Year of Graduation: 1994
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After 27 months as a VSO in Tabora Region, Tanzania, Mike wrote his MSc ecotourism thesis at the Durrell Institute of Conservation & Biology (DICE) where Harold and Shaun Russell were among his main influences.

When I left DICE I worked for the conservation education NGO The Living Earth Foundation before moving to the private sector to work for a small-scale sustainable tourism operator, Symbiosis Expedition Planning. In 2001, I became a freelance consultant, continuing to work for Symbiosis who by now had opened an office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and writing on, as well as offering consultancies in tourism and conservation. My articles were printed in BBC Wildlife magazine, Geographical, Diver magazine, Wanderlust, etc. and my research included on TV in the recent BBC 'Planet Earth' series.

Throughout the links I have maintained with tourism experts from first DICE and now ICRT have been at the core of my tourism activities. For instance in the consultancies I worked on for The Travel Foundation, where among the tasks I was asked to complete were the initial monitoring and evaluation of the Gambia Is Good (GiG) Farm project, as well as in the Tourism Country Reports and Travel & Tourism Analysis reports I am regularly commissioned by Mintel International PLC to produce for their global tourism market intelligence portfolio.

Year of Graduation: 2004
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Nika graduated from the Technological Educational Institution of Athens in May 2002 with a BSc in Tourism Business Management. In July 2004 she graduated from the University of Greenwich and was awarded with an MSc in TCSD. As well as the fact that it was a thoroughly enjoyable course, it also proved to be valuable in terms of knowledge and developing her awareness on responsible tourism issues.

Additionally she developed a special interest in the relationship between protected areas and the impact of tourism on the local communities and environment. She worked for the Countryside Agency from September 2004 to the end of 2005 as a Growth Areas Adviser, Higher Executive Officer. Green Arc, Succession Planning strategy for both Thames Chase Community Forest and THERAPI, sharing policies and approaches on Growth Areas work with other Government Agencies and non-Governmental Organisations were within her responsibilities. Nika has now started a PhD in tourism planning in protected areas with a particular focus on Wales and Greece at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Year of Graduation: 2007

After ten years in IT, I was looking for a change and signed up for this degree. I am now working at the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey. My role is varied; starting as a volunteer whilst studying, I quickly became full- time (hence the long delay completeing the course) and now manage all aspects of marketing, interpretation and business planning for this small, but growing visitor attraction. It's been fulfilling being a key player in a small business from the start, and a good opportunity to hone and put to practice skills and knowledge from the course.

Year of Graduation: 2000

James has spent the last 18 months to May 2005, employed in New Zealand. Initially working for Tourism Auckland and subsequently as a Strategic Recreation Planner for the Department of Conservation. This role, based in the Bay of Plenty Conservancy, included regional strategy development, visitor monitoring and facility development. (For more information on the Department of Conservation see www.doc.govt.nz). James has recently returned to Dublin and works for a planning, landscape and environment consultancy - Brady Shipman Martin - as a planner specialising in tourism and recreation development.

Year of Graduation: 2002
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Having completed his dissertation on developing complimentary tourism products that benefit local communities, he was appointed Programme Co-ordinator of the St. Lucia Heritage Tourism Programme (SLHTP) in 2002. The SLHTP is the leading responsible tourism development agency in the Eastern Caribbean. The achievements of the SLHTP are viewed as a model for pursuing sustainable development through tourism in small and island developing states. Sylvester co-authored the EU funded project “Community-based Nature Heritage Tourism” (1998-2002), which was implemented by the then newly formed SLHTP. In 2002, he directed the development of a successor project “Tourism and Community Development” (2003-2005) which he is currently implementing. Sylvester is also currently co-ordinating the development and implementation of an OXFAM funded project to increase the access of small agricultural producers to the tourism industry in St. Lucia.

