Issa Torres

Associate, Spain 

Experience

Issa Torres is an independent consultant and sustainable tourism expert, with more than 12 years of experience in the public, private and academic sector, having worked in consultancy, research and project management in the field of sustainable tourism, protected areas, cultural heritage, ecotourism, marketing and hospitality skills development.

She has participated in international projects in more than 20 countries funded by multiple organisations, including World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, UNDP, UNESCO, European Travel Commission (ETC) and UNWTO, amongst others.

Recent projects include:

  • Training Needs Assessment for Capacity-Building in Sustainable Tourism in Cabo Verde
  • Development of the tourism sector and entrepreneurial activities in Djibouti
  • Diagnostic, Sustainable Tourism Action Agenda and Tourism carrying capacity assessment for the island of Aruba
  • Ecotourism planning in protected areas in Panama
  • Study of ecotourism and action plan for Mauritania’s protected areas
  • Community-based tourism and capacity building in Costa Rica, Ecuador and Colombia.

Core skills and qualifications

Issa holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Tourism from Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom, a Master’s Degree in Project Management from the University for International Cooperation in Costa Rica, as well as a Bachelor in Tourism and a Diploma in Tourism in Natural and Rural Areas from the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain.

She has excellent skills for multicultural communication and is fluent in several languages (Spanish, Catalan, English, Portuguese and French). In addition, she is a member of IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group), an Associate Member of ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee, and Tourism Expert for the evaluation of proposals of the European Commission. She teaches at the Open University of Catalonia and at the European University of Valencia. She has contributed to publications for UNWTO, the World Bank, academic journals and books and presented at numerous conferences.

Specialisms

Issa’s areas of specialism are:

  • Sustainable tourism
  • Ecotourism and protected areas
  • Cultural heritage and routes
  • Research
  • Training and skills development.