About Us
The Tourism Innovation Research Group (TIRG) at the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest is an academic tourism research group.
We formed in 2023 to support the tourism industry, our local and regional communities, and policymakers, in developing sustainable responses to challenges faced in Irish and European tourism.
The TIRG’s aim is to support the sustainable development of the Irish tourism industry, with a particular focus on issues in the Midlands and Midwest regions.
Our Goals
- To position Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest as a recognised leading centre of expertise for the Irish tourism industry, tourism innovators, policy makers, educators, and other stakeholders;
- To inform and drive the contribution of tourism to achieving the SDGs and addressing the challenges facing local communities and marginalised groups;
- To strengthen the capacity of TUS to attract external research funding, collaborative projects and post-graduate students;
- To raise the quality of tourism-related applied research at TUS and elevate the status of tourism as a significant field of study in the university;
- To inspire, inform and drive tourism-related under-graduate and post-graduate course development at TUS.
Our Research Areas
- Tourism destination leadership, management and marketing, including stakeholder networking, destination resilience and adaptation
- Sustainable and regenerative tourism development in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- Tourism, poverty reduction and social inclusion
- Tourism, climate change, environmental change and biodiversity
- Tourism & hospitality pedagogies
- Technology-enhanced tourism product development & innovation
Postgraduate Students
- Shahboz Babaev: Developing a model to understand the Impacts of Tourism on Poverty Alleviation in Central AsiaJosé Ferreira Fernandes: An examination of sustainable and green practices and the adoption of indicator systems in the hospitality industry in Portugal
- Emma Carroll: An evaluation of the extent to which (if any) safety issues influence attendees’ perceptions of events and the potential influence of crowd behaviours on the management of such perceptions.
- Ciara Coughlan: The role and value of beauty and spa in Irish higher education
- Dioga Da Sousa: Framework for the Development of Integrated Sports Tourism Strategies
- Luisa Golz: Brand activation in thanatourism: A comparative study of the Whitby Goth Weekend and the Bram Stoker Festival, Dublin
- John Harding: Exploring Consumer Perception and Acceptance of Entomophagy in Ireland Through the Quadruple Helix Model of Innovation Lens
- Meng Jing: Evolution of the role of the Chinese family in third level international education decision making
- Mary Anne Kearns: Tourism for all – Creating an inclusive tourism for all framework: Boosting economic impact, enhancing local community involvement, and contributing to poverty reduction
- Bekithemba Lunga: Assessing the symbiotic relationship between organisational culture, leadership and turnover intentions
- Claudia MacNamara: The use of online digital platforms in the recruitment process for employees within the tourism industry
- Fátima Mendonça: An examination of the sustainable management of tourism in Portugal
- Isa Neves: An analysis of film tourism as a crucial strategy in the competitiveness of the creative destination: Comparatively examining Portugal and Ireland
- Kevin Ward: An Exploration of Isomorphism in the Irish Hospitality Industry and its Impact on the Retention of Culinary Professionals (CPs), Utilising Institutional Theory as a Lens to View the Problem
Current Funded Projects
- Dark Sky Ecotourism, , an Erasmus Key Action 2 project
- INSPIRE, an Erasmus Key Action 2 project
- FoodTuristic, an Erasmus Key Action 2 project
- EPICSTAYS, an Erasmus Key Action 2 project
- Development of an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) curriculum design framework for academic staff to incorporate ESD into their curricula
- Skills Audit for Midlands Regional Food and Drink Strategy
- Active members of RUN-EU