Clarifying complex tourism legislation 

AAU Excellence participant aims to contribute to AAU's international positioning in tourism.

Tourism legislation is so complex and unclear that it does not adequately protect tourists, industry actors or the environment. The legal framework for tourism thus must be made more transparent, fair and sustainable in a global market where rules cross national borders and are often difficult to understand. And this is AAU Excellence participant Marianne Hundahl’s area of research.

When rules affect everyday life
Tourism fascinates her in that it brings together a wide range of dilemmas at the intersection of mobility, sustainability, digitalization, globalization and consumer rights. At the same time, there is great motivation in working at the intersection of the legal, the political and the social, and focusing on developing knowledge that can be put to use in research, the industry and future regulations.

For Marianne Hundahl, tourism is a dynamic area that is constantly evolving and requires close interdisciplinary collaboration where the law is not just a supplement, but an integral part.

"Tourism is where ordinary people meet international rules in practice. It can be when a flight is delayed or cancelled, when a hotel doesn’t live up to expectations, or when marketing has embellished reality a little too much," she says.

Losing the sense of time and place
Marianne Hundahl's research is not only about producing new knowledge, but also about developing her craft through immersion and reflection. She thrives in the tension between being able to clearly see what quality should look like, but not yet fully mastering its realization herself.

"Being in this is frustrating in a good way. It’s where I lose my sense of time and place. And I love that," she says.

Contributing to AAU's international positioning
Previous research stays at the universities of Cambridge, Dublin and Oslo have been crucial to her professional development. They have provided access to environments where developing methods and having an international outlook are natural.
Participation in AAU Excellence provides access to international conferences, research stays and strong academic networks. Such encounters with other strong research environments sharpen her academic profile.

In the long term, she hopes that these experiences will enable her to contribute to AAU's international positioning, through research collaborations, dialogues on EU development of policy and regulations, and joint projects on tourism. She also hopes that her name will be firmly established internationally.

"The AAU Excellence programme gives me valuable feedback, a strategic framework and access to a network that gives me more opportunities. I am sincerely grateful to be part of the programme, and I hope that my future results can help repay the trust in being selected," says Marianne Hundahl.