTTQIA2S+ communities. Through interviews with leisure providers, the study identified a range of personal, organisational, and societal barriers and enablers to inclusion. Participants emphasised that creating truly inclusive spaces requires a collective, sector-wide commitment to allyship, accountability, and the active dismantling of discrimination. They also recognised the importance of personal growth, noting that advocating LGBTTQIA2S+ communities involves continually evolving their own perspectives and practices. The report serves both as a call to action and a practical guide, offering concrete recommendations for leisure practitioners seeking to advance LGBTTQIA2S+ inclusion and belonging - both in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally. 

Other staff members are active in interdisciplinary research addressing a range of complex social and environmental issues. One example is Good Nature, Bad Nature, a Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden-funded project led by Professor Brent Lovelock. This research investigated sociocultural values associated with invasive species and how these relationships differ across recreational and leisure settings such as hunting, fishing, and conservation volunteering. The project incorporated narratives from diverse participants, including Māori and Pasifika communities, recent migrants, and younger New Zealanders, exploring how invasive species are perceived and valued in different cultural and experiential contexts.

In addition to collaborative projects, individual academics also contribute actively to leisure research. Dr Pooneh Torabian has examined the role of arts and leisure in supporting community integration and the resettlement process for refugee women in Dunedin. Her recent study involved Afghan women participating in a series of art workshops facilitated by community-based artists. “With language being a barrier for some migrants, this series of workshops helped women with self-expression through art as an alternative way of communication,” Dr Torabian said. “The women found the workshops to be therapeutic and some of them mentioned they were helpful in working through their trauma. The last workshop led to the formation of a group of women who get together to sew every Friday. We were thrilled to see that the workshops helped women with establishing a sense of belonging and network building. I see potential in expanding the scope of this project and am looking at different avenues to pursue funding.”  Dr Torabian is now exploring Māori men's experiences of participating in an art programme to see how arts and leisure help with rehabilitation and in connecting the men with their culture: “My ultimate goal is to bring about change through my research both within and beyond academia.”

Department staff provide supervision for individual research projects at the master's, Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), and PhD levels. Many of the PhD students are tourism educators or academics from overseas universities throughout the globe. As of 2025, the Department supports approximately 130 equivalent full-time (EFT) undergraduate students enrolled in tourism courses, in addition to over 50 postgraduate master’s and PhD students.

Industry and community engagement
The department has alumni living all over the world. Many of our staff have blended academia with their prior tourism or leisure sector experiences as employees or business owners, so, our industry engagement is very organic and natural. This engagement is illustrated when we go on the several local and regional field trips as part of our teachings. Industry and community speakers contribute to such learning experiences as we explore the rich cultural and natural heritage of southern New Zealand. Our academic staff and research students undertake fieldwork around the world (e.g. Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Europe, and the Pacific Islands), often in collaboration with local and Indigenous communities. Staff are active at a local level with Dunedin Host the local tourism, events and hospitality industry group in Dunedin and also volunteer their time with not-for-profits such as Southern Heritage Trust (Dunedin) or work alongside the domestic and international tourism sector. 

Research conferences and symposia
Over the past 36 years, the Department has regularly hosted major conferences and symposia, including the 2023 World Leisure Congress, CAUTHE, ANZALS, and the ATRA International Adventure conferences. A flagship annual event is the Otago Tourism Policy School (TPS), held in Queenstown. Since its launch in 2017 under the leadership of Honorary Professor James Higham, TPS has grown into a nationally recognised forum. TPS brings together leading voices from tourism, government, and academia to tackle some of the sector’s most pressing challenges. With a strong focus on future-focused dialogue, the event welcomes international speakers, industry leaders, policymakers, and not-for-profit representatives for dynamic and solutions-driven discussions.

The 2025 TPS was fully booked, highlighting the event’s growing relevance. Staff and postgraduate students opened the programme by showcasing current departmental research during the TPS Research Forum. Key sessions featured prominent speakers such as Tourism Minister Louise Upston, who highlighted tourism’s central role in the Government’s strategy to double exports over the next decade - aligning with the event’s theme: How can we effectively resource our tourism system? In addition to formal sessions, TPS also hosts free public talks to engage the wider community. 

In conclusion
At Otago, tourism is taught through real-world experience, strong research, and deep community ties. With a focus on sustainability and inclusion, the Department is helping shape future leaders ready to build a better, more thoughtful tourism industry - in New Zealand and beyond.

More information
- www.otago.ac.nz/tourism