2025 PRME Education Award

Prof. Novelli’s work fully embraces the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and reflects PRME Award 2025 Outreach & Partnership recognitions for those that drive impactful partnerships across sectors to advance the SDGs. Collaboration and partnerships are central tenets for all she does as an academic in the field of tourism for sustainable development. She has been driving multi-stakeholder partnerships and led impactful initiatives, interventions and programs that have fostered changes in policy, practice and performances of business, government, and civil society to address pressing sustainability challenges across the tourism sector to advance SDGs 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17.

To this end, she has deployed her own transferrable outreach and partnership frameworks, based on qualitative and participatory techniques, enhancing the contribution of those normally belonging to voiceless groups and contributing specifically to SDGs 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 17. An example of results emerging from this practice is my outreach capacity building and teaching initiative called Peer2Peer Capacity Building.

Her innovative, creative, and inspirational thinking are behind the discovery and support of numerous young talents, the successful transfer of knowledge beyond her university’s environment and capacity building of communities, organizations, and individuals both in academia and in the tourism sector at large.

She is the recipient of internal and external awards in recognition of her leadership in fostering internal and outreach strategic relationships and partnerships and the delivery of high impact research and knowledge transfer as well as innovative research-led teaching. These include: 2025 American Association of Geographers for Outstanding Contribution to Applied Recreation, Tourism and Sport,2022 Africa Impact Champion, the 2018 Africa Tourism Leadership Award and the 2018 Top 50 Awesome Scholars in Tourism.

My long-established reputation as an academic addressing key issues associated with tourism as one of the largest industries in the world and the impact of my outreach and partnership work is evidenced in two Research Excellence Framework (REF) - REF2014 and REF2021 Impact Case Studies (ICSs) and the Sustainable Travel and Tourism Advanced Research Centre Project featured HERE, featuring my collaborative approach, innovative interventions, and leadership.

Prof Novelli is a globally renowned tourism expert with 25 years of experience, a background in economics and human geography and a keen interest in sustainability and international development in global south destinations. She is a widely recognised authority in the field of tourism policy, planning and development. Her academic identity and contribution to knowledge is primarily associated with the conceptualisation of special interest and niche tourism and critical advancement of the discourse on tourism for sustainable development. She has an extensive track record of: impactful research, knowledge transfer, advisory services to international organisations, leadership of international projects, research informed teaching, publishing international quality research in peer-reviewed journals and building long-term local, national and international collaborations, partnerships and networks. Students benefit from her committment to generating new interdisciplinary knowledge on ways in which tourism can play a key role in sustainable development by stimulating local economies, conserving the environment, developing people and changing lives.

Over a period of just 16 months, since she joined Nottingham University Business School on 13th October 2023, Professor Novelli has demonstrated an exemplary capacity in developing multi-stakeholder engagement, outreach and partnerships with exceptional far-reaching impact well beyond her specific field of specialism and often in some of the most remote communities in the world.

Only four months after joining the school, her outstanding ability to inspire and foster interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships led to the establishment of the new University of Nottingham’s Sustainable Travel and Tourism Research Centre (STTAR Centre) in January 2024. The STTAR Centre involves over 30 academics across the University of Nottingham and other national and international academic and industry partners. It includes a students Ambassador Scheme through which student can access research and work experience related to their programme of study. Most importantly, her leadership in outreach and partnership development has led to the delivery of a rich programme of work with impact far beyond academia.

Her effective leadership of complex projects and her extensive network of strategic partners across over 50 destinations are evidence of her commitment to inclusivity, global perspective and confidence in successfully operating in complex and multi-cultural settings and the ability to thrive as an expert committed to the achievement of the United Nations SDGs in all that she does.

Prof. Novelli distinguishes herself for her ‘leadership by example’ and inclusive approach and excellence in facilitating research skills development of others. While her creative and proactive mindset has enabled her to identify opportunities and facilitate strategic collaborations in wider local, national, and international business settings, her supportive and inclusive approach have inspired many and fostered effective research culture beyond her immediate place of work.

She has deployed her own transferable research frameworks, based on qualitative participatory techniques – i.e. the Peer2Peer (P2P) impact-oriented approach, which is based on co-constructed research and change management techniques in complex and culturally sensitive environments.

Building the right alliances and forging critical partnerships are the best approach one can adopt to achieve shared ambitions and goals.