top of page

people

Full-time Academic Staff: Teaching Staff

Dr Benjamin L Iaquinto 艾焜陶
助理教授

Iaquinto_BL.jpg

Room 10.33

391 77021

iaquinto@hku.hk

Assistant Professor

PhD (Melbourne), BSc (Hons) (Monash)

Office:

Phone:

Email:

I am a human geographer researching how tourist practices and mobilities (dis)connect people from pro-environmental ways of living. I have over 16 years of experience researching issues of sustainability, environment and tourism. Originally from Australia, I have lived in Hong Kong since 2015 and led projects on mobility politics, sustainable tourism and lively commodification. Current projects explore the biopolitics of tourism and pro-environmental tourist practices among China’s Generation Z. My work has appeared in leading academic journals and I have been interviewed by global media outlets such as CNN, Fortune and BBC. I am an Associate Editor for Tourism Geographies and a Steering Committee member of AusMob the Australian Mobilities Research Network.

Research Interests

  • Tourism Geography

  • Sustainability

  • Mobilities

  • Practices

  • Asia-Pacific

  • Tourism politics

  • Backpackers

Courses
Profile

GEOG2056

Tourism and the Shrinking World

6

credits

Annual; 1st Semester

Profile

GEOG2057

Leisure and Recreation in Modern Society

6

credits

Annual; 2nd Semester

Profile

GEOG3304

Tourism Policy and Planning

6

credits

Annual; 2nd Semester

Selected Publications

  2023  

  • Iaquinto, BL. “The Go-Along: A mobile method for backpacker research”. In Backpacking Culture and Mobilities: Independent and Nomadic Travel (pp. 72-95). M O’Regan (ed), Channel View: Bristol.
     

  • Iaquinto, BL., Barber, L. & Yu, PS. "Grounding Mobility: Protest Atmospheres at Hong Kong International Airport". Annals of the American Association of Geographers 113(4), 933-948. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2022.2151405
     

  • Barry, K & Iaquinto, BL. "Hostel frictions: backpackers living under lockdown." Mobilities 18(1), 37-53. 
    https://doi.org/10.1080/17450101.2022.2062256
     

  • Agyeiwaah, E., Pratt, P., Iaquinto, B. L. and Suntikul, W. "Social identity positively impacts sustainable behaviors of backpackers." Tourism Geographies 25(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1819401

  2022  

  • Tham, A, Iaquinto, BL and Driml, S. “Navigating external referencing through COVID-19 disruptions - Teaching tourism policy and planning in Australia and China”. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education 30, 100350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2021.100350
     

  • Shelton, MR, Bos, JJ, Collins, KB, Ison RL, & Iaquinto, BL. "Characterising water sensitive cities through inquiry-based learning systems". Australasian Journal of Water Resources 26(2), 162-174. https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2022.2076300

  2021  

  • Bennett, MM & Iaquinto, BL. "The geopolitics of China’s Arctic tourism resources." Territory, Politics, Governance. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622671.2021.1887755
     

  • Ison, RL, Collins, K and Iaquinto, BL. "Designing an inquiry-based learning system: Innovating in research praxis to transform science–policy–practice relations for sustainable development." Systems Research and Behavioral Science 38(5), 610-624.  https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2811
     

  • Lee, H.Y. and Iaquinto, B.L. “Marketing Ulaanbaatar as a dynamic city with a nomadic soul”. In Tourism in Asian Cities (pp. 147-160). S. K. Dixit (ed), Routledge: Abingdon. 

  2020  

  • Iaquinto, B. L. "Tourist as vector: Viral mobilities of COVID-19." Dialogues in Human Geography. 10(2): 174-177. https://doi.org/10.1177/2043820620934250
     

  • Iaquinto, B. L. "Understanding the place-making practices of backpackers." Tourist Studies 20(3) 336–353 https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797620927308
     

  • Choi, S-H, Iaquinto, B. L. and Wong, C. U. I. "Sojourners in Macau: blurring binaries of home/away and work/leisure." Leisure Studies 39(6): 811-824
     

  • Iaquinto, B. L. and Pratt, S. "Practicing Sustainability as a Backpacker: The Role of Nationality." International Journal of Tourism Research 22:100–107. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2321

  2019  

  • Zhang, V., Kelly, D., Castro, R. L., Iaquinto, B. L., Hughes, A., Edensor, T., McKay, C., Lobo, M., Kennedy, M., Wolifson, P., Ratnam, C., Buckle, C., Dorignon, L.,  Adamczyk, E., Barry, K. and Bissell, D. “Experiential Attunements in an Illuminated City at Night: A Pedagogical Writing Experiment.” GeoHumanities 5:2, 468-495

  2018  

  • Iaquinto, B. L. “Working Holiday Makers in Australia: Food Security, Climate Change and the ‘Backpacker Tax’.” Geographical Research 56(1): 107-112. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12261
     

  • Iaquinto, B. L. “Backpacker Mobilities: Inadvertent Sustainability Amidst the Fluctuating Pace of Travel.” Mobilities 13(4): 569-583. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450101.2017.1394682
     

  • Iaquinto, B. L. “Attaining Urban Water Sustainability in Hong Kong: Three Suggestions.” Area 50(3): 430-432. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12405
     

