BANGKOK, 26 October 2022: The Pacific Asia Travel Association has recruited thought leader and ecotourism industry expert Megan Epler Wood as its special advisor on sustainable tourism development for destinations, businesses, and civil society.
“We are honoured to have Megan as PATA’s special advisor. Destination leaders across the Asia Pacific region have a keen interest in advancing their resilience and sustainability while engaging in the positive social, cultural and economic benefits delivered through travel,” said PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera. “Megan’s knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to driving progress towards a more resilient and sustainable Asia Pacific travel ecosystem. We look forward to partnering with her to support our network and the industry in this journey.”
Wood has dedicated her professional career of over 30 years towards creating professional guidelines, tools, policies, and educational resources focusing on sustainable tourism development. In 1990, she began to make her mark in ecotourism by founding the world’s first sustainable tourism NGO, The International Ecotourism Society.
After founding her NGO, she began leading her international consulting practice, EplerWood International, in 2003. There she has worked with her team on over a dozen projects in more than 35 countries fostering sustainable development, along with world-renowned organisations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Bank Group, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), and the Inter-American Development Bank. She has consulted national governments in Latin America, Asia, and Africa on policies for sustainable tourism development. She is responsible for fostering small-scale enterprise development in rural and biodiverse areas.
Wood commented on the appointment: “I am thrilled to be working with PATA at this pivotal time in the management of sustainable tourism. The Asia Pacific region is in an important position to take leadership by adopting the most up-to-date, data-oriented systems for sustainable destination and business management that lowers impacts and benefits both visitors and local people.”
She is currently the managing director of the Sustainable Tourism Asset Management Program (STAMP) at Cornell University’s Centre for Sustainable Global Enterprise and the SC Johnson College of Business, a role she has held since 2017.
Along with the STAMP programme, which supports research on the sustainable management of tourism, she was also appointed as a lead faculty member of the Cornell On-Line Course, Sustainable Tourism Destination Management, in 2022.
