Biography

Donna holds a PhD in Tourism from Brunel University and MSc degrees in International Relations and Tourism Management. Prior to joining the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, she spent five years as a Lecturer in Tourism and Programme Leader for postgraduate tourism, hospitality and festival and events programmes at Edinburgh Napier University. Donna has also had a career in the tourism public sector having worked for five years in the Ministry responsible for tourism in Jamaica.  

Research Interests

Heritage and cultural representation in tourism; postcolonial and discourse theories; critical approaches to tourism research; visual methods; festivals.

Research Collaborations

PhD Supervisions

PhD completion: Tijana Rakic ‘ World Heritage, tourism and national identity’, Edinburgh Napier University (Director of Studies/Chief Supervisor), January 2009

The politicization of tourism: delineating tourism’s salience in the electoral dynamic of Antigua & Barbuda (Ercil Charles) – currently Principal Supervisor

The Theory and Practice of Conceptual Research: A Chinese Understanding of Sustainable Tourism (Shuang Li) - currently Second Supervisor

External Examinations

External Examiner for PhD thesis titled Exploring Diaspora Communities' Festivals: Chinese New Year in England. Yi Fu, Leeds Metropolitan University, October 2011

Publications

Journal articles

Rakic, T and Chambers, D. (2012). Rethinking the consumption of place.  Annals of Tourism Research (in press). doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2011.12.003

Tribe, J., Xiao, H. and Chambers, D. (2012). The reflexive journal: inside the black box. Annals of Tourism Research 39(1), 7-35

Rakic, T. and Chambers, D. (2010).  Innovative techniques in tourism research: an exploration of visual methods and academic filmmaking. International Journal of Tourism Research 12(4), 379-389.

Rakic, T and Chambers, D. (2009). Researcher with a movie camera: visual ethnography in the field.  Current Issues in Tourism 12(3), pp 275-290.

Chambers, D. and McIntosh, B. (2008).  Using Authenticity to achieve competitive advantage in medical tourism in the English speaking Caribbean.  Third World Quarterly 29(5) pp. 915-933.

Rakic, T. and Chambers, D (2007). World heritage: exploring the tension between the universal and the national.  Journal of Heritage Tourism, Volume 2(3) pp. 145-155.

Chambers, D. (2004).  Heritage and the nation; an exploration of a discursive relationship. Tourism Analysis Volume 9(4) pp. 241-254

Chambers, D. and Airey, D. (2001).  Tourism Policy in Jamaica: A tale of two governments.  Current Issues in Tourism Volume 4 (2-4) pp. 94-120

Edited Volumes

Rakic, T. and Chambers, D. (eds) (2011). An introduction to visual research methods in tourism. London: Routledge

Daye, M., Chambers, D. and Roberts, S. (eds). (2008). New Perspectives in Caribbean Tourism. New York/London: Routledge

Ali-Knight, J. and Chambers, D. (eds) (2006) Case Studies in Festival and Event Marketing and Cultural Tourism.  Eastbourne: Leisure Studies Association

Chambers, D. Co-Editor of Special Edition of Managing Leisure on Festivals and Events. (with M. Robertson and E. Frew) (Managing Leisure Volume 12, April – July 2007)

Book Chapters

Chambers, D. (2011). The (in)discipline of visual tourism research. In T.Rakic and D. Chambers (eds)  An introduction to visual research methods in tourism. London: Routledge

Chambers, D (2008).  A postcolonial interrogation of attitudes toward homosexuality and gay tourism: the case of Jamaica. In M. Daye, D. Chambers and S. Roberts. New perspectives in Caribbean Tourism: New York: Routledge

Chambers, D (2007).  Exploring the ‘critical’ in critical approaches to tourism research. In  I. Ateljevic, N. Morgan et al (eds). The Critical Turn in Tourism Studies: Innovative Research Methodologies.  London: Elsevier

Chambers, D (2007). An Agenda for Cutting Edge Research in Tourism.  In J. Tribe and D. Airey (eds). Developments in Tourism research.  London: Elsevier

Chambers, D. (2005). The development of tourism businesses in rural communities: the case of the Maroons of Jamaica.  In M. Mitchell and D. Hall (eds). Rural Tourism and Sustainable Business.  Clevedon: Channel View Publications 

Book Reviews

Green, G. and Scher, P. (eds) (2007). Trinidad Carnival: the cultural politics of a transnational festival. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events 1(2), 179-180

Timothy, D. and Boyd, S. (2002). Heritage Tourism. Harlow: Prentice Hall. Journal of Heritage Tourism 1(2)

