Dr. Gaitree Vanessa Gowreesunkar

Dr Gaitree (Vanessa) Gowreesunkar obtained her PhD in the field of Tourism Management, Communication and Marketing. This was a merit scholarship based on her outstanding academic achievement. She was awarded a second scholarship by the University Grants Commission (India) to pursue her doctoral study at the Faculty of Management Studies of the University of Delhi. Vanessa was a Gold Medalist for her first degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, following which the Ministry of Tourism conferred her an award for her outstanding achievement in tourism. She has is lecturer/researcher by profession and she has more than 10 years of teaching experience in international universities. She is currently serving as Senior Lecturer and Head of Department at the University of Africa (Bayelsa State, Nigeria). Vanessa has also worked in a number of educational institutions (local and international) and has successfully completed different research projects relating to her area of expertise. She is an editorial board member of several scientific journals, and is also an active reviewer for many international journals. She has participated in various tourism conferences (local and international) and has a number of publications in international peer refereed journals. From a community-based perspective, Dr Vanessa assumes the role of President for the African Network for Policy, Research and Advocacy for Sustainability (www.anpras.org), a regional Non-Governmental Association for Africa. In this respect, she has been engaged in various local and African projects in community based tourism, sustainable tourism, social entrepreneurship, informal entrepreneurship and the Sustainable Development Goal. Dr Vanessa also serves as cluster secretary at the African Union, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOCC) Woman and Gender unit. Moreover, she assumes the role of National Coordinator for WAELE (Women Advancement for Economic and Leadership Empowerment – (www.waelearcelfa.org), an international organisation which caters for the cause of women, widows and young girls Dr Vanessa’s research interest includes woman and gender issues in tourism, women leadership in management and marketing, women entrepreneurship, sustainable tourism, and island tourism.