The partnership between IMC Krems and Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM/ESHTI) constitutes the foundation of this project to strengthen the capacity of higher education institutions in Mozambique and develop and teach sustainable rural tourism. The project is funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) through its APPEAR Academic Partnership Funding scheme, which is implemented by the Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD).
The IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems (IMC Krems) (Austria) and its Institute of Tourism, Wine Business and Marketing represent a higher education and research institution focusing on application-driven research with a strong international focus and integrating business and practical expertise into teaching.
The Institute of Tourism, Wine Business and Marketing (ITWM) forms part of the Department of Business and concentrates on three major lines of research: regional economics and agrobusiness research, consumer studies and innovation management, as well as tourism marketing and technology research. The institute currently leads a range of national and international research, capacity building and consulting projects within these fields of expertise. It further offers a Bachelor degree in Tourism and a Master's degree in Marketing with the opportunity to focus on Tourism as one of the fields of specialisation. Sustainable tourism plays a key role at ITWM, not only in regards to research projects and articles but also in teaching, with sustainability featuring in a wide range of courses.
PhD, Prof.(FH) Claudia Dolezal is a professor in the Institute for Tourism, Wine Business, and Marketing at the IMC University of Applied Sciences, specialising on Tourism and Sustainable Development, Social Change and Destination Management. Her background is in tourism, international development and social anthropology with research conducted in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe. Her research focuses on regional, rural and sustainable tourism, specifically on the role that tourism plays for community empowerment, social change and the achievement of the UN SDGs in destinations. Claudia has published particularly on the topics of community-based tourism, sustainable development and social change in tourism. She delivers international keynotes and lectures, capacity building, and is a keen speaker at conferences. She is an editorial board member of “Tourism Geographies”, “Advances in South-East Asian Studies (ASEAS)” and “Tourism Planning and Development” and editor of the 2020 Routledge book “Tourism and Development in Southeast Asia” and the 2022 published “Handbook of Niche Tourism”.
As project lead of CAST Mozambique, Claudia oversees the direction and progress of the project and is involved in all work packages.
Prof.(FH) Mag. Christian Maurer is Head of the Institute for Tourism, Wine Business, and Marketing and Programme Director for the Master Programme Marketing at the IMC University of Applied Sciences.
He is best-described as an active and passionate researcher and teacher, who is consistently striving for innovation and implementation of new approaches and tools in tourism development. Characterised by his teaching approach, Christian strives to combine theory and practice, thus being a champion of integrating “real-life projects” into teaching. As a true ambassador in the field of e-tourism, he is a sought-after presenter at international conference events.
Convinced that the seeds of passion for research should be linked to Higher Education in Tourism, in 2013 Christian initiated the now-annual International Student Conference in Tourism Research (ISCONTOUR), exemplifying his conviction in academic research as the key to a more clear and complete picture of the impact of environmental, political, economic and social change on tourism systems. He is well-published and has presented at numerous international conferences and workshops demonstrating his expertise and ongoing contribution to strengthening ties between tourism education and industry through research and practice orientation.
PhD, MSc, BA, Prof.(FH) Mattia Rainoldi is Director of Transnational Programmes at the IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences and a Visiting Lecturer at several European universities. He specializes in digital transformation, resilience, and sustainability within tourism, focusing on strategy and innovation. Mattia has extensive experience in leading multidisciplinary international research projects, securing research grants, and managing all aspects of project execution. His research delves into the transformative impact of digital technologies on tourism, specifically around lifestyle mobilities and digital nomadism. As an author, Mattia has published over 20 academic articles and co-edited the book “Eye Tracking in Tourism” (Springer, 2020). He also serves on the Board of Directors of the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) as Vice President. Mattia is a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator and advises on organizational development.
In CAST Mozambique, he contributes as a trainer and supports project development.
PhD, MA, BSc, PgC, Prof.(FH) Giancarlo Fedeli is a Professor of Tourism Management at IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, specializing in tourism marketing, destination management, and digital marketing. With a PhD in Tourism Marketing and Technology, he has led over 50 international consultancy and research projects, including several major EU-funded initiatives. Giancarlo’s work spans visitor statistics, tourism planning, economic impact studies, and feasibility assessments, with clients such as UNESCO, the Scottish Government, and VisitScotland. He is also a UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab expert and a founding member of the European Covid-19 Tourism Research Engagement Consortium. His research, published in top journals, focuses on tourism management, digital marketing, and ethics in tourism.
In CAST Mozambique, he contributes as a trainer and supports the development of the project.
Desiree Schnauer, BA is a scientific project assistant at the Institute for Tourism, Wine Business and Marketing at the IMC University of Applied Sciences. Desiree brings experience in accounting, budgeting and controlling, especially project controlling of funding projects. Her focus is on project management, where she provides both commercial and technical support in the organisation, implementation and follow-up of projects. She brings in-depth knowledge in the field of business informatics and is available for all technical questions in the areas of software, the development of relevant tools and video editing. In the field of online marketing, her main focus is on social media and website development.
As a scientific project assistant of CAST Mozambique, Desiree supports in the area of project management and realises the technical implementations required in the project.
Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) is the oldest and largest public university in Mozambique. It was founded in 1962 as the Mozambique University of General University Studies and in 1976 it took the name of the founder of Frelimo, Eduardo Mondlane. UEM is a comprehensive and multidisciplinary institution based on training and research.
