BRIJESH THAPA, PH.D.
Associate Professor
Director: Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute
Ph.D. in Recreation, Parks & Tourism, Pennsylvania State University (2000)
M.S. in Recreation, Parks & Tourism, Pennsylvania State University (1996)
B.S. in Business Administration, West Liberty State College (1994)
Curriculum Vitae

Office:		FLG 325B
Address:		P.O. Box 118209 Gainesville, FL 3261-82010
Contact:		(352) 294-1656 bthapa@hhp.ufl.edu

Biography:

Brijesh Thapa, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management at the University of Florida. He is also the Director for the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute, and the Co-Director for the Tourism Crisis Management Institute. In addition, he is an Affiliate Faculty in other UF academic units: School of Natural Resources & Environment, Warrington College of Business, Center for International Business Education and Research, Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Water Institute, and Transportation Research Center.

Overall, his research program's common theme is natural resource recreation and tourism management from a demand and supply perspective. Dr. Thapa has been involved in numerous research projects in Florida and other areas in the U.S. Additionally, he has been involved in projects in various capacities in twenty six developing countries in different parts of the globe to better understand myriad stakeholder perspectives, so that effective policies can be implemented to minimize negative impacts on natural and cultural resources; maximize economic benefits for locals; and optimize visitor experience in parks and protected areas. Dr. Thapa has also been involved in a range of projects at World Heritage Sites in developing countries with respect to tourism, cultural heritage, and natural resources management issues.

More recently, Dr. Thapa has been focused in numerous capacity building and institutional development projects with respect to curriculum development, research, and training in tourism, nature and cultural heritage conservation, and natural resources management. Currently, as a PI and CO-PI, Dr. Thapa has been involved in several long-term federally funded projects which totals in excess of $2 million in Armenia, Turkey, Russia, and the southern Africa region (South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Tanzania). He has received funding from United States Federal Agencies such as: Department of State, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, Agency for International Development and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

 

Research Interests:

• • People, parks and protected areas management
• • Visitor behaviors and outdoor recreation management in public lands
• • Tourist behaviors and impacts: socio-cultural, environmental, economic
• • Ecotourism and cultural heritage tourism
• • Environmental attitudes and behaviors
• • Tourism education and capacity development in Developing Countries
• • Tourism, conservation and sustainable development issues in Developing Countries
• • Tourism crisis management

Classes:
LEI 3546 Park Management
LEI 3810 Current Trends in Leisure Services
LEI 3830 Principles of Travel and Tourism
LEI 3832 Special Events and Meeting Planning
LEI 3836 Hospitality Management
LEI 4905: National Outdoor Recreation and Rural Tourism Consortium at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tremont, Tennessee
LEI 4955: Humans and the Environment (Study Abroad Course: Australia, New Zealand and Fiji)
LEI 6834 Ecotourism
LEI 6839 Heritage Tourism
LEI 6931 Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism
LEI 6931: Humans and the Environment (Study Abroad Course: Australia, New Zealand and Fiji)