Peter Smith has short light brown hair and is wearing a suit.

Dr Peter Smith

Senior Lecturer
Course Leader for BSc (Hons) International Tourism Management
London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism
peter.smith2@uwl.ac.uk

Peter Smith is the Course Leader for BSc (Hons) International Tourism Management programme at the London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism. Peter has over 12 years’ experience teaching and leading tourism programmes at University level.

Peter’s research is interdisciplinary, focusing on the sociology of tourism. He is the co-author (with Jim Butcher) of Volunteer Tourism: The lifestyle politics of international development (Routledge, 2015).

Peter worked in the independent travel sector for many years. Immediately prior to embarking on an academic career, Peter was the UK Customer Relations Manager for STA Travel, the UKs leading student/youth travel company, where he was responsible for leading and implementing the company’s national customer relations strategy. Peter draws on his industry experience to inform his teaching, modules and wider curriculum development.

Peter regularly appears in the media and at public events discussing travel, tourism and mobility related issues. He has been interviewed for Radio 4 The World Tonight, Radio 5 live Nicky Campbell and presented an opinion piece on BBC London television news.

He has given guest lectures at a number of HE institutions including, Kings College London, University of Brighton, London Metropolitan University and Canterbury Christ Church University. Outside academia Peter has spoken at and participated in public debates for a range of organisations including: the Royal Institute of British Architects, Royal Anthropological Institute /Development Studies Association, The Cheltenham Science Festival, Clarke Mulder Purdie, and the Battle of Ideas annual festival in London.

  • Qualifications

    BA (Manchester Metropolitan University)
    MA (London Metropolitan University)
    PhD (Canterbury Christ Church University).

Research

  • Research and publications

    Butcher, J and Smith, P (2015) Volunteer Tourism: The lifestyle politics of international development, Routledge, London.

    Smith, P (2015) Tourism: More Sinned Against Than Sinner, in, Singh, T.V. (Ed) Challenges in Tourism Research, Channel View Publications, Bristol.

    Smith, P (2014) International volunteer tourism as decommodified moral consumption, In Hannam, K and Mostafanezhad (eds) Moral Encounters in Tourism, Ashgate, London.

    Smith, P (2013) Tourism: More Sinned Against Than Sinner?, Research Probe for Tourism Recreation Research,

    Butcher, J and Smith, P (2010) 'Making a difference’ through volunteer tourism, Tourism Recreation Research, Volume 35 (1, 2&3).

    Smith, P and Butcher, J (2010), ''Making a Difference' through volunteer tourism, in Gorham, G and Mottiar, Z (eds) Contemporary Issues in Irish and Global Tourism andHospitality. pp 225-239.

    Smith, P (2008) book review, Ecotourism, NGOS and Development, Butcher (2007) in Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol. 16, No. 5.

  • Conferences

    15 September 2016, the Association of Tourism and Leisure Education and Research (ATLAS) international conference, Canterbury Christchurch University, Kent, International Volunteer Tourism: Decommodified Moral Encounters or a Search for Moral Meaning?

    25 April 2016, Royal Anthropological Institute /Development Studies Association Tourism Research Seminar, London, International Volunteer Tourism: Decommodified Moral Encounters or a Search for Moral Meaning?

    April 21-25 2015. Association of American Geographers Annual Conference in Chicago, The politics of travel: care, responsibility and volunteer tourism.

    26-28 August, 2014. Royal Geographical Society Annual Conference, London, Volunteer tourism and the geographies of care.

    24-28 February 2012. Association of American Geographers Annual Conference in New York. ‘Making a difference’: volunteer tourism and development.

    8 February 2012. St. Mary’s University, Research Symposium, Making a difference’: volunteer tourism and development.

    16-17 June 2009 THRIC 2009, Dublin, ‘Making a difference’ through volunteer tourism.

    27 October 2006 BBC London Television News – Presented an opinion piece on the merits of air travel and participated in programme debate.

    22-23 June 2006 University of Brighton - 5th International Symposium on Aspects of Tourism, The role of the travel professional in determining customer consumption patterns.

    23 May 2006 BBC Radio 4 – The World Tonight – Participant in studio panel debate on the growth of air travel and climate change.

    23 May 2006 Clarke Mulder Purdie – Public Debate – Participant in public debate: Save the Planet: Don’t See The World?

Courses taught on