Dr. Stephen Smith
Senior Consultant on Tourism and Hospitality
Dr. Smith is an internationally-recognized tourism research with more than 35 years of experience in tourism research, policy, planning, and
education. He is currently Professor in the School of
Hospitality, Food, and Tourism Management, University of Guelph, where he teaches and advises graduate students on various aspects of tourism. He
is also Professor Emeritus in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo; and Associate Editor for 'Publications in
Review', Annals of Tourism Research.
Dr. Smith has worked with diverse tourism organizations, from
local agencies to international groups such as the UNWTO and APEC. He currently serves on the marketing committee of the Waterloo Regional Tourism
Marketing Corporation. Dr. Smith was the founding Chair of the Canadian Tourism Commission’s Research Committee and was Chair of the Research
Committee of the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council. He also has served on numerous industry task forces related to tourism and tourism
statistics, including strategic marketing for Ontario municipalities and regions, and culinary tourism in Ontario.
For over 15 years, Dr. Smith has collaborated on SPR projects, most recently, on a project examining the Health and Economic Benefits of
Recreation Trails, which provided detailed analyses of SPR's
2015 survey of 5,000+ users of Ontario nature trails, expanding on initial reports. In-depth health and economic benefits were estimated
for each of 6 nature trail user groups, with positive benefits noted for: hikers; snowmobilers; mountain bikers; off-road motorcyclists;
cyclists; 4x4 users; and horseback riders (for the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, 2017-2019). Other SPR projects include:
Renewing Ontario's Recreation-Nature Trails Strategy, which provided evidence of the major health and economic benefits of
hiking and other trail-related activities. The main data
source relied on the results from a major on-line survey of over 5,000 Ontario trail users. SPR's final report was
complemented by the introduction of Bill 100 - the Supporting Ontario's Trails Act, 2015 (for the
Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, 2014-2015); Review of Attractions Ontario's Summer Coupon and
Passport Program which provides web, toll-free telephone and
print information to hundreds of thousands of visitors to Ontario every year. The study examined the effectiveness in aiding
the marketing needs of major attractions
in Ontario. The review also provided insights on linkages with regional tourism bodies and
the broader Province of Ontario tourism strategy. In 2001, Dr. Smith participated in SPR's initial Evaluation of the Atlantic Canada Tourism
Partnership, which he completed in 2009. Dr. Smith is also a key member of SPR's team for the Ontario Vendor of Record for the Ontario Ministry
of Tourism, Culture and Sport.