Paul Smith’s College Dr. Kelly Cerialo to Co-Host a Responsible Tourism Workshop at International Conference

Photo: Cerialo (second from the right) is pictured with the US delegation of US Biosphere Reserves, members of the UNESCO Venice Office, and a representative from the Tuscan Emilian Appenine Biosphere Reserve in Italy.

Dr. Kelly Cerialo, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator in the Business and Hospitality Department is a Leading Expert in Sustainable Tourism and Community Development

International Conference Will Help Guide Curriculum for PSC’s New Sustainable Tourism Master’s Program Set to Launch in Fall 2023

PAUL SMITHS, NY – Dr. Kelly Cerialo, an associate professor and program coordinator in the Business and Hospitality Department at Paul Smith’s College, will co-chair a responsible tourism workshop at EuroMAB, a biennial conference hosted by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization  at the Nock Resort—a popular resort for outdoor recreationists in Nockberge, Austria, on September 15, 2022.

Dr. Cerialo will co-host the session with Simone Beck, President of the National Commission for UNESCO for Luxembourg, and they will focus on tourism management and monitoring strategies in biosphere reserves to protect natural and cultural heritage. They will also provide examples from six UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, US, UK, and Austria.

EuroMAB is an international network for biosphere reserve managers such as Dr. Cerialo to collaborate with elected officials, policymakers, and scientists, to collectively explore and share sustainable development best practices through the lenses of ecosystem management and economic development.

“Tourism is an essential economic engine for many regions, but if it’s not collaboratively planned for and managed with input from the local community, it can have negative social and ecological impacts,” said Dr. Kelly Cerialo. “We designed this workshop to provide biosphere reserves with innovative approaches from leading tourism experts to effectively manage and monitor visitor use and look forward to emerging best practices.”

Dr. Cerialo, a leading expert in the field, serves as co-chair of the UNESCO Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve. Because of her extensive experience working on sustainable tourism projects in the United States, Italy, and South Africa, Dr. Cerialo was invited to co-host the session by the coordinators of the EuroMAB 2022 conference. Dr. Cerialo attended the 2019 EuroMAB Conference in Dublin, Ireland with 9 U.S. delegates including Dr. Eric Holmlund, director of graduate studies at Paul Smith’s College. This year, Dr. Cerialo is traveling with a delegate of U.S. representatives to the EuroMAB conference including Cliff McCreedy, Science Applications Coordinator for the National Park Service and Director of the US Biosphere Network.

Dr. Cerialo is also the program coordinator for Paul Smith’s College’s new sustainable tourism master’s program set to launch in Fall 2023. She plans to incorporate lessons learned from tourism experts in the field at the EuroMAB conference into the curriculum for the new MPS program and her current undergraduate courses.

As a preview of her learnings from the conference, and in celebration of World Tourism Day hosted by the World Tourism Organization later this month, Dr. Cerialo and Dr. Eric Holmlund, will host a live discussion about current trends, challenges, and opportunities in sustainable tourism in a post-Covid world. The discussion will be held virtually on Wednesday, September 28 at 7pm. Registration is free and those interested are invited to attend.

For details on the event and to register, please contact Dr. Eric Holmlund at eholmlund@paulsmiths.edu.

For more information about Dr. Kelly Cerialo’s work see: https://www.paulsmiths.edu/people/cerialo/.

For more about the EuroMAB 2022 Conference see: https://www.euromab2021.at/welcome.

At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith’s provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences and natural resources. We are able to draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive and adventurous individuals collectively provide experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at paulsmiths.edu »