Travel. Purpose. Place.
Joe Pavelka PhD.
Speaker · Consultant · Author · Professor
It changes how we see the world, how we understand other people, and sometimes how we understand ourselves.
For more than 30 years, Joe Pavelka has explored the ideas, experiences and relationships that make travel meaningful.
Travel changes us.
Experience that matters
30+ YEARS
Experience
300+
Presentations
200+
Projects
Joe brings decades of experience working with people, organizations, communities and destinations—combined with a genuine curiosity about why travel matters.
Explore Joe’s ideas.
Why do we travel?
We want to see something new.
To get away.
To learn.
To connect.
To experience something different.
But travel can be more than a destination.
It can change our perspective, challenge what we think we know, and remind us that there is more than one way to see the world.
That is where Joe's work begins.
Go somewhere, come back different.
Travel isn't simply about where you go.
It's about what happens along the way.
The people you meet.
The stories you hear.
The places you experience.
The ideas you bring home.
IDEAS WORTH TALKING ABOUT
Joe speaks about the questions shaping travel, tourism and the way we experience the world.
01 — THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAVEL IN TURBULENT TIMES
When the world feels increasingly divided, uncertain and disconnected, travel may matter more—not less.
What happens when we step outside what is familiar and encounter different people, cultures and perspectives?
02 — AI & THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
Artificial intelligence is changing how we discover, plan and experience travel.
But as technology becomes more capable, what remains uniquely human?
And what should never be automated?
03 — WELLNESS & TRAVEL
Travel can challenge us, restore us, connect us and change our perspective.
Could travel be an important part of how we think about wellbeing?
04 — THE VALUE OF TRAVEL
Travel creates economic value—but its value goes far beyond dollars.
What do people, communities and society actually gain when we travel?
05 — PURPOSEFUL TRAVEL
What if travel wasn't simply about seeing more places?
What if it was about experiencing them more deeply?
Purposeful travel asks us to slow down, pay attention and think about why we're going in the first place.
06 — THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
Sustainability has become central to the future of tourism.
But what does sustainable tourism actually look like—and how do we create destinations that work for visitors, residents and the places themselves?
Expertise in Action
Public Speaker
With over 300 keynotes, workshops, and presentations delivered, Joe Pavelka is a dynamic, engaging speaker who connects with audiences across sectors. From global travel trends to sustainable tourism and the future of public recreation, Joe brings fresh insight, humour, and hard-earned expertise to every stage.
Popular Topics Include:
The importance of travel in turbulent times
Travel trends & the future of tourism
Sustainable tourism done right
The art (and impact) of slow travel
How to be a good (and fun) tourist
Reinventing public recreation
Designing effective international field schools
Other topics upon request
Workshops Available:
Half- and full-day sessions tailored for communities, agencies, and educators ready to take action on sustainable tourism, recreation planning, and global education.
Book Joe to inspire your next event—and leave your audience thinking differently about travel, place, and purpose.
Planvison Consulting Ltd
Delivering over 30 years of expertise in sustainable tourism, and recreation. Joe has worked with public, private, and nonprofit clients across Canada and Latin America to create tourism strategies that align with local values and deliver long-term impact.
Consultancy include:
Sustainable tourism planning & destination development
Adventure & Regenerative Travel strategy
International field school design & execution
Risk management, training, and faculty mentorship
Whether through full consulting, project oversight, or workshops, Planvision helps organizations build smarter, more sustainable tourism solutions.
Joe Pavelka
Your Trusted Tourism & Recreation Expert • Strategist • Educator • Storyteller of People and Place
For over 30 years, Joe Pavelka has been at the intersection of tourism, parks, and community planning—helping organizations and destinations grow sustainably, connect deeply, and create real impact.
Joe is a full Professor of Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership at Mount Royal University and the Principal of Planvision Consulting, where he has led more than 200 successful projects across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. His work bridges academic insight with boots-on-the-ground experience—offering clients the perfect mix of strategy, creativity, and human-centered design.
From advising national parks and Indigenous tourism initiatives, to developing field schools in Latin America and Europe, Joe is known for his practical, collaborative approach and his deep respect for place, culture, and people. He’s a leading voice in today’s most important travel conversations: sustainability, overtourism, cultural authenticity, and the evolving motivations of modern travelers.
Why Work With Joe?
Proven Track Record: 3+ decades of hands-on consulting and academic leadership.
