MYANMAR IO 2014 FEATURED SPEAKERS
DONALD E. HAWKINS chairman solimar international

BIOGRAPHY

Donald E. Hawkins is the Eisenhower professor of tourism policy and a professor of management, tourism studies, and international affairs at George Washington University’s School of Business. He is also a special advisor to the secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and, since 2013, he has also been a special advisor to the Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.
Dr. Hawkins has a long career in the study and promotion of sustainable tourism and is chairman emeritus of Sustainable Travel International. He also serves on the board of Tourism Cares, an industry nongovernmental organization that helps protect and restore important destinations worldwide.

Among his many career achievements, Dr. Hawkins received the inaugural edition of the UNWTO’s Ulysses Prize in 2003, and in 2005 he received the UNWTO’s Themis Foundation Science Fellow Award. He has contributed to more than 100 publications, including books, scholarly articles, manuals, and research reports, and he has served as a sustainable tourism consultant in the Republic of Georgia, the Dominican Republic, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Canada, and the United States.
Dr. Hawkins holds a BA from King’s College, an MA from Lehigh University, and a DEd (doctor of education) from New York University.

solimar international

Based in Washington, DC, Solimar International is a consultancy that specializes in developing and promoting all aspects of sustainable tourism projects, with an emphasis on helping to conserve natural resources, promote local cultures, create jobs, and alleviate poverty, all while empowering women, enhancing education, and improving the well-being of local communities. Solimar has partnerships with several public, private, and nonprofit organizations, including the National Geographic Society, the George Washington University, the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The company has worked on dozens of projects around the world, for example, tourism opportunities linked to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the Bolivian Amazon and a series of activities to strengthen community enterprises in Uganda’s national parks.