Italian Laurea cum laude (University of Bari, Italy), PhD (University of Bari, Italy)
Professor of Marketing and Tourism
Department: Marketing, Tourism and AnalyticsE-mail: marina.novelli@nottingham.ac.ukTel: +44 (0) 115 9515491
Location: B73 (North Building, Jubilee Campus)
Marina is Director of the Sustainable Travel and Tourism Advanced Research Centre (STTAR-C) and Professor of Marketing and Tourism at Nottingham University Business School. She joined the University of Nottingham in October 2023. She is a geographer with a background in economics, and 25 years' experience of high-quality research, consultancy, knowledge exchange, PhD supervision, teaching and curriculum development and a keen interest in interdisciplinary research. She is an internationally renowned policy, planning and sustainable development expert and has advised on numerous international cooperation and research assignments funded by International Development Organisations (IDOs) including The World Bank, the European Union, The UN (UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO), the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Millennium Challenge Corporation as well as National Ministries, Tourism Boards, Regional Development Agencies and NGOs. She is known globally for her excellence in leading and collaborating with multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder and multi-cultural teams and for her commitment to generating new knowledge on ways in which tourism can play a key role in sustainable development by stimulating local economies, conserving the environment, developing people and changing lives.
Areas of ExpertiseAreas of Expertise: sustainable tourism policy, planning and development; niche tourism development, management and marketing; community-based tourism; tourism at time of health crisis (i.e. Ebola and COVID); rural diversification; responsible tourism; tourism in the developing world; travel philanthropy.
Marina is:
- Director of the Sustainable Travel and Tourism Advanced Research Centre (STTAR Centre) - https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/business/who-we-are/centres-and-institutes/sttar-c/index.aspx
- Leverhulme International Fellow (2024 extended till June 2025)
- Elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
- Elected Fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism
- Member of The World Economic Forum Global Future Council for the Future of Sustainable Tourism
- Member of The World Economic Forum Global Future Council for the Future of Entertainment and Lifestyle Economy.
- Alternate Member of the UNWTO World Committee on Tourism Ethics
Between 2018 and 2021 she served as REF2021 panellist for UOA-C24: Sport, Tourism and Leisure.
The following lists my publications from 2014 to the present day.
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Marina has a research-led teaching approach. Her teaching is filled with knowledge emerging from her extensive portfolio of research and consultancy engagements, which makes it unique. Drawing on her extensive network of collaborators and practical experiences, she provides students with the opportunity to engage with ‘real world’ issues.
She contributes to the following modules:
BUSI2019 Managing and Marketing Tourism
BUSI4575 Sustainable Tourism Management
LinkedIn
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/marina-novelli-84205325
Four Scenarios for the Future of Travel and Tourism - Briefing Paper May 2025
The Future of Travel & Tourism: Navigating a Changing Landscape ✈️
The World Economic Forum and Kearney have just launched an exciting new report exploring how the #travel and #tourism sector is evolving as we approach 2030. Driven by technological advancements, shifting consumer behaviors, and global socioeconomic transformations, the industry's future is complex yet full of promise.
To thrive in this dynamic environment, organizations must explore key trends, embrace #innovation, and prepare for potential challenges. How will geopolitical shifts, economic fragmentation, and #sustainability priorities shape the travel ecosystem? What strategies will help stakeholders mitigate risks and unlock opportunities for inclusive growth?
Understanding these scenarios is essential for businesses, policymakers, and travelers alike. By fostering collaboration and forward-thinking strategies, we can navigate uncertainty and build a more resilient, sustainable, and exciting future for travel.
World Economic Forum - Four Scenarios for the Future of Travel and Tourism - Briefing Paper May 2025
As social scientist, Marina's research holds the role of the community at the centre of whatever she does. She is particularly interested in the debates on tourism governance, policy and practice in relation to Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and how this plays out on the ground, how it is contested, challenged and resisted and most importantly how these contribute (or not) to more resilient communities.
Marina's has over 20 years of research and consultancy experience in the field of: diagnostic, monitoring and evaluation studies; policy, governance and institutional development; destination planning and sustainable product development and value chain management; community centred interventions; cultural industries and arts for sustainable development; HRD - training needs analysis, capacity building, train-the trainers and curriculum development; service standards and optimisation processes in hospitality and tourism.
She has worked in several countries, including: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, The Gambia, Ghana, India, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, UAE (Dubai), UK, USA, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Marina's PhD supervisory interests are closely aligned with her research interest and experience. These include:
- Sustainable Tourism Development for Resilient Communities - i.e. the complexity of tourism development in the Global South; niche (tourism) product development, management and marketing; the impact of heath crisis on tourism communities (i.e. Ebola, COVID); healthy lifestyle tourism development and management; Local, National and IDOs' interventions for sustainability and resilient communities; travel philanthropy, serious leisure and the act of giving beyond volunteering;
- Innovation, responsible entrepreneurship and sustainability in tourism - community-based and responsible tourism approaches; circular economy, contemporary arts and community development, contemporary arts for sustainable development in Africa; rural diversification and regeneration through tourism.
- Policy, Planning and Governance - i.e. master-planning; training needs analysis and capacity building; responsible leadership; participatory and community centred development; capacity building processes and practices; overtourism and tourismophobia; tourism and the circular economy; regenerative tourism.
School Administrative Roles
STTAR-C - Director of Sustainable Travel and Tourism Advanced Research Centre
School and University Committee Memberships
| Committee | From | Role |
| Social and Environmental Responsibility Group |
2024 |
|