Edith M. Szivas

Dr. Edith M. Szivas is currently Vice-President and Treasurer of IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism). She is an internationally recognised tourism development expert specialising in tourism strategies and development plans, tourism investment, tourism SME development, gastronomy and cultural tourism, and strategic human capital development. She has managed and worked on projects worldwide on behalf of UNWTO, UNDP, EU, USAID and various national and regional governments and corporate clients. She has extensive experience from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East and is a regular keynote speaker at tourism conferences and a research contributor. She holds a BSc degree in Import and Export from Budapest, Hungary, an MSc in Tourism Planning and Development and a PhD in Tourism Development from University of Surrey, United Kingdom.

Dr. Edith M. Szivas is a firm believer in the need to balance profitability with the interest of the environment, society and culture, development and environmental conservation through the development and use of appropriate tools and policies that are in line with the principles of Green Tourism.