Ph.D. Daniel L. Spears

Dr. Spears has over 30 years of experience in the tourism industry, including various positions at the MGM Grand Casino, Hotel, and Theme Park, Rado-Mat Holdings, and several domestic and international academic institutions. In addition, he has worked and trained with several large, medium, and small organizations throughout the U.S. and internationally. Dr. Spears also served in the U.S. Army as a combat medic.

Dr. Spears is currently an Associate Professor of Hospitality & Tourism at UNT and Visiting & Affiliate Professor of International Sustainable Tourism at CATIE (Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigacion y Ensenanza) in Turrialba, Cartago, Costa Rica. He teaches and researches tourist consumer behavior, tourism marketing, services marketing, sustainability, and international development. Dr. Spears has published over 35 peer-reviewed academic journal articles and eight (8) book chapters in the tourism and tourism marketing literature. In addition, he has published and presented over 80 academic conference papers worldwide.

Dr. Spears' consultancy expertise is in tourism strategic management and marketing. He specializes in project management, methodology, data analysis, and implications that facilitate strategic management and marketing. His previous research and projects have included destination tourism resource assessments, strategic planning, strategic marketing, and developing tourism methodologies and exit surveys for numerous private and international government organizations.