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About Me

For the past two years, Natasha Martin has been working in tourism development as a consultant with Xola Consulting, focusing primarily on the development of adventure tourism markets in developing countries. She has worked on long term projects in India and Peru, spoken at trade conferences and conducted original research on travel trends. She edits the online adventure tourism newsletter Off the Radar which highlights success stories of local entrepreneurs working in adventure tourism. Her main areas of research are GenY travel trends and social media.

Ms. Martin has experience working with private sector, government and trade associations, and has worked in East Africa, Japan, India, Europe, and South America. In addition to working with destinations and operators, Ms. Martin has supported the research and writing of the annual Research Roundup, put out by Xola Consulting and the Adventure Tourism Development Index which ranks countries worldwide based on their adventure tourism competitiveness. Her paper on GenY travel Habits, “Beyond the Adrenaline Rush,” was released in November, 2008.

Ms. Martin is currently working at The International Institute of Tourism Studies as a Research Assistant where she supports GW in its role as a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA). The GSTA is a joint-initiative between USAID and four leading tourism and conservation organizations, whose purpose is to advance the state-of-practice of sustainable tourism and allied fields, as well as to assist developing countries design and implement innovative, integrated and market-based tourism approaches that will foster sustainable futures for individuals, communities and societies.

At the same time, she is completing a Masters in Tourism Administration at The George Washington University (anticipated graduation is May 2010) and holds an Honors B.A. in African Studies from Concordia University.

Work History

The George Washington University
Research Assistant
January 2009 to Present
• Supports The International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) role in the Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA)
• Conducts original research

Xola Consulting
Consultant
December 2007 to Present
Specialize in strategic tourism planning with regional and national governments as well as small business development. Participate in proposal writing, research, project implementation and project management. Worked in the field in India and Peru on projects to assess the tourism potential of a region and select hotspots for focused development, investment and marketing. Worked with adventure tourism operators and small businesses to increase competitiveness and develop innovative products.
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