Welcome to the "Wonderful World of Tourism" according to David L. Edgell, Sr., PhD. Dr. Edgell is one of the most recognized leaders in the field of tourism with over 30 years experience. His strengths as a tourism educator, researcher, entrepreneur, author, and  community adviser include structuring new academic programs, researching key tourism issues, advising tourism enterprises and governments, creating exciting community programs as well as authoring significant tourism publications, and speaking at important tourism conferences.

Currently Dr. Edgell is a tenured professor in the College of Human Ecology, Department of  Hospitality Management, teaching classes in Dimensions of Tourism and Tourism Policy and Management.  He is also the director for the Institute for Tourism at East Carolina University, housed within the College of Human Ecology.  Dr. Edgell's area of special interest, both within his classes and his research, is sustainable tourism.

"Sustainable tourism" is today's red-hot tourism topic.  Dr. Edgell has written a new book: Managing Sustainable Tourism: A Legacy for the Future (The Haworth Press, Inc., Managing Sustainable Tourism: A Legacy for the Future). In this book, Dr. Edgell addresses the key questions on sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism, in its simplest definition, means achieving economic growth in a manner that does not deplete the natural and built environments and preserves the culture, history, and heritage of the area. Dr. Edgell charts a course of action for sustainable tourism that ultimately leads towards an improvement in the quality of life for the local citizenry. [For link to this book, please use control key and click on blue type.]

Dr. Edgell is currently co-authoring a new book titled: Tourism Policy and Planning: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.

Dr. Edgell also is a tourism consultant with global Tourism Solutions, Inc. He has worked on tourism projects in more than 60 countries and all 50 states within the United States. His work in tourism policy, planning, sustainability, education, and business development is used extensively.

"In our quest to have successful tourism programs and ventures it is necessary to connect the tourism planners, academicians, and entrepreneurs with people, policy-makers, and organizations seeking to utilize tourism as an economic development tool and as a purveyor to an improved quality of life. In developing policies and plans for tourism projects, it is imperative that concerns for economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social benefits be at the forefront." As this Web site indicates, Dr. Edgell has committed his life to finding the answers and solutions for tourism-related academic needs, governmental concerns, and business interests through experiences across the globe.