Keynote Speakers
Click photo for a brief bio
Sveinung Rotevatn
Anna Dóra Sæþórsdóttir
James Higham
Judy Kepher Gona
Vegard Gundersen
Anna Spenceley
Dag Terje Solvang
Click photo for a brief bio
Sveinung Rotevatn
Anna Dóra Sæþórsdóttir
James Higham
Judy Kepher Gona
Vegard Gundersen
Anna Spenceley
Dag Terje Solvang
Foto: Bjørn Stuedal
Sveinung Rotevatn (born 1987) is a Norwegian lawyer and politician. Rotevatn is the deputy leader of the Norwegian Liberal Party and was appointed Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment on 24 January 2020. Prior to his position as Minister of Climate and Environment, Rotevatn held the position as State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Climate and Environment. Sveinung Rotevatn leads the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly as current president of the UNEA-5.Rotevatn was elected member of the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) for the period of 2013 to 2017 representing the Norwegian Liberal Party. Before his period as member of parliament he was the leader of the liberal youth party of Norway, The Young Liberals of Norway.
Dr. Anna Dóra Sæþórsdóttir is Professor in tourism studies, University of Iceland. Her main research interests are nature-based tourism, tourists’ experiences, wilderness, tourism management and land-use conflicts between tourism and the power production industry. In her keynote talk, she will discuss the myths and realities related to overtourism in Iceland.
James Higham is Professor at the Department of Tourism, University of Otago, New Zealand. He is also the co-Editor of the Journal of Sustainable Tourism (JOST). His research interests focus on tourism and recreation, with a specific focus on the global environmental change and sustainability. The focus of his keynote at MMV10 will fall upon the Anthropocene and what it means for managing outdoor recreation experiences.
has over two decades of working in sustainable tourism in Africa as a manager, strategist, researcher, lecturer, global speaker, motivator and consultant. Her interests are in community led models of tourism, integration of communities in tourism supply chain, sustainability assessment and reporting
In 2018, Women Academics in Tourism (WAIT) recognized Judy among top 50 awesome scholars in tourism. In 2019, she was awarded the Sustainable Citizen Award by Forbes Woman Africa in recognition of outstanding contribution to awareness and knowledge of sustainability in tourism in Africa and beyond. In 2020, Centre for Responsible Tourism awarded a lifetime achievement award for her contribution to sustainable tourism. In the same year she was named amongst 40 global shakers in sustainable tourism.
She holds a master’s degree in Community Development & Rural Sociology and is the founder of Sustainable Travel & Tourism Agenda-(STTA)
Dr. Vegard Gundersen is a Senior Research Scientist at The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA). His focus is comprehensive monitoring of socio-ecological dimensions in Norwegian National Parks. Norway is home to the last remaining viable populations of wild mountain reindeer in Europe and has an international responsibility for ensuring their survival.
Dr Anna Spenceley is a tourism consultant with over 20 years international experience. She is an international expert in her field, with an extensive publication record and rich diversity of project experience. She is Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group), she sits on the board of Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and on the Independent Advisory Panel of Travalyst. Dr Spenceley is also on the editorial boards of the Journal of Sustainable Tourism and the Journal of Ecotourism. She is a signatory to the ‘Future of Tourism’ and ‘Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency’. www.anna.spenceley.co.uk
Mr. Dag Terje Solvang is Secretary General of The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT). DNT is Norway’s biggest outdoor recreation organization. His keynote will draw attention to three important issues for DNT; Sustainability, Trust, and Social inclusion.