![Associate Professor Karen Hughes](/sites/default/files/profiles/1528.png)
Overview
Background
Associate Professor Karen Hughes lectures at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the areas of sustainable tourism and visitor management. Her research interests include interpretation and environmental education, wildlife tourism, heritage tourism, visitor behaviour and sustainable tourism. She is particularly interested in exploring how interpretation can be used across a range of contexts to attract, engage and inspire visitors.
Karen’s PhD studies focused on designing and evaluating the impact of support materials on families’ adoption of environmental behaviours following a visit to Mon Repos turtle rookery. She has also explored public responses to environmental campaigns, public perceptions of replica sites as conservation tools, and the potential use of technology in connecting with new visitor audiences. Her most recent work involves designing and evaluating the impact of values-based interpretation on visitors’ long-term environmental behaviour. Karen has supervised four PhD students, three Masters students and two honours students to completion in the areas of interpretation, experience design and environmental behaviour change. Associate Professor Hughes has also been a lecturer and researcher at James Cook University, Charles Darwin University and Queensland University of Technology.
Availability
- Associate Professor Karen Hughes is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, James Cook University
- Masters (Coursework), James Cook University
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Interpretation, Environmental Education and Ecotourism
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Conservation learning in zoos and wildlife tourism settings
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Pedagogies and partnerships in Outdoor and Environmental Education Centres
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Raising community awareness of safe cycling and pedestrian practices
Works
Search Professor Karen Hughes’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2013
Journal Article
Designing and managing interpretive experiences at religious sites: visitors’ perceptions of Canterbury Cathedral
Hughes, K., Bond, N. and Ballantyne, R. (2013). Designing and managing interpretive experiences at religious sites: visitors’ perceptions of Canterbury Cathedral. Tourism Management, 36, 210-220. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2012.11.022
Featured
2013
Journal Article
Measuring the impact of viewing wildlife: do positive intentions equate to long-term changes in conservation behaviour?
Hughes, Karen (2013). Measuring the impact of viewing wildlife: do positive intentions equate to long-term changes in conservation behaviour?. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 21 (1), 42-59. doi: 10.1080/09669582.2012.681788
2011
Journal Article
Using post-visit action resources to support family conservation learning following a wildlife tourism experience
Hughes, Karen, Packer, Jan and Ballantyne, Roy (2011). Using post-visit action resources to support family conservation learning following a wildlife tourism experience. Environmental Education Research, 17 (3), 307-328. doi: 10.1080/13504622.2010.540644
2009
Journal Article
Tourists' support for conservation messages and sustainable management practices in wildlife tourism experiences
Ballantyne, Roy, Packer, Jan and Hughes, Karen (2009). Tourists' support for conservation messages and sustainable management practices in wildlife tourism experiences. Tourism Management, 30 (5), 658-664. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2008.11.003
2008
Journal Article
Environmental awareness, interests and motives of botanic gardens visitors: Implications for interpretive practice
Ballantyne, R., Packer, J. and Hughes, K. (2008). Environmental awareness, interests and motives of botanic gardens visitors: Implications for interpretive practice. Tourism Management, 29 (3), 439-444. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2007.05.006
2007
Journal Article
Conservation learning in wildlife tourism settings: lessons from research in zoos and aquariums
Ballantyne, R., Packer, J., Hughes, K and Dierking, L. (2007). Conservation learning in wildlife tourism settings: lessons from research in zoos and aquariums. Environmental Education Research, 13 (3), 367-383. doi: 10.1080/13504620701430604
Featured
2006
Journal Article
Using front-end and formative evaluation to design and test persuasive bird feeding warning signs
Ballantyne, Roy and Hughes, Karen (2006). Using front-end and formative evaluation to design and test persuasive bird feeding warning signs. Tourism Management, 27 (2), 235-246. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2004.09.005
2024
Journal Article
Keep it #Unreal: Exploring Instagram users’ engagement with virtual influencers in tourism contexts user engagement with virtual influencers
Xie-Carson, Li, Benckendorff, Pierre and Hughes, Karen (2024). Keep it #Unreal: Exploring Instagram users’ engagement with virtual influencers in tourism contexts user engagement with virtual influencers. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 48 (6), 1006-1019. doi: 10.1177/10963480231180940
2024
Journal Article
A state-of-the-art-review of animals in tourism: key debates and future directions
Mkono, Mucha and Hughes, Karen (2024). A state-of-the-art-review of animals in tourism: key debates and future directions. Tourism Geographies, 1-13. doi: 10.1080/14616688.2024.2342462
2023
Journal Article
