David B. Weaver, Ph.D.

Education
Ph.D., University of Western Ontario, London, Canada in Geography, 1986.
M.A.  Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada in Geography, 1981.
B.A. (Hons.)  Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada in Geography, 1979.

Research Interests
Ecotourism
Sustainable tourism
Tourism management
Destination life cycle dynamics
Tourism and protected areas
War and tourism

Awards and Honors
2007 Patricia G. Moody Distinguished Researcher and Scholar of the Year

Biography
Dr. David Weaver, employed as a Professor of tourism management at the University of South Carolina since early 2005, has more than 25 years of experience teaching and researching in the areas of tourism management, ecotourism and sustainable tourism.  After receiving his Ph.D. in geography from the University of Western Ontario in 1986, he held academic appointments in Canada (University of Regina, Saskatchewan), Australia (Griffith University on the Gold Coast of Queensland), and Virginia (George Mason University). He has authored or edited 10 books and written more than 70 refereed journal articles and book chapters, including numerous contributions to the top tier journals Annals of Tourism Research, Journal of Travel Research, and Tourism Management.  His textbooks Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism, and his co-authored textbook Tourism Management, are all widely used in many countries. Dr. Weaver is also the editor of the Encyclopedia of Ecotourism and sits on the editorial boards of eight academic journals. 

Dr. Weaver’s research is global in nature, and has included field studies in the Caribbean, Australia, Southeast Asia and the prairie provinces of Canada.  Consultancies for agencies such as PATA (Pacific Asia Tourism Association) and the World Tourism Organization have taken Dr. Weaver to destinations such as Russia, Thailand, Panama and Andorra to advise destination managers about implementing sustainable ecotourism models of development.  As a leading international scholar in the ecotourism field, Dr. Weaver has explored cutting edge issues such as the application of ecotourism to highly modified spaces and urban environments, its relationships to mass tourism, and the identification of ‘minimalist’ and ‘comprehensive’ dimensions.  Other areas of research currently being pursued by Dr. Weaver include an analysis of the relationships between war, terrorism and tourism; the contribution of international students to the tourism industry; the concept of attraction residuality, and the application of the destination life cycle concept to small Caribbean and South Pacific islands, as well as the southeastern coast of the USA.

Publication
Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (in press). Perceptions of a nearby exurban protected area in South Carolina, USA. Environmental Management.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (in press). Not just surviving, but thriving: perceived strengths of successful US-based travel agencies. International Journal of Tourism Research.

Weaver, D. (in press). Resort structure and ‘plantation’ dynamics in Antigua and coastal South Carolina. In Agarwal, S. & Shaw, G. (Editors.) Coastal Tourism Resorts: A Global Perspective. Clevedon, UK: Channel View.

Weaver, D.  (2008) Ecotourism. 2nd Edition. Brisbane, Australia: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 0 470 813040 X .

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2007). Twenty years on: the state of contemporary ecotourism research. Tourism Management, 28, 1168-1179.

Weaver, D. (2007). Toward sustainable mass tourism: paradigm shift or paradigm nudge? Tourism Recreation Research, 32(3), 65-69.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2007). ‘Just because it’s gone doesn’t mean it isn’t there anymore’: planning for attraction residuality. Tourism Management, 28, 108-117.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2006). Tourism Management. 3rd Edition. Brisbane, Australia: John Wiley & Sons.

Weaver, D. (2006). Sustainable Tourism: Theory and Practice. London: Elsevier.

Weaver, D. (2006). The ‘plantation’ variant of the TALC in the small island Caribbean. In Butler, R.W. (Editor) The Tourism Area Life Cycle  Volume 1: Applications and Modifications. Clevedon, UK: Channel View, pp. 185-197.

Fennell, D., & Weaver, D. (2005). The Ecotourium concept and tourism-conservation symbiosis. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 13(4), 373-390.

Weaver, D. (2005). Comprehensive and minimalist dimensions of ecotourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 32, 439-455.

Weaver, D. (2005). The distinctive dynamics of exurban tourism. International Journal of Tourism Research, 7, 23-33.

