Welsh Centre for Tourism Research
The Welsh Centre for Tourism Research (WCTR), part of the Cardiff School of Management, conducts impactful, policy-informing research across a diverse range of topics within the tourism, hospitality and events sectors.
These include:
- destination development
- sense of place
- rural and event tourism
- sustainability indicators
- digitalisation of tourism
- hospitality and events
- inclusion of vision impaired people in tourism, hospitality and events
- the meaning and significance of tourism, hospitality and events in the lives of marginalised and under-empowered groups.
The WCTR’s work spans the public, private and voluntary sectors, both in Wales and further afield.
As a result, WCTR has forged strong partnerships with the international tourism community and those organisations closer to home. These include local authorities in Wales (such as Cardiff Council, which commissioned the WTCR to carry out event evaluation research), Welsh Government, Visit Wales, Event Wales and The Wallich.
The WCTR was also a partner in the Next Tourism Generation Alliance (Wales). This €4 million EU project addressed skills gaps in tourism and related sectors, with a focus on improving digital, social and sustainability skills.
Its researchers have pioneered an event impact evaluation methodology, which has been successfully applied to high-profile events such as the UEFA Champions League Final, Volvo Ocean Race and the Cardiff Music City Festival.
Industry memberships
- Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE)
- Association for Events Management Education (AEME)
- Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME)
- ABTA
- Institute of Hospitality
- Tourism Management Institute
- The Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research (ATLAS)
Key staff
Awards
Dr Karen Davies received the Emerald Publishing Outstanding Reviewer Literati Award for 2024 from the International Journal of Event and Festival Management.
Dr Kasha Minor, Dr Emmet McLoughlin, together with Dr Sheena Carlisle, were awarded the 2025 Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education Article of the Year for their article, ‘The Digital Skills Gap – Is it Time to Rethink the Needs of Tourism and Hospitality Organizations in the UK?’ The award was given by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (CHRIE) Research Committee.
Find out more
Visit WCTR’s research explorer page to learn more about its members, research outputs, collaborations and how its work contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.