Speakers

Jon Danks is a senior tourism leader with a track record of developing high performing teams to drive commercial growth and brand engagement. Jon has worked for some of the world’s largest global brands, and has brought this experience into smaller organisations, gaining him a strong reputation across the Travel, Media, Technology, Financial Services & Government sectors. A strategic thinker, with vision and diplomacy and with several volunteer non-Exec roles under his belt, his most recent experience as Chief Executive Officer for a Pan African tourism trade association heralded a period of phenomenal global growth, accompanied with a focus on sustainable tourism.

Judy Kepher Gona is a global sustainable tourism leader from Kenya. As the founder of Sustainable Travel & Tourism Agenda, Judy has been instrumental in advancing responsible tourism practices in the continent. Her efforts have been recognized globally, and she continues to be a leading voice for equity, inclusion, diversity and consciousness in tourism.

She is an environmentalist with a strong background in tourism with emerging specialties in disaster risk management, environmental impact assessments, environmental management and climate change. She has more than 15 years of experience in tourism and hospitality management, six years in academia managing a training facility and have nine years in academia at the NUST Hotel School, managing the daily operations and sustainability of the Hotel School and the Work Integrated Programs for the 2nd & 3rd students. She enjoys research and has completed her Masters dissertation under the supervision of Dr Morgan Hauptfleisch (NUST Biodiversity Research Centre) and Professor Francois Retief, North West University South Africa. Research for my dissertation was focused on the “Quality Review of Biodiversity Inputs in EIA’s in Tourism Development”. Furthermore, she holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Disaster Risk Management as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Travel and Tourism Management. She has completed a thesis which focused on Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on SME Tourism in Windhoek Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework - 2021, as well as research which focused on “An Investigation into Sustainable Water Management in Windhoek Based Hospitality Establishments in a Climate of Drought and an Existing Water Crisis Period - 2019”.