Snyman

Dr. Sue

Research Director

Dr Sue Snyman holds a Master of Business Science and a PhD in Economics (2008-2013) from the University of Cape Town. She also completed PhD courses in resource and environmental economics at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Her research focused on the socio-economic impact of high-end ecotourism in remote communities living in, or adjacent to, protected areas based on over 1,700 community interviews in six southern African countries. Between 2008-2018, Sue worked for Wilderness Safaris, a private sector ecotourism operator, in various roles, including Group Sustainability Manager, overseeing community development and biodiversity conservation in 7 African countries. Sue also holds other positions in conservation and protected area tourism, such as being vice-chair of the IUCN Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist (TAPAS) Group. Recently, she managed the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) Programme for IUCN in 24 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa: building capacity to improve protected area management effectiveness, governance and equity. Academically, Sue is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Johannesburg’s School of Tourism and Hospitality and a reviewer and writer for numerous international journals. She recently (2019) published a book with a colleague, Dr Anna Spenceley, titled ‘Private Sector Tourism in Conservation Areas in Africa’.