Our research is based on philosophical, conceptual and empirical understandings, such as of sustainability, innovation, and the being of the university. The empirical positioning serves to ensure that the philosophical and conceptual considerations maintain an in touch with the world. They help provide a corrective against potentially harmful imaginations of tourism development and the university, by indicating the power of the imagination, and assuming a position of intellectual responsibility for actual and future practice. Striving for more sustainable futures is indicative of a proactive attitude, i.e. to actively seek to influence future developments, as opposed to being grounded in the past, or simply reacting to external pressures – whether the university or tourism’s world-making.
We do this by publishing at the highest international levels of excellence in the tourism field (Annals of Tourism Research and Tourism Management). We act as journal editors and scientific programme evaluators, including ex-ante evaluation. We create impacts beyond traditional academe through engagement and leadership of academic networks at national and international levels. We hold positions appointed by Ministers and policy makers, and contribute with expert briefs, when called for. We engage in externally funded local, regional and national research projects with relevant tourism organisations, municipalities and tourism practitioners. We moderate popular tourism conferences, and readily deliver research based interviews with the media.