Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir

Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir

 

 

 

Education:

2005 The University of Guelph, Canada, MBA in Tourism and Hospitality
1994 The University of Oregon, Canada, M.A. Comparative literature.
1991 The University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Journalism and mass communication.
1990 The University of Iceland, B.A. Icelandic language and literature.

Work experience:

October 1996 - Head of the Rural Tourism Department, Holar University College.
Mai – September 1996 Manager of Holar Tourist Service.

Scholarships and grants:

Winter 2005. Vigdis Finnbogadottir scholarship. University of Guelph.
2004. Research grant from the Marketing Bureau of North Iceland.
Fall 2002. University Graduate Scholarship. University of Guelph.
Fall 2002. Board of Graduate Studies Research Scholarship. University of Guelph.

Administration and appointed positions

2004 –2005 Board of the Innovation and Product Development Fund run by the
Icelandic Travel Trade Association.
2004 – Board of the Tourist Information Centre at Varmahlíð Skagafjörður.
2001 – 2002 Appointed to a committee by the Ministry of Agriculture to evaluate the
status of Icelandic Farm holidays
2000 – Board of the Icelandic Tourist Research Institute.
2000 – 2001 Board of Skagafjörður Tourist Association.

Publications (after 2001):

2006 Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir og Þorvarður Árnason (eds). Ferðaþjónusta í
Skagafirði: stefnumótun 2006-2010. Sauðárkrókur: Sveitarfélagið Skagafjörður.
2005 Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir. Barnsskónum slitið: framtíðarsýn íslenskrar
ferðaþjónustu. Fræðaþing landbúnaðarins, pp. 223-228.
2003 Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir. Iceland: Tourism Marketing – Evaluation
of Current Marketing Strategies in Iceland. 1st. European Congress on
Rural Tourism. 3 – 5 October, Jaen, Spain.
2001 Ministry of Agriculture. Ferðaþjónusta bænda: sóknarfæri til sveita.
(Icelandic Farm Holidays). Report.
2001 Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir. Menntun í ferðaþjónustu. (Education in the
Tourism Industry). Morgunblaðið. 7th of June.
2001 Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir. Ferðaþjónusta í sveitum. (Rural
Tourism). Conference Proceedings. Publishers: Bændasamtök Íslands,
Landbúnaðarskólinn Hvanneyri and Rannsóknastofnun landbúnaðarins.
Thesis:
2005 History and Horses: The Potential of Destination Marketing in a Rural
Community Study from Iceland, Unpublished masters thesis, University of
Guelph.

Presentations after 2002:

2005 “Fagmennska í ferðaþjónustu”. Presentation at Aðalfundur Ferðamálasamtaka
Íslands Varmahlíð 25. nóv.
2005 “Barnsskónum slitið: framtíðarsýn íslenskrar ferðaþjónustu”. Presentation at
Fræðaþing landbúnaðarins Hótel Saga, 4th of February.
2004 “Resourching the remoteness: Destination Marketing and Image.”
Key note speech at the European Union of Tourist Officers Annual
conference: Sustainable Tourism Development across Europe at Hotel Lofleiðir, Reykjavík.
2004 “Ferðaþjónusta og byggðaþróun” (Tourism and Rural Development)
lecture on Byggðaþing. Landsbyggðin lifi, Hólum í Hjaltadal 28th – 29th of August.
2002 “Fighting the Remoteness: Rural Tourism and Rural Tourism Education
in Iceland. BayBITES 2002, Circumpolar Perspectives. Newfoundland, 25th. of September.

Research and Development Projects:

2005 Project leader in developing tourism plan for Skagafjörður
2005 Access Heritage: pilot project in Skagafjörður
2004 – 2005 Evaluating Skagafjördur’s Performance as a Tourism Destination:
Demand Perspective
2003 – Skagafjörður Local Food, project committee.
1999 – 2000 Icelandic Food Tradition.
1997 – 1999 Skagafjörður Historical Trail.

Teaching experience (after 2002)

2004 Rural tourism (3 credits)
2002 -2005 Introduction to tourism (3 credits)
2003, 2006 Hospitality in tourism (2 credits)

Other teaching experience (after 2002):

2006 Seminar on Rural Tourism in Europe. Mustiala, Finland.
2006, 2004 Course for heritage wardens.
2005, 2003 Summer Course for Students from the University of Guelph,
Canada.
2003 Breytum byggð á Hofsósi. (Learning Community).
2002 Course for Icelandic learning Students from the University of
Manitoba. Canada.
2002 Courses for people in the Travel Industry. Sauðárkrókur,
Blönduós and Staðarskáli.

European projects:

2006 Vocational Management Training for The European Tourism Industry. A
Leonardo da Vinci Project.
2003 Hospitality in Rural Tourism. A Leonardo da Vinci Project.
2001 – 2003 Learning Communities, chaired by Continuing Education, North
West Region, Skagafjörður.
2000 – 2002 Targeted Dissemination of Vocational Training for Rural
Tourism. TARGET.
1999 – 2001 Guide 2002. Project on Cultural Tourism.
1998 – 2001 Leonardo da Vinci Project on Student Exchange.