  • Iaquinto, B. L. “A Mixed Methods Approach in Tourism Research.” In Qualitative Methods in Tourism Research: Theory and Practice (pp. 224-247). W. Hillman and K. Radel (eds), Channel View: Bristol. ​

  2016 

  • Iaquinto, B. L. “Strengths and Weakness of Using Mixed Methods to Detect the Sustainable Practices of Backpackers: A Reflexive Account.” Journal of Cleaner Production 111: 479-486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.02.013

  2015  

  2014  

  • Floyd, J., Iaquinto, B. L., Ison, R. and Collins, K. “Managing Complexity in Australian Urban Water Governance: Transitioning Sydney to a Water Sensitive City.” Futures 61: 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2014.04.002
     

  • Ison, R, Blackmore, C, Collins, K, Holwell, S and Iaquinto, BL. "Insights into Operationalizing Communities of Practice from SSM-Based Inquiry Processes." Systemic Practice and Action Research 27: 91-114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11213-012-9275-3

  2013  

  • Ison, R., Blackmore, C. and Iaquinto, B. L. “Towards Systemic and Adaptive Governance: Exploring the Revealing and Concealing Aspects of Contemporary Social Learning Metaphors.” Ecological Economics 87: 34-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.12.016

  2012  

  2011  

Grants

2020

‘A social and cultural geographical exploration of Anthropocene: human-land interactions, environmental governance and social experiments.’ National Natural Science Foundation of China (Co-investigator). Amount: RMB550000

2019

‘Enhancing urban, transport and tourism research with wearable technologies’ University of Hong Kong, Provost’s Office. Amount: HKD115,500

2019

‘Viability of high speed rail as a low carbon tourist transport option in Hong Kong: a political economy perspective.’ University of Hong Kong, Seed Fund for Basic Research for New Staff (Principal Investigator). Amount: HKD130,000

2011

‘Opening conversations for communities of practice in water governance: Sydney’. Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority and Blacktown City Council (Co-investigator). Amount: AUD12000

Invited Lectures

2017

Welcome to the Anthropocene: geographical knowledge for a world we made.

Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire, USA, assembly address, 4 April.

2016

Backpacker Mobilities: slowing down for sustainability?

Australia and International Tourism Research Unit Symposium ‘Emerging Themes in Tourism Research’, Monash University, 18 March.

2016

Backpacking in an Unsustainable World: the places and practices of mobile people.

Department of Geography and Resource Management, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 16 February.

Media Coverage

2021

A New Class of Traveler. Fortune, April/May p. 20.

2020

The ‘flights to nowhere’ phenomenon. World Business Report, BBC World Service, interview with Clare Williamson. 10 November. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w172x58r8rv4wk1

2020

‘Flights to nowhere’ are popular. Experts explain the psychology behind the COVID-era concept. Fortune,
11 October. https://fortune.com/2020/10/11/covid-travel-flights-to-nowhere-psychology/

2020

What will the national security law mean for travelers -- and Hong Kong's tourism recovery? CNN Travel, 9th July. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/hong-kong-travel-national-security-law/index.html

2020

The future of tourism in the coronavirus era: Asia may hold answers to what's ahead. CNN Travel, 11 May.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/tourism-future-asia-coronavirus-intl-hnk/index.html

2020

The Economy is Deglobalising. What Happens Next is Up to Us. Lynk Global, 28 April.

https://www.blog.lynk.global/2020/04/28/covid-19-deglobalisation/  

2020

過度旅遊釀「完美風暴」人類自食其果, Hong Kong Economic Journal Monthly, 1 April.

https://monthly.hkej.com/monthly/article/id/2423403/%E9%81%8E%E5%BA%A6%E6%97%85%E9%81%8A%E9%87%80%E3%80%8C%E5%AE%8C%E7%BE%8E%E9%A2%A8%E6%9A%B4%E3%80%8D

2017

Climate change closer to home than we think, Young Post (South China Morning Post), 19th October.

http://yp.scmp.com/news/special-reports/article/107596/climate-change-closer-home-we-think

​

Knowledge Transfer

2020

Barry, K., Iaquinto, BL and Lobo, M. Lockdown life: migrant farmworkers in regional Australia. 24 November, Geography Directions. https://blog.geographydirections.com/2020/11/24/lockdown-life-migrant-farmworkers-in-regional-australia/

2020

Bennett, M. M., Barber, L. B. and Iaquinto, B. L. The Campus as Battleground: Placing the University Within the Hong Kong Protests. 21 January, Antipode Online. https://antipodeonline.org/2020/01/21/the-campus-as-battleground/

2017

Backpacker tax ‘fiasco’ reveals interdependence between transient and resident communities, 1 February, Bang the Table. http://www.bangthetable.com/backpacker-tax-on-transient-and-resident-communities/

2016

How Backpacker Communities Engage With Resident Communities, 22 June, Bang the Table. http://bangthetable.com/2016/06/22/backpacker-communities-engage-resident-communities/

2015

Seven Sustainability Lessons We Can Learn From Backpackers (with Kathryn Williams), 12 February, The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/seven-sustainability-lessons-we-can-all-learn-from-backpackers-37350

Editorial Board Memberships

  • Tourism Geographies (Associate Editor)

  • Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism

  • AAG Review of Books

  • Journal of Responsible Tourism Management

bottom of page