Karin Eckhard (MA)
Karin Eckhard, Sustainable Tourism Expert, based in Spain
I joined the European Wilderness Society in 2014 and am the focal point for sustainable tourism projects.
Although born and raised in New Hampshire, USA, I have had the fortune to live in places as diverse as Vail, Colorado; Salzburg, Austria; London and in a small village in the east of England. However, I have called Madrid, Spain my home for the last 2 years. While in the US, I worked for 12 years in the tourism sector in product development, operations and various other roles. I hold a Masters in Sustainable Tourism Development and after receiving my Masters I worked for several years as a Sustainability Advisor in the tourism sector with an international consultancy and have worked on various European regional sustainable tourism projects. While living in the UK and volunteering for a local conservation organization, I decided to take on the challenge of doing a Masters in Land Management as it relates to Conservation.
I had the fortune to do my thesis in the area of Landscape Ecology specifically connectivity and its role in species and biodiversity conservation. Here is where I found my keen interest in the role tourism can play in promoting global and regional conservation effort. When not traveling, I enjoy, of course, the outdoors, wildlife photography, sports and spending time with friends.
