Freya Higgins Desbiolles, PhD

Freya is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management employed in UniSA Business.
Before joining the University of South Australia, Freya worked in development, development education and university teaching in international relations. Joining the School of Management of the University of South Australia in 2001 she brought these experiences and knowledges to her work in tourism developing an innovative research agenda.
Freya's  work focuses on human rights and social justice issues in tourism, hospitality and events.  My topical areas of interest include the impacts of tourism, tourism policy and planning, tourism sustainability, Indigenous tourism, politics of tourism and peace through tourism. Geographical areas of interest include Indigenous Australia, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands and the Asia-Pacific region. Recent reseach projects have explored Aboriginal tourism, sustainable cafes, native foods in restaurants and tourism's role in peace and conflict. She is a recipient of a Council of Australiasian University Educators in Tourism and Hospitality Fellows Award for a signficant contribution to hospitality and tourism research and education in 2013.
Freya's teaching philosophy is based on critical pedagogy and she tries to create learning environments that respect students' prior knowledge and experiences and that challenges them (and herself) to think in new ways and "outside of the box". Freya has on a national teaching award from the Australian Teaching and Learning Council in 2009, as well as university and divisional teaching awards. One area of pedagogical expertise is indigenising the curricula in business school contexts.
Her research is focused on projects that deliver new insights into the tourism phenomenon and that advocate a more just and sustainable tourism future.  Her work is engaged and she has formed research partnerships with tourism and hospitality stakeholders.  She particularly tries to work with "host communities" and the NGO sector who seek to shape tourism to their needs and for positive futures. She has conducted engaged research with Aboriginal tourism operators, an events organiser, a cafe owner and sustainability advocate, tourism NGOs, among others. She received a commendation for industry collaboration in 2014 from the UniSA Business School.
Freya  was recognized as an “Awesome Scholar in Tourism” by Women Academics in Tourism, an international group of female tourism academics committed to advancing gender equity in publishing and career advancement.  Awesome Scholars in Tourism represent tourism professors who inspire others “by their contributions, encouragement, creativity, virtues, selflessness, humour, humanity, and even madness.”