Keynote speakerS

Tuesday 8 February 12:00 - 12:45 (AEST)

KEYNOTE ADDRESS 1: INDIGENOUS TOURISM: WHAT IS IT?

Dr Valerie Cooms Chair of the Quandamooka Yoolooburabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC) Dr Valerie Cooms belongs to the Quandamooka people.  Prior to joining the Commonwealth Public Service, Valerie worked as a Nurse in Cunnamulla where she joined the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program to work with Professor Fred Hollows.  Valerie has worked in various Commonwealth government roles including the Department of Aboriginal Affairs' Health Policy, ATSIC's Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and Native Title. Valerie was the founding CEO of Queensland South Native Title Services and served as a Member of the National Native Title Tribunal.  Valerie is currently the Chair of the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Registered Native Title Body Corporate as well as Minjerribah Camping.  Valerie is an Adjunct Professor at Griffith University and is also a Director of Indigenous Business Australia, Aboriginal Hostels Limited, North Queensland Airport and TAFE Queensland.

Wednesday 9 February 10:00 - 10:45 (AEST)

KEYNOTE ADDRESS 2: TOURISM RESILIENCE IN THE NEXT NORMAL

Professor Girish Prayag University of Canterbury, New Zealand Girish Prayag is a Professor of Marketing in the Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. His past and current research interests include organizational resilience, disaster tourism, place attachment, tourist behaviour and destination marketing. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in tourism, hospitality and marketing journals. He is a co-author of the book, Tourism and Resilience and his latest co-authored book looks at Sense of Place and Place Attachment in Tourism. He is on the editorial board of several tourism journals and is the editor of method and practice for the journal Current Issues in Tourism. One of his project on sustainability practices of international visitors to the Canterbury region, prior to COVID-19, was done in collaboration with ChristchurchNZ, the local destination management organization for the region, based on a grant from the Tourism Industry New Zealand Trust (TINZT).