Queensland tourism heavyweight Daniel Gschwind has joined Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT) as a Professor of Practice.
Gschwind brings with him an abundance of tourism knowledge, having been Queensland Tourism Industry Council's CEO for 21 years before passing on the reigns in May this year.
"We are enormously excited to welcome Daniel on board," GIFT Director Associate Professor Sarah Gardiner said.
"Daniel played such a leadership role guiding the tourism industry through the pandemic and there are a lot of lessons to learn from him in terms of building resilience for future challenges.
"He has so much experience in the tourism industry and we look forward to him sharing his wisdom with the next generation of tourism researchers."
Griffith's Hospitality and Tourism Management subjects recently ranked number one in Australia and third globally in the prestigious ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2022.
Associate Professor Gardiner said Gschwind's involvement in GIFT would improve connectivity between the academic and practical worlds.
"Daniel is going to help us make sure our research remains practically relevant, and also further strengthen our relationships with the industry, including government, business and other associations," she said.
"He will also help us understand how to create legacies tied to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games."
Gschwind's impressive CV also includes six years as Australian Tourism Industry Council Deputy Chair, seven years as Australian Tourism Awards Chair, current board member of Tourism Whitsundays, 15 years as a Surf Life Saving Queensland Vice Patron and he has been the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's tourism reef advisory committee chair since January 2020.
He has also been on GIFT's Advisory Board since 2014.
