Emeritus Professor Kevin Lyons

Research Expertise

Kevin's research spans the fields of leisure, sports, recreation and tourism management and policy.  His published work is highly cited and has shaped and influenced leisure-related policies and practices of governments, non-government and private sectors who deliver leisure-related services. AN example of the impact of Kevin's research is evident in Kevin's work in the area of volunteer tourism. Volunteer tourism is one of the fastest growing area of research in leisure and tourism studies over the past two decades. Initial research in this area was largely descriptive and sought to champion volunteer tourism as a form of sustainable tourism that was helpful to host communities and volunteers alike. Kevin's work in this area has challenged this view. His published research has provided the conceptual frameworks and critical and empirical rigor necessary to transform the way that volunteer tourism is understood, not only by researchers and students but also tourism industry decision makers. The impact of Kevin's work on volunteer tourism research is exemplified in the content and impact of a recently published paper entitled: ‘Gap year volunteer tourism: myths of global citizenship?’ published in the A* ranked (ABDC) 'Annals of Tourism Research' – the internationally preeminent tourism journal. This paper presented a detailed critique of volunteer tourism challening conventional wisdom about the transformative value of youth  travel.  He has recently begun expanding this area of inquiry to examine related forms of youth-based tourism such global mobility programs being funded by governments and offered by Universities.

Kevin has long recognised the importance of engaged scholarship in tourism. A recent example of this is evident in research he  recently conducted for NSW Business Chamber on the Tourism Sharing Economy.  His findings and the subsequent industry report he authored has been instrumental in shaping NSW State Government policy on regulating the Sharing Economy. 

Kevin has worked in close partnership with regional tourism in NSW and, more particularly, the Hunter region to develop and conduct research that has helped address the needs of the regional tourism industry. A notable example is the research that he has lead to produce the Hunter Valley Tourism Research Monitor for the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association (HVWTA). The fine-grained data from this research provides a detailed picture of the state of the regional tourism industry that has been disseminated through monthly and Annual reports. These reports have had national reach and are used and circulated by both state (Tourism Industry Council) and national (Tourism Australia) tourism organisations via their websites to the tourism industry nationwide. Kevin's research engagement efforts were acknowledged when he received the Gold award for ‘Contributions to Local Tourism by an Individual’ at the 2013 Qantas Link Hunter and Central Coast Tourism Awards.

Teaching Expertise
Since receiving the Vice Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Teaching in 2007, Kevin has continued to champion experiential learning in the form of work-integrated learning and work readiness skills development in the area of tourism studies. As a result of his efforts the University of Newcastle was recently independently nominated for and received a National Tourism Training Award for Australia from Tourism Training Australia, the national tourism and hospitality industry training and education advisory association. The citation for this award was: ‘For service to the development of the tourism and hospitality industry and to the nation’.

Kevin has developed a reputation for skilled supervision of international RHD students. This was formally acknowledged in 2013, when he received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Supervision Excellence for the Faculty of Business and Law. He is a firm believer in applying the principles of career development and lifelong learning that he has championed at the undergraduate level to RHD students. He spends time ensuring his RHD students develop a strong understanding of what the life of an academic is like. To this end, he encourages his PhD students to engage in all facets of academia by providing them with opportunities to teach, publish, present at conferences and School and Discipline seminars. He has co-published with many of my former PhD students who are employed in academic positions across the globe (including Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Canada and Australia).

Kevin is a leader in curriculum development not only in Tourism Studies but more broadly in Business and Management related areas particularly including at the postgraduate coursework level. He has recently lead the way in developing and implementing the very popular Sports Management Major in the Bachelor of Business. As Director of Postgraduate Studies for 2013 to 2015, Kevin lead curriculum planning in the Faculty of Business and Law ensuring that all postgraduate coursework programs meet the quality standards set by the University as well as by external agencies including AQF and AACSB.

Administrative Expertise
Kevin's expertise in administration spans the faculty and university level. He is currently Deputy Head of the Faculty of Business and Law, and has recently returned to the role of Head of the Tourism Discipline.

Kevin has been an active member of Faculty Executive, Faculty of Business and Law for over 7 years under a range of portfolio responsibilities. He was Deputy Head of School and Director, Postgraduate Studies —Newcastle Business School from 2013 to 2015. This role includes oversight of all operational academic activities in the NBS City Precinct including chairing the Postgraduate Programs Management Group.  He was the inaugural Assistant Dean, External Engagement, Faculty of Business and Law and developed the first Faculty-based strategic plan in this portfolio. Kevin was previously Head of Tourism Discipline from 2006-2011, and was instrumental in successfully growing leisure sports and tourism management offerings at UoN. He has filled a number of interim roles including Interim and Assistant Dean Research (2009 and Assistant Dean, Research Training (2011), Faculty of Business and Law.

Kevin's administrative expertise also extends beyond the University to service roles in the tourism industry. Kevin was nominated and appointed as Deputy Chair and Director, Hunter Regional Tourism Organisation from 2009 to 2012. He continues to provide advice to the tourism industry and has been regularly sought out as an invited speaker and facilitator at tourism industry meetings and symposia. Kevin has also played an active leadership and governance roles in the tourism academic community internationally. He established and chaired the Council of Australian Universities Tourism and Hospitality Educators (CAUTHE) Special Interest Group on Volunteer Tourism from 2009 to 2012. He was Treasurer of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Leisure Studies (ANZALS) from 2005 to 2010. He has been associate editor of 'Leisure Sciences, an interdisciplinary journal' since 2005 and was co-founder and member of the World Leisure Commission for Children and Youth from 2003–2012.  He is currently of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Travel Research - an A* ranked journal (ABDC ranking) and Tourism Recreation Research - an A ranked journal (ABDC ranking).