Dr Amanda Smith

Dr Amanda Smith is a multi-disciplinary scientist with a background in environmental science and moved into the area of tourism and protected area research when following an interest in exploring human-nature interactions over 24 years ago. She currently works as the  Social Science Coordinator in the Parks and Visitor Services Division at the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions – Parks and Wildlife Service, Western Australia that involves coordinating and conducting visitor, social and human use monitoring and research; evaluating the Aboriginal Ranger Program; developing and maintaining cooperative research programs with tertiary institutions and other research providers; and providing advice and approving applications to conduct visitor research on lands and waters managed by the department by external stakeholders.

 Her research interests include a diverse range of sustainable tourism research, often multidisciplinary in nature, including: social research; recreation ecology; visitor management; sustainable tourism and natural area management; the environmental and social impacts of tourism and recreation in protected areas; campsite impact monitoring; natural area tourism; evaluation of Aboriginal Ranger programs; wildlife tourism; and Indigenous tourism and impacts to culture/spirituality. Amanda is widely published in the area of nature-based tourism research and recreation ecology.

Amanda has been a member of the FACET Executive Committee for 19 years. She is most actively involved in FACET by providing information about the current status of nature-based tourism in Western Australian parks. Being involved in FACET helps to provide her with broader knowledge of the tourism industry and what is happening outside of DBCA. She brings to the Board her extensive knowledge of nature-based tourism both in Western Australian, nationally and internationally.