Year of Graduation: 2007
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After 27 years studying and working as a researcher/analyst in the UK, I have finally uprooted to return to my roots in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo in April 2007. Armed with my Eurocentric background, an MBA, the TCSD and a 'Wild' thesis, I have now set up as a freelancer under Symbiosis Consulting. Research however, seems to be my unwitting destiny. My first assignment with the Sabah Forestry Department involved supervising an ecotourism research project with local communities in the Kinabatangan Floodplain. Speaking of destiny, I am literally walking in my late forester father’s footsteps as the base of my next project is the Forest Research Centre. A techy assignment for the evaluation of tourism potential in Sabah forest reserves using GIS.

With more research assignments (involving community livelihoods) looming in the horizon, I will always be learning new exciting things as a freelancer and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Even with the tropical heat, mosquitoes and stifling bureaucracy, it is good to be home. Sabah has a lot to offer, not only to a budding freelance researcher but also to our visitors. With that said, Africa could be on the cards for me in October 2008.

Year of Graduation: 2003
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If you are truly passionate about bringing about sustainable forms of tourism, no matter what your personal focus is, I highly recommend that you embark on this Masters degree. I graduated with a BSc in Human Geography and an interest in responsible tourism, and the TCSD MSc has taken this interest further and developed my knowledge, understanding of and commitment to Responsible Tourism. I have also been able to specialise in my own personal interest, which is responsible dive tourism.

My MSc project, carried out alongside UNEP and Friends of Conservation, focused on assessing the possible contribution towards coral reef conservation and responsibility of the diving industry. This project led me to be offered an internship with CORAL, a well established NGO based in San Francisco, who like me are committed to working with local communities and the diving industry to bring about a more efficient and sustainable form of reef protection. I have recently been promoted to program assistant. I assist the program team on a variety of conservation programs and projects, and coordinate the international reef conservation event Dive In to Earth Day.

Year of Graduation: 2002
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Since completing his Masters in Tourism, Conservation and Sustainable Development Bongani has taken a post with the Swaziland Tourism Authority. He is responsible for promoting the concept of community tourism development in Swaziland and assisting communities to benefit from tourism. Bongani is also engaged in product development and diversification using the cultural and natural resources available in the communities.

Year of Graduation: 2005
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Richard graduated from the Masters Course in 2007 and having spent 12 years working for the independent travel agency, Trailfinders, and unfortunately failing to convince them of the worth of an RT policy he moved himself and his family to the more conducive climes of Dartmoor. As the Sustainable Tourism Officer for the National Park, Richard is responsible for the Dartmoor Charter for Sustainable Tourism, related funding bids, public transport policy and advises on recreation strategy. Having spent a year of his life cycling from Japan to Australia, the daily 10miles cycling through the Park to work is a reminder of how spectacular Britain's open spaces are!

Year of Graduation: 2001
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I have recently came back from Madagascar working as Country Coordinator for the Society for Environmental Exploration. I have been learning a great deal about the challenges that Madagascar face in conserving their biodiversity. On returning to the UK, I have gone from one extreme to another and am now working for TUI as a Sales and Product Executive and also auditing hotels through the travelife sustainability system.

 

Since graduating I have worked in the Catalonian Pyrenees and Costa Brava running adventure programmes for Pavilion Tours – a School's Tour Operator, leading groups through Costa Rica and Nicaragua with Raleigh International and also working in London as the Assistant Director of the Global Adventures Project, the gap year division of the American Institute for Foreign Study. The MSc has proved to be invaluable through all of these adventures, especially in Madagascar!

Year of Graduation: 2008
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After spending a few years in Japan and volunteering with the Japanese NGO Peaceboat, I chose the RTM program in order to pursue a career in tourism from this important perspective. I'm originally from Colorado, USA, with a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. I travelled to northern Peru for my dissertation research, where I evaluated the degree of responsible practices among local hotels, tour operators and archaeological sites in Trujillo as well as the local authorities' priorities for change. At the end of 2007 I started working as a Product Manager designing and managing escorted tours for Collette Vacations, a US tour operator based in Rhode Island.  My territory is Mexico & South America, and I especially enjoy my trips back to Peru and the opportunity to put my valuable RT studies into practice.

