
Hannah Messerli
How can the benefits and trade-offs of tourism in emerging and developed countries be harnessed for economic vibrancy and social benefits? This is the focus of Dr. Hannah Messerli’s academic and professional experience. Grappling with the development complexities of tourism in today’s rapidly changing destinations, she has worked in all global regions in policy, planning and analysis.
Presently at the George Washington University School of Business, Hannah is the Eisenhower Research Professor of Tourism Policy and Chair of the International Institute of Tourism Studies. Previously, as staff in the Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice of the World Bank, Dr. Messerli supported government initiatives to develop tourism private sector capacity in countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. As an analyst and tourism product development specialist, she has focused on cultural heritage and nature-based tourism development in emerging economies. Dr. Messerli has completed masters’ degrees in hotel administration at Cornell University (MPS) and tourism planning at The George Washington University (MA), and a PhD in tourism planning and development at Cornell.