Staff Profile
Dr Minoo Esfehani
Lecturer in Sustainable Tourism and Events
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I earned my PhD at the University of Otago, New Zealand, in 2017, specializing in the field of tourism planning. After PhD, I embarked on an exciting journey, researching and lecturing in South Africa as a post-doctoral researcher until 2019.
I am an academic at York St John University in the United Kingdom, with over 14 years of extensive international experience. My areas of expertise and interests lie in sustainable tourism and events, with a particular focus on policy, socio-cultural justice, ecotourism in protected areas (both natural and cultural), and climate change.
I have a diverse range of experiences in lecturing, research, and hands-on fieldwork, as well as advisory support in business. Over the years, I have collaborated with universities, industry, local authorities, and international organizations (UNESCO, IUCN, GGN) across various countries, including New Zealand, South Africa, Mozambique, Iran, and the UK. This global exposure has enriched my understanding of tourism sustainability and its profound implications in our daily lives.
I possess professional experience in managing sustainability projects within the public and industry sectors, particularly in the domains of climate change, UNESCO heritage recognition, and national park development. In my teaching role, I draw upon my industry-related experiences and real-world examples to help my students grasp the relationship between academia and the business environment.
Beyond my professional pursuits, I am a passionate traveller who embraces the opportunity to explore and research diverse corners of the world. You can follow me on LinkedIn.
- School – York Business School
- Email – m.esfehani@yorksj.ac.uk
Publications
Publications
- Esfehani, M. H. (2023. Under preparation). Sustainable Event Tourism Typology.
- Ghaderi, Z., Esfehani, M. H. (2121), Community attitude and altruistic behaviours towards conservation: the application of Reciprocal Altruism Theory. Journal of Ecotourism, DOI. 10.1080/14724049.2021.1991934.
- Esfehani, M. H., Abooali. G. (2020). Planning and provision for event tourism in National Parks: challenges and implications, African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 9(1).
- Esfehani, M. H., & Albrecht, J. N. (2019). Planning for intangible cultural heritage in tourism: challenges and implications. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 43(7), 980-1001.
- Esfehani, M. H. (2019). Intangible cultural heritage in tourism strategy. In Correia, A., Metin, K. & Rodrigues, I (Eds.), Experiencing Persian Heritage (Bridging Tourism Theory and Practice) (Vol. 10, pp. 65-79). Bingley, UK: Emerald Publication.
- Lucrezi, S., Esfehani, M. H., Ferretti, E., & Cerrano, C. (2019). The effects of stakeholder education and capacity building in marine protected areas: A case study from southern Mozambique. Marine Policy, 108, 103645.
- Esfehani, M. H., & Walters, T. (2018). Lost in translation? Cross-language thematic analysis in tourism and hospitality research. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 30 (11), 3158-3174.
- Esfehani, M. H., & Albrecht, J. N. (2018). Roles of intangible cultural heritage in tourism in natural protected areas. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 13(1), 15-29.
- Esfehani, M. H. (2016), where culture and nature meet: recreating spiritual and religious practices for site management and governance in Takht-e Soleyman Lake, Iran. Verschuuren. B & Furuta, (Eds.), Asian Sacred Natural Sites: Philosophy and Practice in Protected Areas and Conservation (pp. 274-286). NY: Routledge.
Presentations/Invited talks
I presented at a wide range of academic and industry conferences, symposiums, and workshops in multiple countries.