Weaver, D. (2005). Mass and urban ecotourism: new manifestations of an old concept. Tourism Recreation Research, 30(1), 19-26.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2005). Using cluster analysis to segment a sample of Australian ecotourists. In Ritchie, B.W., Burns, P. & Palmer, C. (Editors) Tourism Research Methods: Integrating Theory with Practice. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing, pp. 211-220.

Weaver, D. (2004). The contribution of international students to tourism beyond the core educational experience: evidence from Australia. Tourism Review International, 7, 95-105.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2004). Visitor attitudes toward tourism development and product integration in an Australian urban-rural fringe.  Journal of Travel Research, 42(3), 286-296.

Weaver, D. (2004). Managing ecotourism in the island microstate: the case of Dominica. In Diamantis, D. (Editor) Ecotourism: Management and Assessment. London: Thomson, pp. 151-163.

Weaver, D. (2004). Tourism and the elusive paradigm of sustainable development. In Lew, A., Hall, C.M. & Williams, A. (Editors) A Companion to Tourism. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 510-521.

Weaver, D. (2004). Manifestations of ecotourism in the Caribbean. In Duval, D.T. (Editor) Tourism in the Caribbean: Trends, Development, Prospects. London: Routledge, pp. 172-186.

Weaver, D. (2003). Ecotourism. (Chinese translation). John Wiley & Sons Australia (Tianjin: Nankai University Press).

Buckley, R., Pickering, C., & Weaver, D. (Editors) (2003) Nature-based Tourism, Environment and Land Management. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing.

Weaver, D. (2003). The political ecology of tourism in the Cayman Islands. In Gössling, S. (Editor) Tourism and Development in Tropical Islands: Political Ecology Perspectives. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, pp. 38-59.

Pickering, C., & Weaver, D. (2003). Nature-based tourism and sustainability: issues and approaches. In Buckley, R., Pickering, C. & Weaver, D. (Editors) Nature-based Tourism, Environment and Land Management. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing, pp. 7-10.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2003). Segmentation of educational tendencies among tourist markets: Ecolodge patrons at Lamington National Park, Australia. In Ritchie, B. (Editor) Managing Educational Tourism. Clevedon, UK: Channel View, pp. 73-77.

Weaver, D. (2002). The evolving concept of ecotourism and its potential impacts.  International Journal of Sustainable Development, 5(3), 251-264.

Weaver, D. (2002). Asian ecotourism: patterns and themes. Tourism Geographies, 4(2), 153-172.

Weaver, D. (2002). Hard-core ecotourists in Lamington National Park, Australia. Journal of Ecotourism, 1(1), 19-35.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2002). Overnight ecotourist market segmentation in the Gold Coast hinterland of Australia. Journal of Travel Research, 40(3), 270-280.

Weaver, D. (2002). English Harbour, Antigua: The Rise and Fall of a Strategic Military Site. Caribbean Quarterly, 48(4), 1-11.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2002) Tourism Management. 2nd Edition. Brisbane, Australia: John Wiley & Sons.

Weaver, D. (2002).  Perspectives on sustainable tourism in the South Pacific.  In R. Harris, T. Griffin & P. Williams (Editors.)  Sustainable Tourism: A Global Perspective.  Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, pp. 121-139.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2002). Attitudes and Behaviour of Visitors at Selected Sites in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Gold Coast, Australia: CRC for Sustainable Tourism.

Weaver, D. (2001). Ecotourism as mass tourism: contradiction or reality? Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 42(2), 104-112.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L.  (2001).  Resident perceptions in the urban-rural fringe.  Annals of Tourism Research, 28, 439-458.

Weaver, D. (2001). The relationship between tourism scale, external environments and sustainability: evidence from the South Pacific. Environment Papers Series, 4(2), 53-59.

Weaver, D.  (2001) Ecotourism.  Brisbane, Australia: John Wiley & Sons.

Weaver, D. (Editor). (2001) Encyclopedia of Ecotourism.  Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing.

Weaver, D. (2001). Ecotourism and mass tourism in the Caribbean: convergences and synergies’. In D. Harrison (Editor), Tourism And The Less Developed World: Issues and Case Studies. Wallingford, UK: CAB International, pp. 161-174.

Weaver, D. (2001).  Ecotourism in the context of other tourism types. In D. Weaver (Editor), Encyclopedia of Ecotourism. Wallingford, UK: CAB International, pp. 73-83.