The Inhambane Higher School of Hospitality and Tourism (ESHTI), is an organic unit of the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane of polytechnic vocational training through teaching and applied research, also in the specific area of hospitality and tourism, aiming at capacity development, innovation, critical analysis and scientific knowledge of a multi- and transdisciplinary nature. ESHTI started its activities in 2003 with the Degree in Tourism and the two exits of Tourism Planning and Tourism Information & Entertainment. In 2007, the School started the Higher Degree in Hotel Management and launched three new courses in 2009 (Tourism Animation, Tourism Information and Management of Tourism Markets). Since its creation, ESHTI has implemented research projects to understand gender issues in the agricultural sector, issues of climate change in the planning processes for development at the local level, tourism and agriculture, conservation of biodiversity, among others. Currently, ESHTI focuses on community-based tourism induction projects with agricultural communities in the city of Inhambane.
Prof. Dr. Hélsio Azevedo is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane. He has a degree in Tourism, a Master’s degree in Environmental Planning and Management and a PhD in Geography. He specializes in tourism destination studies with a focus on tourism planning and diagnosis in urban areas and conservation areas. In recent years he has developed studies related to community empowerment for the promotion of agro-tourism and the inclusion of young people in tourism opportunities in island environments. He is currently a member of the Communication and City Research Group (Citicom-UFMT), the Space, Subject and Existence Group (IESA-UFG) and the Research Group on Tourism and Contemporary Socioterritorial Dynamics (USP). He works in teaching, research and extension in the fields of tourism, the environment and geography and also is an ad hoc tourism and environmental consultant. He is a member of the scientific board of the following journals: Tocantinense de Geografia, Sociedade e Território, Sapiência: Sociedade, Saberes e Práticas Educacionais and Ateliê Geográfico (UFG). As coordinator of the CAST project in Mozambique, Helsio leads the entire Mozambican team and coordinates with the Institute for Tourism, Wine Business, and Marketing at the IMC University of Applied Sciences in achieving all the project packages.
Prof. Dr. Daniel Zacarias is Assistant Professor at the Higher School of Hospitality and Tourism (ESHTI) at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), in Mozambique. His background is in Geography, Water & Coastal Management and Ecology & Evolution and as such he has a broad range of research interests. In the context of tourism, his research interests range from public policy analysis and community response to visitors’ satisfaction with emphasis on visitor-resident interactions. Daniel is an active researcher, having published papers, book chapters and an edited book and is also a consistent reviewer for journals such as Biological Conservation, Ocean and Coastal Management, Global Ecology and Conservation, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights and PLoS ONE. He is a member of the Research Group on Tourism and Contemporary Socioterritorial Dynamics.
Sónia Deolinda Lourenço Cossa, is a Lecturer at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, at the Inhambane Higher School of Hotel and Tourism, working in the Hospitality Department. She has a degree in Tourism, master’s degree in Strategic Management of Tourist Destinations, whose dissertation topic was on Strategic Marketing in Combating Seasonality. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Tourism Management with the thesis on the theme “Solidarity Economy in the Tourist Territory of the Municipality of Inhambane (Mozambique): a Study of Integration with Local Economies”. Throughout her academic career, she participated in scientific events, developed solid experience in pedagogical management and she developed technical and professional skills in the hospitality sector, having participated as a trainer in the areas of accommodation and restaurant and bar services aimed at local communities and in some cases, managers of hotel establishments. Associated with the subjects she teaches, she also worked with local communities to encourage cooperatives and associations for the development of agritourism and this relationship has become more solid due to current research on the integration of local economies in tourism.
Pelágio Julião Maxlhaieie is Assistant Professor at the Inhambane Higher School of Hospitality and Tourism (ESHTI) at Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), in Mozambique. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Tourism Planning, a master’s degree in Geography with a specialization in Territorial and Environmental Analysis, and a PhD in Spatial Planning. His background expertise includes Tourism Planning and Spatial Organization, Tourism Sustainability Indicators, Engineering Sciences and Technologies with emphasis on Other Engineering and Technologies (Earth Observation), Social Sciences with emphasis on Economic and Social Geography, and Urban Studies. Pelágio Maxlhaieie has recently joined the eoLab (Earth Observation Laboratory) team for research on the GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) flagship product, IMERG (Intercalibrated MErged Retrievals for GPM).
Dr. Ernesto Jorge Macaringue is Assistant Professor at the Inhambane Higher School of Hospitality and Tourism (ESHTI) at Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), in Mozambique, where he currently holds the position of Director of the School. Graduated in Geography and Rural Development, his areas of interest are teaching and research. In the context of tourism and rural development, his attention focuses on the analysis of public policies, popular participation in heritage management and the valorisation of local knowledge. His research is published in journals, with emphasis on Educação de Campo, Produção Académica, Sapiência, Entre Lugar and Caminhos de Geografia. Dr. Ernesto Macaringue is a member of the International Network for Critical Studies of Tourism, Territory and Self-Determination, Space, Existence and Subject.
Luisa Eduarda Pereira Mosse, is an employee of the UEM–Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo de Inhambane, has a degree in Management from the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane and currently coordinates the Department of Administration and Finance of ESHTI. In this project she is responsible for the administrative process of the project in Mozambique.
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