Current Student
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Ally is Tourism lecturer at Southend College of Further Education. She wanted to study the course to make her a better lecturer, gain industry knowledge and contacts, and to gain teaching materials from ICRT staff. Ally has been helping ICRT test City and Guilds level three qualifications for a new responsible tourism course, and has used the course to introduce new ideas in the curriculum and teaching methods in her job. 

 
"Studying Responsible Tourism Management has made me much more confident in my job. I can now share scenarios and actual events that I have been learning about on my course and discuss up-to-date issues that matter in Tourism with my students. Studying via distance learning is perfect so I can continue working and through weekend tutorials I have met other students on the course that have helped me with the curriculum."

Year of Graduation: 2001
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Justin Francis, Chief Executive and Co-Founder with Harold Goodwin of ResponsibleTravel.com. Justin worked in advertising and marketing with J.Walter Thompson and The Body Shop before setting up responsibletravel.com with Harold Goodwin in 2001. He is a trustee of the Government's new Foundation for Sustainable Tourism and has carried out consultancy work for ABTA and AITO. Justin has a passion for wildlife and Africa and spent a year travelling independently from Kenya to South Africa (with a tent and some luck).

Year of Graduation: 1999
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Miriam spent one semester with us in 1999 participating in the course and then returning to Peru where she worked for CENFOTUR on community based tourism around the Northern Circuit. More recently, she worked as the Director of Development for Tourist Products in Peru working for Vice Minister of Tourism at the MINCETUR. She is now based in Cajamarca and works as General Manager for a MIF-IADB (INTER AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK) PROYECT:  "The development of The Northern Tourist Circuit of Perú" , which extends to four regions: Cajamarca, La Libertad, Lambayeque and Amazonas.

Year of Graduation: 2003
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Michael, a German national, has gained expertise in the areas of responsible tourism, development economics and sustainable development through his studies, his professional experiences and travels to more than 55 countries.

His university background is in Law (Münster, Paris), International Relations (Toulouse), Responsible Tourism Management (Greenwich) and Pro-poor Tourism (Münster), and his Ph.D. dissertation dealt with maximising tourism's contribution to poverty reduction in Rwanda. He is occasionally lecturing at universities in Germany and Rwanda. As an independent consultant since 2003, Michael coordinated project teams in Rwanda and Ghana, and advised tourism operations in a variety of countries. He is the Founder and Director General of Rwanda-based New Dawn Associates Ltd (NDA), a social enterprise that works at the crossroads of tourism and sustainable development. He also serves as President of the German NGO Sustainable Development through Tourism e.V. (SDT).

More information: www.newdawnassociates.com, www.sd-tourism.org

Year of Graduation: 2009
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Rosie is a fully trained market research consultant with approximately 8 years global experience, in both qualitative and quantitative techniques, gained across Edinburgh, London and Sydney based agencies. She is currently studying for the MSc and undertaking her thesis on the barriers to pro-responsible behavioural change in independent western tourists to the Mekong region. During her year Rosie proved herself and was offered several opportunities for consultancy: she has conducted market reserarch for responsible tourism in Sri Lanka as part of an ICRT team, and then we offered her the chance to extend this line of work using mixed methods in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, this time within an International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group. While she didn’t have tourism experience before the course, Rosie is now part of our regular list of alumni we call for collaborative projects.

Current Student
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Having completed my BA (Hons) Tourism Operations and Marketing in 1998 I then travelled for a year before commencing work in the tourism industry. I have worked for a variety of tour operators both in the UK and abroad before working for Thomas Cook as Senior Recoveries Executive. Working in mass tourism highlights the negative impacts tourism brings more than any other area of tourism and this was the main reason I chose to study for the MSc. I am now Partnership Co-ordinator for the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Area Tourism Partnership and I am based in the Yorkshire Dales. My role will help develop the promotion and sustainable development of the area whilst enhancing the contribution of tourism to the local economy.