Weaver, D., & Schluter, R.  (2001). Latin America and the Caribbean. In D. Weaver (Editor), Encyclopedia of Ecotourism.  Wallingford, UK: CAB International, pp. 173-188.

Weaver, D. (2001).  Deserts, grasslands, and savannas. In D. Weaver (Editor), Encyclopedia of Ecotourism.  Wallingford, UK: CAB International, pp. 251-263.

Lawton, L., & Weaver, D. (2001).  Modified spaces. In D. Weaver (Editor), Encyclopedia of Ecotourism.  Wallingford, UK: CAB International, pp. 315-326.

Fennell, D., Buckley, R., & Weaver, D. (2001).  Policy and planning. In D. Weaver (Editor), Encyclopedia of Ecotourism.  Wallingford, UK: CAB International, pp. 463-477.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2001). Attitudes and Behaviour of Ecolodge Patrons in Lamington National Park. Research Report. Gold Coast, Australia: CRC for Sustainable Tourism.

Weaver, D. (2000). The war-distorted destination life cycle. International Journal of Tourism Research, 2, 151-161.

Weaver, D. (2000). A broad context model of destination development scenarios.  Tourism Management, 21(3), 217-224.

Weaver, D., & Oppermann, M. (2000). Tourism Management. Brisbane, Australia: John Wiley & Sons.

Weaver, D. (2000).  Tourism and political geography in southern Africa.  In P. Dieke (Editor) The Political Economy of Tourism Development in Africa.  New York: Cognizant, pp. 52-61.

Weaver, D. (2000). Tourism and land tenure in sub-Saharan Africa: the expansion of the modern space economy.  In P. Dieke (Editor) The Political Economy of Tourism Development in Africa.   New York: Cognizant, pp. 260-273.

Weaver, D. (2000). Sustainable tourism: is it sustainable?.  In B. Faulkner, G. Moscardo, and E. Laws (Editors) Tourism in the 21st Century: Lessons From Experience. London: Continuum, pp. 300-311.

Lawton, L., & Weaver, D. (2000). Nature-based tourism and ecotourism.  In B. Faulkner, G. Moscardo, and E. Laws (Editors) Tourism in the 21st Century: Lessons From Experience. London: Continuum, pp. 34-48.

Weaver, D. (2000). Tourism and national parks in ecologically vulnerable areas.  In R.W. Butler and S.W. Boyd  (Editors)  Tourism and National Parks: Issues and Implications. Chichester, UK:  John Wiley & Sons, pp. 107-124.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (1999). Older adults as a distinct timeshare market in Australia. Australian Journal of Hospitality Management, 6(2), 1-11.

Weaver, D. (1999). Magnitude of ecotourism in Costa Rica and Kenya.  Annals of Tourism Research, 26(4), 792-816.

Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (1999). Sustainable Tourism: A Critical Analysis. Gold Coast, Australia: CRC for Sustainable Tourism.

Weaver, D., &  Lawton, L. (1998).  A profile of timesharing on the Gold Coast of Australia.  Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 22(3), 225-238.

Weaver, D. (1998). Peripheries of the periphery: domestic tourism involvement in Tobago and Barbuda. Annals of Tourism Research, 25(2), 292-313.

Weaver, D. (1998).  Strategies for the development of deliberate ecotourism in the South Pacific. Pacific Tourism Review, 2(1), 53-66.

Lawton, L., Weaver, D., & Faulkner, B. (1998). Customer satisfaction in the Australian timeshare industry.  Journal of Travel Research, 37(1), 28-36.

Weaver, D. (1998). Ecotourism in the Less Developed World. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

Weaver, D. (1998).  Ecotourism and its potential contribution to the economic revitalisation of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  In E. Laws, B. Faulkner and G. Moscardo (Editors) Tourism Management: A Case Book. London, Routledge,  pp.166-184.

Weaver, D., Faulkner, B., & Lawton, L. (1998). Nature-Based Tourism in Australia and Beyond: A Preliminary Investigation. Gold Coast, Australia: CRC for Sustainable Tourism.

Fennell, D., & Weaver, D. (1997). Vacation farms and ecotourism in Saskatchewan, Canada. Journal of Rural Studies, 13(4), 467-475.

