Senior Lecturer in Tourism and Events Management
I was awarded my PhD in tourism studies from the University of Bedfordshire. My doctoral thesis examined the interrelationship between Pakistani ethnic identity and participation in tourism amongst the Pakistani diaspora living in Luton (United Kingdom). Theoretically, my work largely takes on board postcolonial perspectives to interpret the relationship between tourism and ethnicity. My research agenda is largely ethnographic, operating within an interpretive framework to investigate tourism’s relationship with such characteristics of identity as religion, culture, race, and diaspora. I am part of the Critical Tourism Studies (CTS) network and in my spare time I enjoy watching cricket.
Professional Memberships
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- British Sociological Association
- The Tourism Society
Qualifications
- PhD in Tourism Studies – University of Bedfordshire
- Postgraduate Certificate in Higher and Professional Education (PgCHPE) – Staffordshire University
- MA Social Policy – Middlesex University
- BA (Hons) Sociology – Middlesex University
Teaching Expertise
- Subject Area: Tourism Studies and Events Management
- Course Leader: BA (Hons) Event Management and MSc Tourism and Events Management
- Undergraduate Teaching: The Business of Events, Events: Themes and Perspectives, and Issues in Event Management
- Postgraduate Teaching: Events Management, and Communication Strategies for Events
- PhD, Postgraduate and Undergraduate Dissertation Supervision: Tourism and Events
Research Interests
- Migration, diaspora and geographies of identity
- Diaspora tourism and critical issues in tourism studies
- Qualitative, interpretive and reflexive research methodologies
Research Projects
- Community Migration Heritage: Connecting Past, Present and Future Voices of Pakistani Travellers (funded by the Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) ‘Research Investment Programme’: University of Bedfordshire) 2012-
- The Significance of Ethnic Identity upon Tourism Participation within the Pakistani Community (funded by the University of Bedfordshire) 2002-2008
External Roles
- External Examiner for BA (Hons) Tourism Management, BA (Hons) International Tourism Management, and BA (Hons) Management in Tourism for University of Central Lancashire (UCLan, England, United Kingdom)
- External Examiner for MA Events Management and MA Events Marketing for London Metropolitan University (London Met, England, United Kingdom)
Publications
Chapter in Books
- (2012) Events Design, in: N. Ferdinand and P. Kitchin (eds.) Events Management: An International Approach, pp.51-69, London: Sage.
- (2011) Researcher Reflexivity in Tourism Studies Research: Dynamical Dances with Emotions, in: I. Ateljevic, A. Pritchard and N. Morgan (eds.) The Critical Turn in Tourism Studies: Creating an Academy of Hope, 2nd edition, pp. 13-26, Oxon: Routledge.
- (2011) Tourism's Role in National Identity Formulation for the United Kingdom's Pakistani Diaspora, in: E. Frew and L. White (eds.) Tourism and National Identity: An International Perspective, pp. 80-92, London: Routledge (co-authored with Andrew Holden)
- (2010) Tourism, Travel and Islamophobia: Post 9/11 Journeys of Muslims in Non-Muslim States, in: J. Jafari and N. Scott (eds.) Tourism and the Muslim World, pp. 235-251, Bingley, England: Emerald (co-authored with Marcus Stephenson).
- (2007) ‘Researcher Reflexivity: a stranger amongst my ‘own’?’ in C. Harris and M. Van Hal (Eds.) The Critical Turn in Tourism Studies: Promoting and Academy of Hope?: Book of Papers, pp. 5-16, University of Wales Institute Cardiff: Wales, Wageningen University: The Netherlands, Institute for Tourism: Croatia.
Articles
- (2010) Researching Diaspora Tourism: Journeys of the UK Pakistani Community to the Ancestral Homeland, LSA Newsletter, No. 87, November 2010, pp. 10-18.
- (2009) ‘Worldmaking Agency – Worldmaking Authority: The Sovereign Constitutive Role of Tourism’, Tourism Geographies, 11 (4), pp. 427-443 (co-authored with Keith Hollinshead and Irena Ateljevic).
- (2009) ‘Special Issue Endnote: Tourism and Worldmaking - Where do we go from here?’, Tourism Geographies, 11 (4), pp. 546-552 (co-authored with Irena Ateljevic and Keith Hollinshead).
- (2006) ‘Post-colonial Pakistani Mobilities: the embodiment of the ‘myth of return’ in tourism’, Mobilities, 1, 2, pp. 217-242 (co-authored with Andrew Holden).
Journal Special Issues
- (2009) Tourism and Worldmaking, Tourism Geographies, 11 (4) (co-edited with Irena Ateljevic and Keith Hollinshead).
Recent Conference Presentations
- (2011) ‘Women, Diaspora Tourism and Diasporic Networking: The Role of Pakistani Migrant Women in Maintaining Connections with the Ancestral Homeland’ paper presented at the 1st International Conference on Emerging Research Paradigms in Business and Social Sciences, 22nd-24th November, Dubai: UAE. (Best Paper Award)
- (2009) ‘Methods Mutiny in Tourism Studies Research: when the informant takes over!’ paper presented at the 3rd International Critical Tourism Studies Conference: Connecting Academies of Hope: Creative Vistas and Critical Visions, 21st-24th June, Zadar: Croatia.
- (2007) ‘Researcher Reflexivity: a stranger amongst my ‘own’?’ paper presented at the 2nd International Critical Tourism Studies Conference: The Critical Turn in Tourism Studies: Promoting and Academy of Hope? 20th-23rd June 2007, Split: Croatia.
- (2006) ‘The significance of ethnic identities upon tourism participation within the Pakistani community’, paper presented at the 3rd Graduate Research in Tourism Conference, 25th-28th May 2006, Canakkale: Turkey
- (2005) ‘Post-colonial Pakistani Mobilities: the embodiment of the ‘myth of return’ in tourism’, paper presented at the Centre for Tourism Policy Studies 4th International Symposium The End of Tourism? Mobility and Local-Global Connections, 23rd-24th June 2005, University of Brighton: Eastbourne (presented with Andrew Holden)
- (2005) ‘The Embodiment of Diasporic Identities in Tourism’, paper presented at the 2nd Annual Conference of The Centre for Liverpool and Merseyside Conference: ‘Identities’, 31st March-1st April 2005, Edgehill University College, Ormskirk: Lancashire.
Contact Details
T: +44 (0)1582 743132
E: nazia.ali@beds.ac.uk
