Programme Philosophy

Zacharoula Andreopoulou

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Dr. Zacharoula Andreopoulou is a professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) and Director of the Postgraduate Programme "Tourism and Local Development". She is also Chair of the Scientific Council of the Mediterranean One Health Innovation Centre (MED-OHC). Her scientific and research interests include smart green transition, IoT applications and databases for natural resources and sustainability, SDGs, Green Deal regional development, climate change mitigation, eTourism, and green transition in tourism. She has organized and participated in numerous international and national conferences and serves on several committees and international networks related to sustainability, innovation, and higher education. She is the author of more than 110 papers in international journals and recipient of the Aristotle University Excellence Award (2016, 2019).

Charita Vlachou

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Dr. Charita Vlachou teaches Gastronomy Tourism and Agri-food, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and serves as Scientific Lead of the International Gastronomy Tourism Lab (IGTL). Her work focuses on gastronomy tourism, experiential destination development, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and the connection between local identity, culture, agri-food, and tourism. She is particularly interested in creating educational and tourism experiences that connect academia, industry, and local communities through applied and field-based learning. She is also a member of the International Society of Gastronomic Sciences and Studies (ISGSS).

Nikoletta-Theofania Siamagka

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Dr Nikoletta Theofania Siamagka is Associate Professor of Marketing at Aristotle University. Her research interests are mostly related to international consumer behaviour, consumer brand forgiveness and brand recovery. She is currently teaching Marketing of Tourism Destinations at postgraduate level and has published research on destination branding. Nikoletta has published in a number of academic journals, including International Journal of Research in Marketing, International Marketing Review, Journal of International Marketing and Journal of Travel Research.

David Mora Gómez

Basque Culinary Center

David Mora Gómez is a consultant, educator, and researcher specializing in food and wine tourism. With over 30 years of experience in the tourism sector, his work focuses on the connection between gastronomy, cultural heritage, and sustainable destination management. He coordinates the Gastronomy Tourism programmes at Basque Culinary Center and regularly collaborates as a lecturer and director of tourism programmes at various universities and business schools. He serves as a member of the UN Tourism Panel of Experts, an evaluator for the Best Tourism Villages initiative, and an expert within the IGCAT network. He is also the founder of the Wine Tourism School and an auditor for the Wine Routes of Spain.