Weaver, D., & Fennell, D. (1997). The vacation farm sector in Saskatchewan. Tourism Management, 18(6), 357-365.

Weaver, D. (1997). A regional framework for planning ecotourism in Saskatchewan. Canadian Geographer, 41(3), 281-293.

Weaver, D. (1997).  Ecotourism in Costa Rica.  In L. France (Editor), The Earthscan Reader in Sustainable Tourism. London: Earthscan Publications, pp. 205-207.

Weaver, D., & D. Fennell, D. (1997). The Saskatchewan vacation farm operator as entrepreneur.  In S. J. Page and D. Getz (Editor), The Business of Rural Tourism: International Perspectives. London, International Thomson Business Press, pp. 77-92.

Weaver, D., Glenn, C., & Rounds, R. (1996). Private ecotourism operations in Manitoba, Canada. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 4(3), 135-146.

Nilson, R., Weaver, D., & Yoshioka, C. (1996). Leisure and aging in southern Saskatchewan. Great Plains Research, 6(1), 85-104.

Weaver, D., & Elliott, K. (1996). Spatial patterns and problems in Namibian tourism. Geographical Journal, 162(2), 205-217.

Weaver, D. (1995). Alternative tourism in Montserrat. Tourism Management, 16(8), 593-604.

Weaver, D., Glenn, C., & Rounds, R. (1995).  Ecotourism in Manitoba. Brandon, MN, Canada: Rural Development Institute, RDI Report Series 1995-5.

Weaver, D. (1994).  Ecotourism in the Caribbean basin.  In E. Cater and G. Lowman (Editors), Ecotourism: A Sustainable Option? London: John Wiley, pp. 159-176.

Weaver, D. (1993). Ecotourism in the small island Caribbean. GeoJournal, 31(4), 457-465.

Weaver, D.  (1993).  A model of urban tourism space in small Caribbean islands.  Geographical Review, 83(2), 134-140.

Weaver, D. (1992). Contention for deliberate alternative tourism in Dominica: a reply to Oppermann and Sahr. Annals of Tourism Research, 19(4), 5-8.

Weaver, D. (1992).  Tourism and the functional transformation of the Antiguan landscape.  In C. Fleischer-van Rooijen (Editor) Spatial Implications of Tourism. Groningen, The Netherlands, GeoPers, pp. 161-176.

Weaver, D. (1991). Alternative to mass tourism in Dominica. Annals of Tourism Research, 18(3), 414-432.

Weaver, D. (1990). Grand Cayman Island and the resort cycle concept. Journal of Travel Research, 29(2), 9-15.

Weaver, D.  (1990). Tourism: a vehicle for world peace?.  In S. Juyal, & B. Babu (Editors) The United Nations and World Peace. New Delhi, Sterling Pub., pp. 111-118.

Nilson, R., Mazur, P., & Weaver, D. (1990).  Leisure and Aging in Saskatchewan. Regina, SK, Canada: Faculty of Physical Activity Studies, University of Regina.

Weaver, D. (1988). The evolution of a “plantation” tourism landscape on the Caribbean island of Antigua. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie 79(5), 319-331.

Weaver, D. (1983). Tourism as a factor in Third World development, with special reference to the Caribbean. Ontario Geography, 22: 47-70.

Current Grants and Projects
Sloan Center for the Travel & Tourism Industry, ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents), and Marriott Foundation;  Identifying Strategies for Success in the American Travel Agency Sector (Project Leader) (US$50,000) Duration: 2005-2006.

Professional Affiliations
Member, TTRA

Consulting Experiences (selected)
Keynote speaker, 16th Nordic Symposium in Tourism Research, Helsingborg, Sweden. “Toward the new frontier of consumer-driven sustainable mass tourism”. September 28, 2007.

Invited speaker, ‘Ecotourism as a Tool for Development in Peripheral Regions’, 4th International Environmental Congress of Andorra: Ecotourism in Mountain Areas, Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra, July 15-19, 2002.

Invited World Tourism Organization expert, International Seminar on “Ecotourism, a tool for sustainable development in the 21st century in the transitional economies of the CIS countries (preparatory seminar for the International Year of Ecotourism in Quebec City). WTO, UNEP, ITE Travel Exhibitions, and Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (Tourism Department). Moscow, Russia, March 25-26, 2002.