EFTI Distinguished Speaker Series Program offers an excellent opportunity to invite outstanding national and international speakers to address various tourism related topics from various sectors that includes academics, industry, non-government organizations, government, etc. In addition to the featured presentation, the speakers provide an interactive dialogue with faculty and students in various settings such as panels, issues forums, informal discussions, seminars, and classroom visits. The objective of the Speaker Series is to encourage discussion and debate about innovative ideas, contemporary issues, as well as an opportunity to network for faculty and students.

Speakers are nominated and approved by the core members of the Institute with input from the faculty in the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management. Speakers are invited to campus during the fall and spring semesters, and the number of speakers varies during the academic year. EFTI also partners with various Affiliate Centers, Institutes and Programs with respect to jointly hosting speakers, and is largely dependent on the ability to reach a broad audience on campus. Speaker Series are advertised on campus via various electronic and print outlets. Typically, the coordination of a speaker's travel logistics and associated expenses are all covered by EFTI and other available funding sources.

The Distinguished Speakers Series Program is extremely beneficial for faculty and students as well as for the speakers. Currently, an excellent opportunity exists to financially support the Speaker Series through an endowment as well as Naming rights. For more information, please visit: Support the Institute.

Below is a sample of speakers that have visited in the past few years:

Stephen McCool, University of Montana, Montana, U.S.
Some Devils, A Few Details and a Couple of Dilemmas in the Search for Sustainable Tourism

Levent Altinay, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, U.K.
Linking Research to Hospitality Education

Dogan Gursoy, Washington State University, Washington, U.S.
Leadership in Multigenerational Work Environment

Thomas. E. Drabek, University of Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Emergency Management Applications for Tourism & Hospitality

Amy Gregory, Marriott Vacation Club International, Florida, U.S.
Vacation Ownership: From Opportunistic Real Estate Sales to an Internationally Branded Industry

Kishore Rao, World Heritage Center-UNESCO, Paris, France
World Heritage, Climate Change and Sustainability

Deborah Kerstetter, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Role of Marketing in a Pennsylvanian Convention and Visitors Bureau

Kelly Bricker, University of Utah, Utah, U.S.
Ecotourism Initiatives in the International Ecotourism Society

Ian Baxter, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, UK
UK Perspectives on Values in Heritage Tourism

Trevor Soefield, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia
An Asian Perspective on Ecotourism-Universal Principles or Culturally determined Values?

Packianathan Chelladurai, Ohio State University, Ohio, US
The Research Process: Personal Experiences

Joseph McInerney, American Hotel & Lodging Association, Washington, DC, US
The Role of American Hotel and Lodging Association and Tourism

Paul Cohen, Partner Concepts, Washington, DC, US
Planning for the Beijing Olympics: A Case of Marketing and Development

Drew Martin, University of Hawaii-Hilo, Hawaii, U.S.
Moving Beyond the Consumer Decision Funnel: Introducing the Structure and Process Model for Travelers' Decision Making Processes

Mitch Gross, AIG-Travel Guard, Wisconsin, US
The Role of Insurance in the Travel Industry

Barry Pitegoff, Visit Florida, Florida, US
Research Needs for the Florida Tourism Industry

Christopher Schons, Florida Department of State, Florida, US
Involvement of Florida Department of State in Tourism