Joe Pavelka has well over three decades experience in various sectors related to tourism, recreation and parks. Joe is a Professor (full) of Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership at Mount Royal University in Calgary Canada. He’s also the Principle at Planvision Consulting International Ltd.

Joe has led month-long experiential learning sustainable tourism programs in Peru, Belize, Dominica and Guatemala. In 2024 he will be leading a Slow Food, Slow Travel, Slow Culture Field School to Italy. He’s also led over two dozen two-week canoe/sea kayak/backpacking expedition travel courses from Mexico’s Baja to Canada high north. Joe’s research interests span ecotourism, lifestyle migration, public recreation, parks, overcrowding, and AI’s impacts on work and free time. He’s published two books, and numerous articles and produced two award-winning documentary films. Joe’s areas of expertise include…

Travel Trends &
Key Topics

  • Why we travel

  • The Importance of travel

  • Travel Trends

  • Tourism: What’s the problem?

  • Travel for Community

  • Slow travel, slow culture

  • Importance and Value of Travel

  • Overcrowding in Tourism and Parks

  • Sustainable Tourism Design and Development

  • Community Based Tourism

  • Purposeful Travel

  • Sustainable Tourism

Public Recreation

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • The Future of Work and Free Time

International Field Schools & Learning

  • Experiential learning

  • Cohort/Group Travel

  • Meaningful experience

  • International experience

  • Academic

  • Post-Secondary International Travel Study

Parks & Recreation

  • Planning and design of parks urban to wilderness

  • Balance

  • Community

  • Agency mandates

  • Purpose and relevance

  • Financial sustainability