Year of Graduation: 2003
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Prior to the MSc my career was in financial services and travel, but my passions were nature, wildlife and meeting new people. My travel experiences had highlighted the importance of finding sustainable solutions to harnessing natural and cultural heritage for tourism and I wanted to make a difference that would count. The taught modules of the Tourism, Conservation and Sustainable Development MSc expanded my knowledge and perspective, and following my dissertation (the socio-economic impacts of tourism and second home ownership on rural communities) I took the position of Sustainable Tourism Development Manager for the Yorkshire Dales.

I soon began working with Screen Yorkshire, the Regional Screen Agency, and it became clear that location filming could provide a valuable low impact stimulus for rural and urban economies. In 2005 I took the position of Head of Locations & Inward Investment for Screen East, the Regional Screen Agency for the East of England, and I love it as I feel I'm really making a difference to sustainable tourism development.

Year of Graduation: 2003
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This was a really thought provoking course. Tutors and lecturers were excellent and helpful, and the relationships with my classmates sharing similar passions are precious assets for myself. This course developed my knowledge and skills, and my MSc project gave me a basic idea for PhD research at Nottingham Trent University. I am interested in host communities of tourism and cultural heritage site management. The title of my PhD research is "The impact of World Heritage Site designation on local communities - a comparative study of Ogimachi (Japan) and Saltaire (UK)", and I have just been awarded a PhD with minor corrections.

Current Student
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I came to the course with a background in tour operating and an interest in sustainable development issues. I am currently working with a tsunami relief organization in North Andaman, Thailand. Many of coastal communities in this region were devastated by the tsunami and the organization is now helping tsunami-impacted communities return to economic stability by developing and marketing Community-Based Tourism (CBT). The area is ripe for tourism development and it is hoped that CBT will give traditional fishing communities a more equitable stake in the inevitable expansion of tourism to the region.

Current Student
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I have 18 years work experience in the fields of Economic Development, Regeneration & Planning in both the public and private sector. My work experience has included project and programme management, area investment frameworks and funding bids, partnership development, action plans and development briefs, environmental impact assessments, development control and urban capacity studies/housing strategies and policy monitoring. I am currently Manager and lead officer for the Brighton & Hove Area Investment Framework and I work for Brighton & Hove City Council. My interest in responsible tourism management stems from my interest in local economic development and personal travel experiences.

Year of Graduation: 2005

I am working as a programme officer for the Energy and Environment for United Nations Development Programme in FYR Macedonia. Through programming of the country office activities and projects, I am mainly dealing with issues on protected area nature conservation, sustainable local development and local level applications of global warming/climate change abatement initiatives. These issues inevitably include tourism. I hope to continue exploring the area, which focuses on sustainable development especially from conservation and local economic development perspectives.

Year of Graduation: 2006
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Following 17 years in the hotel industry primarily in international sales, and three and a half years in business travel, I moved back home to Kent to study for the MSc. My research thesis looked at the impact of CSR on the procurement and management of business travel. During my studies I joined the Kent Downs AONB Unit as Sustainable Tourism Officer where for four years I delivered a series of EU funded projects that laid the foundations for a Kent-wide rollout as well as the first stage of gaining Europarc Sustainable Tourism Charter Status. Key to this role was finding the balance between economic development and landscape conservation.

Drawing on this experience I am now working as a freelance responsible tourism consultant, still based in Kent where I am also setting up the Kent Sustainable Tourism Network. In addition, I am an Associate of Wild Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Year of Graduation: 2007
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Catherine studied the UK’s travel print media for her MSc Research, culminating in an extensive content analysis of four months’ travel articles in ten national papers. Seeing a gap in the media’s commitment to the responsible tourism movement, she went on to study travel journalism and is now a freelance travel writer specialising in RT. She has been published in The Daily Telegraph, The Observer, The Independent, The Times. Metro, Green Parent Magazine, The Week, and The Irish Sunday Tribune, all articles with an RT angle. Catherine writes a fortnightly column for The Irish Times, called Ethical Traveller. See www.irishtimes.com. Her first book, Ecoescape:Ireland was published in June 2008, (www.ecoescape.org) and she completed a new RT handbook commissioned by Failte Ireland (the Irish Tourist Board) and Greenbox end 2008.  Catherine's own websites www.ethicaltraveller.co.uk and www.ethicaltraveller.ie will go live early 2009. Catherine is Irish, living in SE London.