Engaging Communicator: Sought-after speaker, educator, and facilitator who brings energy and clarity to complex topics.
People-First Perspective: Joe listens deeply, leads collaboratively, and keeps community benefit at the centre of every project.
Strategic Thinker: Skilled at turning big ideas into real-world plans that work- on the ground and in the long term.
Whether you’re planning a community tourism strategy, seeking a compelling keynote speaker, or building sustainable travel experiences, Joe brings the experience, insight, and heart to help you do it right.
Let’s start a conversation.
Books
It’s NOT about Time!
Remember the leisure predictions of the 1960s? By now we were supposed to be living a life of shorter work weeks, secure jobs, virtually no housework and a lot of free time. What happened? Most of us now can't even remember what free time feels like. How did we change from a leisure-focused society to one of the most time-stressed populations in the world? The future of leisure in North America is as rosy or dreary as we want to make it because it hinges on some tough decisions that each of us has to make. It's Not About Time challenges us to rethink leisure, but in simple, practical terms that are meaningful in daily life. It enlightens us on the range of everyday factors that impact our ability to experience leisure. Finally, it empowers us to negotiate our own leisure path, both now and in the future.
Ned The Story of Bear Six Nine Three
A young grizzly named Ned and his mother, Betty Lou, struggle with human encroachment on their habitat. Despite his mother's guidance, Ned becomes habituated to humans and encounters a predictable fate. But the bears experience many funny encounters and insightful moments along the way, and their story teaches readers about the natural world. Ned is a fun story that will enlighten and delight young and old alike, and because of its timeless theme, the book will remain relevant for years to come.
Not Just the Destination – The Connection.
From places to people its the travel that connects us.
On The Go With Joe
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Presentation topics:
What if we did nothing? The future of work and free time in the age of AI
key points :
- It's about the downstream end of AI job disruption - unstructured societal free time
- Historically we've never been good at managing personal or collective unstructured free time. We usually drank it away or started rebellions.
... If work and free time were siblings work would the obedient stable one and free time the unruly wild one. (my colleagues in the leisure management stream) -
Joe’s work is featured in Ways to Go by Bob Henderson and Torbjorn Ydegaard where Joe contributed a chapter about Purposeful Travel.
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1 hour presentation followed by a Q&A
Global tourism's sophistication has surpassed destination communities' ability to cope with it adequately. Canmore and Bow Valley are no different. Terms such as overtourism and overdevelopment dominate our understanding of its effects, but little is offered to address the situation. However, communities are planning and making decisions in creative ways. Let's see how some of these measures can directly apply to Canmore and the region.
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How some locals in tourism hotspots around the globe are pushing back against what they call 'overtourism'
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Italy Slow Culture Field School
Slow food, slow travel, and slow culture in Italy- a storied part of the world filled with beauty and contradictions.
This month-long field school will explore what it means to be a global citizen in today's world. By experiencing Italy in a slow and thoughtful manner, participants will examine and contrast different ways of living and the meanings behind them.
The field school begins with two-weeks in the Tuscan city of Florence where students will be immersed in Italian language and culture. Students will explore the nuances of Italian life through participation in language school, homestays, and immersive assignments. The group will then travel to Siena, a smaller city in Tuscany, where students will continue with assignments as well as cultural excursions including a bike tour of the countryside, wine tasting and cooking classes. Next the group will travel to the fabled "blue-zone" island region of Sardinia where they will explore a different way of life and examine what makes that location a rare blue-zone region. Returning to the mainland, the experience will wrap up in Rome.
This program is based on experiential learning. Participants will have assignments to complete before departure and while on the field school, however the goal is for participants to learn by doing.
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Martha Honey is Co-Founder and Director Emeritus of the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST). She has been an integral part of the development and evolution of sustainable tourism for over five decades. In an interview style conversation with Joe Pavelka, Martha will speak of the key developments she has witnessed in her extensive career that have brought us to where we are today, and offer insights as to the future of travel, more specifically sustainable travel.
Purposeful Travel Summit 2024 -
How overcrowding impacts the world’s tourism hotspots
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Marva Ferguson, left, is joined by Joe Pavelka to discuss a variety of important topics, including the history of Black settlement in Canada, the impact of racism, and strategies to better actively practice anti-racism.
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Thank you for taking the time to visit my website. Your journey here is appreciated. I hope you found inspiration, adventure, and a sense of connection—wherever your travels may take you next.
-Joe Pavelka