Shirley Nieuwland

For five years I have specialized in the development of sustainable tourism by obtaining a PhD from Erasmus University in 2022. I am now putting this expertise into practice. I work with governments, marketing organizations, and tourism companies on sustainable change - always supported by a scientific basis. 
 
 Much of my research has revolved around regenerative tourism using the doughnut economics model as a tool. Between 2020 and 2022, I developed workshops based on doughnut economics and applied them to a tourism context. Together with seven urban destinations in the Netherlands, we investigated how the model can be used in tourism to facilitate a sustainable transition. The research has been published and can be read in the journal Tourism Geographies. The title of the publication:  Urban tourism transitions: doughnut economics applied to sustainable tourism development.

After my period at Erasmus University, it was time for a change. I traveled by train to Austria to spend a month walking in the mountains and thinking about the future. After my defense in December 2022, I moved to the Spanish countryside (Asturias) to build my sustainable dream life there, including a large vegetable garden and food forest. In addition to my work as a freelance researcher, writer, and advisor, I spend many hours here sustainably renovating an old house and creating an edible garden.