Year of Graduation: 2008
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Lucy is a community development professional with varied experience in urban regeneration in the UK, and in international development in Mali, The Gambia, India, and Jamaica.  She also has an academic background in Social Anthropology of Development (MA) having studied at SOAS, University of London, in 1999.

After completing her MSc in Responsible Tourism Management (University of Greenwich), Lucy has recently started work as a research consultant for PLB Consulting Ltd which offers a range of cultural and natural heritage and design services.  Her key areas of interest are in research, community consultation and participation, sustainable development, and managing the social and cultural impacts of tourism and tourist-host interaction.

Year of Graduation: 2007
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Originally from Toronto, Canada, Laura held a BA in Leisure, Tourism and Society specializing in ecotourism and cultural/heritage studies from the University of Calgary before beginning the MSc RTM program. Upon completion of the MSc, Laura returned to Toronto where she worked as a contract researcher and consultant for several consulting firms for heritage and tourism projects in Canada and around the world. In 2007, Laura founded The Responsible Traveller (www.theresponsibletraveller.ca) to begin developing a register of responsible tourism experiences in Canada.

In November 2008, Laura launched the ICRT Canada (www.icrtcanada.ca) with a vision to develop responsible tourism in Canada, in particular in Canada's rural, aboriginal and northern communities - promoting the development of authentic and unique natural, cultural and community-based tourism initiatives through awareness raising, training workshops, relevant research and advisory services. Laura was also recently appointed as Tourism Product Development Coordinator for the Alberta Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Recreation in western Canada.

Year of Graduation: 2001
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I am still working at MidKent college but now as the 14-19 Manager – I am a response to a Government Agenda!  More seriously my current role involves working with local secondary schools and the local authorities to develop collaborative courses and ensure the most appropriate curriculum is available for all 14-19 year olds in Medway and Maidstone.  I continue my tourism and heritage interests as Chair of Chatham’s World Heritage Partnership, ensuring the community involvement in Chatham’s project to take forward its World Heritage application.  As this was broadly speaking the subject of my dissertation when I did the MSc in Tourism, Conservation and Sustainable development back in 2000 it is very much ‘unfinished business’ and my Masters was certainly instrumental in my securing the position.

Year of Graduation: 1999
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Stephen was appointed as the Responsible Tourism Manager for Exodus Travel at the end of 1999 and has worked for the company in several capacities since 1991. After successfully completing the MSc in 1999 he helped to direct the company Responsible Tourism policy for a decade. Exodus was highly commended in the BA Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2002 and was awarded Joint Overall Winner Responsible Tourism Awards 2004. Stephen moved on from Exodus and now has a key role for helping to promote local tourism worldwide at www.tourdust.com.

Current Student
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Sean is Environmental Manager at TUI UK, a position for which only two ICRT students were shortlisted. Through the course we work closely with Sean to test ideas for incorporating sustainability in new product development and reviewing the company’s product portfolio, his main responsibility in the company. It’s very enjoyable to have Sean in the course because it brings that reality check, while also allowing us to understand, within the limits of confidentiality, where industry is going.

"I wanted to change career and as an ex-manager for hotels overseas, I now work with other hoteliers working towards more sustainable operations, both within resorts and in the community. The relevance of the course modules no doubt boosted my candidacy for the role with TUI and my confidence in performing so far."

Year of Graduation: 2001
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Helen returned from two years in New Zealand in August 2007 and now works for Audley Travel as a New Zealand specialist. Audley are keen promoters of responsible travel and are in the process of developing responsible travel guides to go in to all client itineraries. Helen recently wrote this guide for New Zealand and is the representative for her team as part of company-wide RT development.  Helen also continues to support Creative Tourism New Zealand, for whom she did voluntary work whilst in NZ.

