The Diplomat
Dr. Jigang Bao has been named as the winner of the 16th Ulysses Prize, awarded by UNWTO for excellence in the creation and dissemination of knowledge in tourism.
As Professor and Director of the Center for Tourism Development and Planning Research at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, Dr. Bao has played an instrumental role in growing domestic tourism in both size and significance and in establishing his country as a leading tourism destination. Alongside his pioneering role in advancing tourism education and research across China, Dr. Bao also serves as the Director of the UNWTO Monitoring Center for Sustainable Tourism Observatories and has been engaged as an expert consultant for numerous destinations and projects, with a particular focus on theme parks, urban tourism and community participation.
Recognition of excellence and leadership
The formal presentation of the Ulysses Prize will be made at the 25th session of the UNWTO General Assembly, to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan (16-20 October). Here, Dr. Bao will join a long list of Ulysses Prize Laureates recognized by the United Nations specialized agency for tourism for their vital contributions to knowledge creation and education. Among the 11 criteria for the Prize are demonstrated excellence and originality of scholarship, academic leadership in their chosen field, a record of supporting sustainability, inclusiveness and innovation through their work, as well as serving as a role model to present and future generations of tourism scholars and leaders.
Dr. Bao was selected according to the established long practice of the Prize. The selection process was conducted in a rigorous, transparent and unbiased manner and an extensive evaluation was made by Previous Laureates of the Prize.. Dr. Bao was then recommended to the UNWTO Secretary-General by the special Ulysses Prize Coordinating Committee, composed of three previous Laureates and one representative of UNWTO in his capacity as ex-officio.
Dr. Bao is credited with introducing Western concepts and approaches to tourism research and teaching to China and has translated several relevant books into Chinese. He pioneered tourism education and research at Sun Yat-sen University, and has held numerous high administrative positions, including Assistant Principal of the university. As a researcher, he has published more than 200 papers and more than ten books and holds editorial positions on several leading journals in his field. Dr. Bao has also worked with UNWTO to establish Sustainable Tourism Observatories in Huangshan, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Kanas, Henan, Chengdu, Xishuangbanna, and Changshu.
