Ko Koens

Ko Koens has been involved in urban tourism for over 10 years. He earned his PhD in Responsible Tourism from Leeds Beckett University with a thesis that focused on township tourism and holds a master in Social Psychology and Environmental Studies (both at Utrecht University).

Ko is joint editor of the books “Slum Tourism: Poverty, Power and Ethics” and “Tourism and Geographies of Inequality: The New Global Slumming Phenomenon”. He also has contributed two chapters for the UNWTO publication ‘Overtourism’? – Understanding and Managing Urban Tourism Growth beyond Perceptions.

Ko's research interests are sustainable urban tourism, slum tourism, overtourism, city hospitality, tourism governance and local economic development.