Year of Graduation: 2009
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Alison works in the Green Start project of Visit Britain through a partnership with the ICRT. While doing her MSc Responsible Tourism Management she has also worked in campaigns for the English National Park Authorities Association. She is a Senior Advisor (Associate) for Forum for the Future on tourism, a member of Green Alliance, the Office of Science and Technology’s Future Analysts Network and former Board Director of Studentforce for Sustainability. Alison already holds a Masters in Sustainable Development and a BSc in Environmental Science. She is fluent in Spanish having worked with VSO for a year on sustainable tourism projects in Costa Rica where she still has strong links. She boasts a strong track record in business development, environmental policy, campaigns and influencing decision makers. Alison is passionate about responsible tourism and has a solid network of contacts in tourism, business and the environment movement.

Year of Graduation: 2000
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Since completing the MSc in 2000 I have worked in a number of roles and countries. I spent a year working at the ICRT, followed by time working on the development website Eldis. I then spent 3 years in Madagascar doing long and short term consultancies and projects on sustainable tourism. These included managing a year long project with tourism businesses in Madagascar and Mauritius that introduced them to principles and practices of sustainability. Back in the UK I carried on doing consultancies, including developing community based tourism guidelines for Rwanda. Life changed a lot in November 2007 when I had a baby, Ida, and I have been enjoying motherhood in Brighton since then. I am now going to begin a new and interesting phase working as a Development Officer for the Hidden Britain project in the South East of England where I will be working with rural communities around the region to help them develop and manage tourism.

Year of Graduation: 1999
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My masters project had a big influence on my current career - developing sustainable tourism in Scotland. My project on marine wildlife tourism on the Island of Mull (off the west coast of Scotland) opened my eyes to the tremendous potential Britain has for nature-based tourism.

On completion of my masters, I worked as a research assistant for the International Centre for Responsible Tourism where I undertook further research on whale-watching for the Dept of the Environment. Following this, I moved to Inverness as Development Officer for the Tourism and Environment Forum (TEF), which works to ensure that Scottish tourism develops sustainably and is about to become the Scottish Sustainable Tourism Unit. During my time at TEF, I led the development of the nature tourism sector in Scotland and in September 2005, I left the Forum to become manager of a new organisation called Wild Scotland. This business-led group is Scotland's wildlife and nature tourism operators association and aims to raise the profile of wildlife-watching in Scotland and promote responsible access - www.wild-scotland.org.uk. This role is part-time as I'm hoping to do other smaller projects with my remaining days.

Year of Graduation: 1999
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My dissertation looked at the impact of tourism on a community in western Uganda and the research and my involvement in a national workshop for community tourism entrepreneurs led to a job with the Uganda Community Tourism Association. Botswana followed Uganda, when I joined the Kuru Family of Organisations as a Tourism Advisor. Kuru works with marginalised communities, primarily the San (Bushmen). ‘Voices of the San’ is both a beautiful and compelling book (I know I’m biased, but it’s also true), developed through transcription of oral history interviews and the use of many images.

For details see www.responsibletourismpartnership.org/VoicesoftheSan.pdf

Following Botswana I headed for Gabon, to develop a proposal for a similar book on the tribal groups living in and around the national parks, which is awaiting funding.  I returned to the UK and stayed longer than expected due to family circumstances, but then returned to Botswana for a few months, to put together a booklet on ‘The Khwe’s use of veld plants for food and medicine’.

Year of Graduation: 2001
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After graduating with an MSc in TCSD I worked in tourism and leisure research for a few years before moving to my current position as a Consultant with PLB Consulting in August 2005. I am responsible for business and interpretive planning for natural and cultural heritage sites and have also developed a thorough understanding of the principles of access and audience development. Community consultation is at the heart of audience development planning, which identifies barriers to access and engagement with heritage sites and provides recommendations for overcoming those barriers. During my time at PLB I have produced business, interpretive and audience development plans for a range of clients throughout the UK, many of them designed to meet Heritage Lottery Fund guidelines in order to support bids for funding. Having travelled widely before undertaking my MSc I am hoping that I will soon be in a position to develop my overseas experience.