Biography
Dr Ellis Urquhart is a Lecturer in Tourism & Hospitality Services and the MSc Programme Leader for the Tourism Suite within the Business School at Â鶹ÉçÇø, UK. Ellis also acts as the Business School Academic Lead for Student Engagement and Retention.
He joined the subject-group as a lecturer in August 2018 prior to which he held various fixed term learning and teaching contracts during his PhD at the institution. He specialises in visitor attraction management, co-creative experience design and technological mediation in the heritage sector and the wider attraction environment. Ellis teaches tourism management at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels at Â鶹ÉçÇø in addition to overseas programmes delivered in Switzerland, Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong. He currently reviews for a range of tourism publications and has recently sat on the editorial board of the Journal of Tourism Futures.
Ellis is a former graduate of the institution, completing his BA (Hons) in Tourism & Airline Management in 2013. He was then selected as one of Edinburgh Napier’s 50th Anniversary Scholars to begin doctoral research within the Tourism School. His PhD supervisory team included Professor Anna Leask (Director of Studies), Dr Ivana Rihova and Dr Shuna Marr.
Ellis' research focusses on the role of interactive technologies in Scottish visitor attractions and specifically, how these contribute to a co-creative visitor experience. His additional research interests include: heritage management; e-tourism and technological innovation; augmented/virtual reality in tourism; airport/airline experiences; and qualitative methodologies in tourism, hospitality and events. Ellis has appeared at a number of internationally recognised conferences and contributes to various academic publications.
Ellis was awarded Senior Fellowship status by AdvanceHE based on his leadership of learning and teaching activity and is a member of the Association of Learner Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE). Ellis holds a PG Cert in Learning, Teaching & Assessment Practice in Higher Education and was awarded a Santander IE Best Practices in Digital Education for Teachers Scholarship in 2020 to develop skills in online learning and teaching practice. Ellis acts as an External Examiner for London Metropolitan University's MSc Aviation franchise programme in Sri Lanka. In 2020, Ellis was awarded the Best Lecturer in Marketing, Tourism & Languages at the ENSA Excellence Awards voted by students. Ellis was also the recipient of the 2023 Above & Beyond Award for Outstanding Student Experience nominated by peers across Â鶹ÉçÇø.
Prior to entering Higher Education, Ellis has held a number of operational roles in Scottish visitor attractions including Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh Zoo and a recent appointment at The Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Ellis currently leads the following modules:
TSM09126 Global Service Management
TSM08106 Visitor Attraction Management
Ellis also leads the following programmes:
MSc International Tourism Destination Management
MSc International Heritage and Cultural Tourism Management