Hi, I’m Catheryn. I’m a researcher, trainer and consultant who’s spent the last 15 years studying women and gender in tourism.
How I got here
Until March 2022, I was associate professor at Griffith University for 8 years. I gave that up to do my own happy things, things that are light and easy, things that flow, things that connect me to the people that are aligned with my values. In the same month that I resigned from Griffith, I was offered full Professorship at Torrens University! So now, I am that but also:-
- A consultant to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), and I train stakeholders in the tourism industry.
- A judge for the Queensland Tourism Awards, and Special Advisor to World Women Tourism.
- Editor-in-Chief for the international scientific journal, Tourism Management Perspectives, ranked A in the Australian Business Deans Council.
- I have authored and co-authored several books on tourism.
- I play all these roles to advance tourism for those that have been marginalised, those that were invisible, those that were ignored.
How I got here, really
The more honest (and raw) story behind my awesome bio is less illustrious and more industrious (now that I’m older and wiser, I detest this ‘industry’-like pathway to work and life). Growing up, I was told to be a good girl, not talk back, be invisible, make space for others. 
I grew up wanting to be a boy, because they have more privileges. I wanted to be white, because they are superior and celebrated. I wanted to “perfect” my accent, look less Asian, changed my last name (I was Khoo-Lattimore), just so I can be seen and treated equally. There were many internal struggles, but I began to believe that I can be whatever I wanted to be. I got my PhD, and my dream job. Things were starting to look up for me.
I worked hard, weekends and evenings. I became a Fulbright Scholar, got a prestigious position in an Australian University. But I couldn’t get a promotion and thought something must be wrong with me. Refused to play the victim card, tried to stay positive, went into hustle mode to achieve even more. I did achieve more, while raising three little children. 
I burnt out and started having panic attacks, became really ill. I did some research to heal myself and found a pile of data stacked against academics in general, and coloured faculty members specifically. Against many people’s advice and in times of the Covid19 uncertainties, I quit university. Since then, I’ve found my niche – I help magnify the awesomeness in people and places! I have been helping the invisible (people and tourism sites) become impactful and I’ve never been happier.
“My superpower is magnifying people and places”
Dr Catheryn Khoo
Researcher, Trainer and Consultant
“Catheryn consulted to William Angliss Institute on a project to build our postgraduate research supervisory capability. Her enthusiasm and pragmatic insights into generating a ‘return on supervisory investment’ through her workshop helped 6 of our team to be eligible to take on supervisory roles, an important achievement as it increases our postgraduate degrees by research capacity.”
Chris Harris | Director of Education, William Angliss Institute, Australia.