Dahles, H & Keune, L. (eds) (2002). Tourism Development and Local Participation in Latin America.  Elmsford, N.Y: Cognizant Communication Corporation.  Tourism Analysis 10 (1)

Conference Papers and presentations

Chambers, D. (2010). Does the Caribbean need World Heritage designation? World Heritage and Tourism: Managing for the global and local, Quebec City, 2-4 June, 2010

Chambers, D. (2009). Gospel Festival tourism: at the cross roads between the sacred and the profane?  3^rd Critical Tourism Studies Conference, Zadar, Croatia, 21-24 June 2009

Rakic, T. and Chambers, D. (2009). Rethinking the consumption of places. 3^rd Critical Tourism Studies Conference, Zadar, Croatia, 21-24 June 2009

Chambers, D. (2008). The local versus the global: gay travel and Jamaican tourism. Association of Cultural Studies Crossroads Conference, University of the West Indies, Jamaica, 3-7 July 2008

Rakić T. and Chambers, D. (2008) At the [Athenian] Acropolis: exploring the nature of embodied multi-sensory visitor experiences, ATLAS 2008 Annual Conference - Selling or Telling? Paradoxes in Tourism, Culture and Heritage, University of Brighton, 2-4 July, 2008.

Rakic, T. and Chambers, D (2007).  Researcher with a movie camera: visual ethnography in the field.  Gazing, Glancing and Glimpsing: Tourists and Tourism in a Visual World., University of Brighton, Eastbourne, 13-15 June, 2007

Rakic, T. and Chambers, D (2007).  Creating tourism knowledge: an exploration of the use of visual techniques. The Critical Turn in Tourism Studies: promoting and academy of hope, Split, Croatia, 20-23 June, 2007

Chambers, D. (2007) A Postcolonial Interrogation of Attitudes toward homosexuality and gay tourism: the case of Jamaica.  ASA Conference, London Metropolitan University 10-13 April 2007

Robertson, P., Burns, A., and Chambers, D. (2006). A study of the Northern Ireland Tourism industry specifically related to repeat business generated by visitors from Southern Europe.  Paper presented at 2^nd Annual Conference on Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland, Waterford Institute of Technology, 13-14 June, 2006

Chambers, D. (2005). ‘Interrogating the critical in “critical” approaches to tourism research’.   Embodying Tourism Research: Advancing Critical Approaches. Dubrovnik, Croatia, 30 June – July 3, 2005

Chambers, D. (2005).  Gay tourism and Jamaica.  Tourism and Performance Conference, Sheffield 14-18 July , 2005

Chambers, D. (2004). Jamaica’s Built heritage: the colonial legacy. Tourism State of the Art, Glasgow, Scotland, June 27-30, 2004

Chambers, D. (2004). Recreating tourism knowledge: the relevance of Laclau and Mouffe. Council for Australian University Tourism and Hospitality Education (CAUTHE), Conference, Brisbane,  Australia, February 10-13, 2004

Chambers, D. (2002).  The application of discourse analysis to heritage tourism research. Tourism Research 2002 Conference, Cardiff, Wales, September 4-7, 2002

Chambers, D. (2002).  The Politics of Heritage tourism: An investigation of the relationship between heritage tourism images and the national 'imagining.'  12^th International Research Conference of the Council for Australian University Tourism and Hospitality Education (CAUTHE), Freemantle, Australia, February 6-9, 2002

Teaching

Undergraduate

Tourism Policy and Development

Issues in International Event Management

International Tourism Destinations

Postgraduate

Understanding the Events Industry

Innovation in Tourism

Tourism Social Science

Departmental Duties

Programme Director - MSc International Event Management

Professional Training Year Tutor

Affiliations

Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Member of Tourism Society

Member of Tourism Concern

External Appointments

External Examiner, Tourism, Middlesex University, 2010 - present

External Examiner BA Event Management, University of Plymouth, 2007-present

External Examiner, MA Event and Exhibition Management, Birmingham City University, 2006-2010

External member of Validation Panel for MSc Events Management suite of programmes,  University of the West of England, Bristol, February 2011

External member of validation panel for BA (Hons) Events Management, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, 2009

External Panellist for Subject Heath Review of Tourism and Event Management programmes at the University of the West of Scotland, 2008

External Reviewer of Postgraduate Tourism Programmes, Coventry University, 2008

External Member of validation panel for Foundation Degree in Tour Guiding (College Llandrillo/UWIC, Wales), 2006

Visiting Lecturer, Tourism, Wageningen University, Netherlands, 2007 - present

Visiting Lecturer, Tourism, IPAG Business School, Paris, 2006

Visiting Lecturer, Tourism, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados, 2006

Visiting Lecturer, Tourism, University of Plymouth, Devon, UK, 2001-present