Keynote Speakers

Dr. Lynn Minnaert is the Academic Director and a Clinical Associate Professor at the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality at New York University.
Lynn’s research has focused on international tourism policy, social tourism, family tourism, the social legacy of events (MICE events, Olympic Games) and corporate philanthropy in tourism and events. Her research has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (UK), the European Union, the International Olympic Committee, regional and national tourist boards (e.g. Tourism Flanders; Visit Almaty, Kazakhstan; Discover Dominica) and Meeting Professionals International. She is on the Editorial Board of Hotel and Tourism Management, and on the International Advisory Board for the International Journal of Contemporary Tourism Research. She is Co-President of the International Sociological Association’s RC50 special interest group on Tourism. She is also a board member of the Northeast chapter of the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA).

Scott McCabe is Professor of Marketing and Tourism at the Nottingham University Business School, where he joined as a Lecturer in 2007.
Scott’s research has focused on broader aspects of the psychology and social psychology of tourist consumer behavior and decision-making, including emotions, attitudes and choice processes, particularly in pro-social and pro-environmental tourist consumption, and responsible behavior. Scott is interested in the qualities of tourist experiences, and how they are designed and marketed.
Since 2006, he has been working on a program of research on the motivations, experiences and outcomes of holiday experiences for severely disadvantaged UK consumers. Working with a range of small and large charities, his research has helped to promote the concept of ‘social tourism’ in the U.K., influencing policy and practice, raising public awareness and establishing a link between holidays and subjective wellbeing outcomes. His work on social tourism is recognised internationally, and he has worked alongside European colleagues and beyond to make the case for social inclusion through tourism.
He has been a member of the International Sociological Association since 2004 and is the current Vice President for the Research Committee (50) on International Tourism. He is also an elected Fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism and is the current co-Editor in Chief of Annals of Tourism Research.

Bodil Stilling Blichfeldt is Associate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark.
Research of particular interest in relation to the conference includes research on healthy ageing with nature; discursive representations of older adults; intergenerational family relations in a holiday perspective; and tourism for people with disabilities. Research on active ageing with nature draws on interpretive ontologies and innovative qualitative research. Main results are published in Knudsen, E. D., B. S. Blichfeldt & J. Liburd (2021): How engaging with nature can facilitate active healthy ageing. Forthcoming in Tourism Geographies and in Knudsen, E. D. & B. S. Blichfeldt (2020): To walk the talk of go-along methods: Navigating the unknown terrains of being-along. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 20(5): 438-458. Research on discursive representations of older adults in vacation marketing is published in articles such as Blichfeldt, B. S. & K. M. Smed (2019): ´Do it forever’: Discursive representations of older adults and sexualities in vacation marketing. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 25(2): 264-276. Research on intergenerational family relations and holidays covers changes in travel patterns over the course of the lifecycle as well as three-generational travelling. This stream of research is published in articles such as Mikkelsen, M. V. & B. S. Blichfeldt (2018): Grand parenting by the pool. Young Consumers, 19(2): 127-140; Blichfeldt, B. S. (2008): The habit of holidays. Tourist Studies, 7(3): 249-269 and Blichfeldt, B. S. (2007): A nice vacation: Variations in experience aspirations and travel careers. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 13(2): 149-164. Finally, research on the difficulties with travelling and tourism for people with disabilities covers both demand- and supply-side perspectives and has been published in articles such as Nicolaisen, J., B. S. Blichfeldt & F. Sonnenschein (2012): Medical and social models of disability: A tourism providers’ perspective. World Leisure Journal, 54(3): 201-214 and Blichfeldt, B. S. & J. Nicolaisen (2011): Disabled travel: Not easy, but doable. Current Issues in Tourism, 14(1): 74-102.

Degree in Business Administration and Management (2005) and Master in Tourism Management and Planning (2010) from the University of Vigo. PhD in Business Management and Management (2009) from the University of Vigo, obtaining the cum laude qualification, as well as the extraordinary PhD award with the title: “Tourism Marketing for People with Disabilities. The Accessible Tourism Product”.
Assistant Professor of the Department of Business Organization and Marketing (University of Vigo), since 2005. At the University of Vigo, she has taught at the Faculty of Business Stciences and Tourism, Faculty of Computing Science and Faculty of Aerospace, and she has participated in different PhD programs such as the Interuniversity of Thermal Engineering or the Integrated Business Administration. She teaches in the Master of Creation, Management and Innovation of Companies or of Tourism Management and Planning too. She collaborates with different universities, nationals and internationals. She has also given numerous training courses to institutions and private companies in the field of innovation and creativity. As well as made stays focused on the teaching field in Veracruz (Mexico) or in Izmir (Turkey).
Her research activity is focused on the area of tourism marketing for people with disabilities and elderly people, the relationship between both, and their relationship with the new technologies and events through the legacy. She has published several scientific contributions in international prestige journals (Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Disability and Rehabilitation, Social Indicators Research, Tourism Economics, Current Issues in Tourism, International Journal on Disability and Human Development, Journal of Global Information Management or Journal of Vacation Marketing, among others) and in national and international books. She is a reviewer in international and national journals.
She has been invited as lecturer and speaker from different universities in national and international conferences, symposia or workshops. She has also directed / participated in various national competitive research projects and has made research stays in the University of Deusto (Bilbao), University of Brasilia (Brazil), University of Technology Sydney (Australia) or Dokuz Eylul University, (Turkey).