All hype or the real deal? Investigating user engagement with virtual influencers in tourism
Xie-Carson, Li, Magor, Thomas, Benckendorff, Pierre and Hughes, Karen (2023). All hype or the real deal? Investigating user engagement with virtual influencers in tourism. Tourism Management, 99 104779, 104779. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104779
2023
Journal Article
Not so different after all? A netnographic exploration of user engagement with non-human influencers on social media
Xie-Carson, Li, Benckendorff, Pierre and Hughes, Karen (2023). Not so different after all? A netnographic exploration of user engagement with non-human influencers on social media. Journal of Business Research, 167 114149, 114149. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114149
2023
Journal Article
Horse racing and the growth of hashtag activism
Mkono, Mucha, Tham, Aaron, Hughes, Karen and Echentille, Stella (2023). Horse racing and the growth of hashtag activism. Leisure Studies, 1-16. doi: 10.1080/02614367.2023.2271182
2023
Journal Article
Once upon a time: the impact of storytelling on connecting people to natural landscapes
Hughes, Karen and Moscardo, Gianna (2023). Once upon a time: the impact of storytelling on connecting people to natural landscapes. Environmental Education Research, 30 (2), 235-250. doi: 10.1080/13504622.2023.2246695
2023
Journal Article
Does values-based interpretation make a difference? Testing impacts on visitors’ environmental learning and reported adoption of environmentally responsible behaviors
Ballantyne, Roy, Hughes, Karen, Packer, Jan and Lee, Julie (2023). Does values-based interpretation make a difference? Testing impacts on visitors’ environmental learning and reported adoption of environmentally responsible behaviors. Visitor Studies, 26 (2), 181-201. doi: 10.1080/10645578.2023.2218791
2023
Journal Article
Food preferences as a proxy for adventurousness
McKercher, Bob, Hughes, Karen and Mkono, Mucha (2023). Food preferences as a proxy for adventurousness. Tourism Management, 95 104682, 1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104682
2023
Book Chapter
Interpretation for children: turning horror and hurt into healing and hope
Ballantyne, Roy, Packer, Jan, Hughes, Karen and Broughton, Tobias (2023). Interpretation for children: turning horror and hurt into healing and hope. Children, young people and dark tourism. (pp. 101-113) edited by Mary Margaret Kerr, Philip R. Stone and Rebecca H. Price. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003032199-10
2022
Journal Article
Does the environment matter in the ‘new normal’?
Mkono, Mucha, Hughes, Karen and McKercher, Bob (2022). Does the environment matter in the ‘new normal’?. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, 3 (2) 100060, 1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.annale.2022.100060
2022
Journal Article
Unpacking the disinterested tourist
McKercher, Bob, Hughes, Karen and Mkono, Mucha (2022). Unpacking the disinterested tourist. Tourism Management Perspectives, 44 101021, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.tmp.2022.101021
2022
Journal Article
Sustainability paralysis in travel consumption: a reddit study
Mkono, Mucha and Hughes, Karen (2022). Sustainability paralysis in travel consumption: a reddit study. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 23 (4), 146735842211103-516. doi: 10.1177/14673584221110370
2022
Journal Article
Launch of the <i>JHTR</i> Featured Section “Insight & Foresight”: Inspire “Homegrown” Theorizing in Hospitality and Tourism Research
Miao, Li, Baker, Melissa, Hughes, Karen, Kim, Sangkyun, Lu, Lu, Singal, Manisha and Young, Cheri (2022). Launch of the JHTR Featured Section “Insight & Foresight”: Inspire “Homegrown” Theorizing in Hospitality and Tourism Research. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 46 (6), 109634802211044-1095. doi: 10.1177/10963480221104406
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Karen Hughes is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Master Philosophy
From the brink of extinction: Exploring the role of replicas in managing the negative impacts of tourism at fragile heritage sites
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Mucha Mkono
Completed supervision
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Essays exploring methods of increasing individuals uptake of conservation behaviour to help protect the Great Barrier Reef
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Gabby Walters
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding Chinese tourists' landscape perceptions and meaning making at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Mucha Mkono, Associate Professor Gabby Walters
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Fake it to Make it: Exploring Instagram Users' Engagement with Virtual Influencers in Tourism
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Thomas Magor, Professor Pierre Benckendorff
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
The influence of cultural values on the environmental attitudes and behaviours of Chinese outbound tourists
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Pierre Benckendorff
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring Interpretive Experiences at an Omani Heritage Site: Insider-Outsider Visitor Perspectives
Associate Advisor
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Factors that influence engagement in on-site environmentally responsible behaviours at music festivals
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Jan Packer, Associate Professor Sheranne Fairley
Media
Enquiries
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