Board
Diana Körner, Chair of the Board; Zanzibar
Diana is a sustainable tourism advocate with 10+ years of international consulting experience, mainly in Eastern Europe, Northern and Eastern Africa, working with a range of different stakeholders from public, private and NGO sector. She has been based in the Indian Ocean region since 2016, where she co-founded the NGO Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation and is currently a technical advisor for the Ministry of Tourism and Heritage in Zanzibar on sustainable tourism matters. Diana has an MSc in Strategic Tourism Management, a BA in Tourism and Leisure Management and is an official trainer for the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
Michael Meyer, Co-Chair of the Board; Germany
Michael Meyer started his career as a consultant on management of tourism facilities and tour operators, working about 15 years on quality assessment and training of staff. In 1999 he became a member of the board of Ökologischer Tourismus in Europa e.V. (Ö.T.E.) to work on the topic of sustainable tourism development in and around protected areas foremost Biosphere Reserves within Central and East Europe. From 2006-2014 he has worked for the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) giving advice to member states on sustainable tourism planning and biodiversity-based tourism product development (e.g. Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Georgia and Slovakia). He is a member of the roster of experts of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), co-author of the International Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development of the CBD and the Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development of the Carpathian Convention. His key expertise is coaching of tourism planning processes, capacity-building of local communities and entrepreneurs and sustainable tourism product development. Furthermore, he is continuing his work on tourism product development, including Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plans for protected areas in Georgia and Slovakia.
Rolf Spittler, Co-chair of the Board; Germany
Rolf is managing partner of AUbE Tourismusberatung GmbH, a German-based tourism and planning consultancy focused on infrastructure planning, regional development, and quality management. He specialises in cycling, hiking, and nature tourism – from concept development to planning and certification. Rolf is a qualified geographer and landscape ecologist and has focused on sustainable and active tourism for over 30 years.
Greg Bakunzi, Board Member; Rwanda
Greg is a resident of Musanze, Rwanda, and has more than a decade of experience in tourism and conservation. He specializes in tours to view the iconic mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park. He co-founded Amahoro Tours and the Red Rocks Intercultural Centre to promote sustainable tourism and community and conservation programs. He also founded the Red Rocks Initiative for Sustainable Development, which helps local communities benefit from tourism through social enterprises.
Matthias Beyer, Board Member; Germany
Matthias is managing director of the consulting firm mascontour, one of the world’s leading companies for sustainable tourism management. He has worked for over 20 years as an international consultant, trainer and coach on sustainable and resilient solutions for the tourism industry. He contributes ideas to the global sustainability debate in tourism through lectures, presentations, and articles. Matthias is a board member of GSTC and a member of the Sustainability Committee of the German Travel Association (DRV). He also lectures at Bremen University of Applied Sciences on sustainable tourism development in emerging countries.
Harald Förster, Board Member; Germany
Harald is CEO of the Schutzstation Wattenmeer, a German NGO combining nature conservation and tourism in the Waddensea World Heritage Site of Schleswig-Holstein. He has an MSc in Forestry and Wildlife Management and an interest in large carnivore conservation. Harald worked in Namibia as a director of an NGO implementing wildlife management systems on commercial farmland.
Taida Garibovic, Board Member; Croatia
Taida runs a nature conservation, environment protection, and sustainable development consultancy in Croatia, GAIA. She is a marine biologist and ecologist and has an MSc in landscape ecology and nature conservation. She is an alumna of the Klaus Toepfer Fellowship Programme, which promotes emerging nature conservation leaders. Taida has worked with NGOs and institutions on nature protection, sustainable development, and capacity building.
Denise Landau, Co-Founder of LT&C and Board Member; US and the UK
Denise runs an environmental consulting company and is the president and CEO of Friends of South Georgia Island, a trustee of the South Georgia Heritage Trust, and on the board of the American Polar Society. She has also served as executive director of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Denise has a Bachelor of Science in Field Natural History and Wildlife Biology.
Emma Meehan, Member of the Communications Working Group; Norway
Emma is a communication adviser with more than 15 years of experience in different sectors, including not-for-profit, government, energy, and banking. She has lived and worked in the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, and New Zealand. Most recently, she was a communications manager at an environmental foundation in Ibiza.
Kate Lewis, Member of the Communications Working Group; UK
Kate is communications officer with the UK NGO the Travel Foundation, working on climate and equity projects. Prior to this, she worked in project management and communications at the International Institute for Environment and Development, a policy research institute. Kate has an MA in Tourism, Environment and Development. Her background is in sustainable development, with a focus on community-led tourism in Asia and Africa.