Personal profile
Biography
Patrick hails from Mauritius. He obtained his BCom in Tourism Management from the University of South Africa and his Masters and PhD at the SHTM of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His PhD dissertation dealt with the legacy of colonialism in the tourism development of former island colonies.
Countries where Patrick taught: Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Sweden, Colombia, Poland, Germany, Australia and the USA.
Teaching
Undergraduate courses lectured in:
- Marketing
- Marketing Research
- International Marketing
- Strategic Tourism and Hospitality Marketing
- Tourism and Hospitality Marketing Management
- Airline Management
- Events and Tourism Management
- International Marketing
- Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications
Post-graduate courses lectured in
- Cultural Branding
- Grounded Theory
- Advanced Qualitative Methods
- Management Research Methods
- Tourism Planning and Policy
- Applied Market Research
He also acts as an academic supervisor for Honours, Masters’ and Doctoral (PhD and Doctorate) theses.
Teaching philosophy
Patrick’s teaching philosophy goes beyond simply imparting knowledge; he also endeavours to enhance his students’ learning experience by creating opportunities for inspiration and empowerment. His classroom motto is: " I am not interested to know what you know but in how you think." For Patrick, teaching is a two-way process that not only requires classroom participation but also draws on students’ personal experiences and their diverse backgrounds.
Patrick believes in an interactive form of teaching that creates a synergistic classroom atmosphere through the direct involvement of students. He always endeavors to engage students in genuine inquisitive conversations on issues relating to both their knowledge base and beliefs. His goal is to cultivate rational analysis and critical judgement through in-class dialogue and critique, with due respect to each individual’s dignity.
Others
Patrick is also an advocate of advances in education quality assurance and the use of evidence-based approach in curriculum and course development.
Qualifications
B.Com., M.Sc., PhD
Research Interests
Patrick’s current research interest lies in the relationship between colonialism and tourism and is at the crossroads between social sciences and history. He is intrigued by multi-disciplinary knowledge systems and is particularly drawn to qualitative research methods. His research interests include:
- Creation of the tourism space, with an emphasis on peripheral and marginal tourism space as opposed to mainstream tourism.
- Tourism in the postcolonial
- Small island tourism destination development
- Critical tourism studies (tourism and politics, knowledge production and transmission in tourism)
- Tourism, travel, space and place
- The role of social artifacts such as religion and culture on destination marketing and how they influence the tourism experience.
- Destination marketing in general and the role of events and branding the building of a tourist destination
- The role of social media destination image and promotion
- Cultural heritage and disaporic tourism in general.
- Tourism education and the incorporation of tourism curricula in business studies.
- Marketing role in value creation in B2C, B2B and C2C context
- Evidence-Based approach to curriculum development and teaching
Education/Academic qualification
Tourism Management, PhD, The Colonial legacy in Tourism: a postcolonial perspective on tourism in former island colonies, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
1 Sept 2007 → 29 Nov 2011
Award Date: 29 Oct 2011
Research student supervision
- Registered to supervise
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- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Conflict of interests? Negotiating superstructures for value co-creation at indigenous heritage sites–the case of Patan, Nepal
Shrestha, R. K., L’Espoir Decosta, J. N. P. & Gaire, R., 2025, In: Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. 30, 3, p. 338-353 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1 Citation (Scopus) -
Crafting destination stories: enacting and sharing cultural memory for Indigenous tourism
Shrestha, R. & L'Espoir Decosta, P., 2025, In: Tourism Geographies. 27, 5, p. 983-1001 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2 Citations (Scopus) -
Creating authentic indigenous tourism experiences
Shrestha, R. K., L'Espoir Decosta, J. N. P. & Whitford, M., Jan 2025, In: Annals of Tourism Research. 110, 12 p., 103882.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
8 Citations (SciVal) -
Culturally attuned Sensoryscape for sustainable sports engagement: A framework for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
L'Espoir Decosta, J. N. P., Guo, H., Dann, S. & Gamage, A., 2025, In: Event Management. 58 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Myths and destination identity: A case of Newars from Patan, Nepal
Shrestha, R. & L'Espoir Decosta, P., 6 Jun 2025, Magical Tourism and Enchanting Geographies: Storytelling, Heritage, Fantasy, and Folklore. Lovell, J. & Sharma, N. (eds.). London: Routledge, p. 135-150 16 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
Projects
- 1 Active
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Researching the performative nature and impact of organisational purpose within organisational settings
L'Espoir Decosta, P. (PI) & Cawsey, R. (CoI)
31/01/24 → 31/01/27
Project: Research