Education

Ph.D., Health and Human Performance (concentration Recreation, Parks, and Tourism), University of Florida
M.S., Planning and Tourism Management, University of Alicante
B.A., Business Administration of Hotels and Tourism Enterprises, University Católica Santiago de Guayaquil

Background

Estefania Basurto transitioned within the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management to an assistant professor in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in August 2025, after serving as a research assistant professor since 2021. She brings extensive expertise in destination resilience, heritage tourism and sustainability, with a strong record of advancing international collaborations and research partnerships. Her work has spanned projects in Ecuador, Spain, Finland, Argentina and the United States, with a focus on developing proactive tourism strategies for sustainable destinations.

Basurto’s research emphasizes building resilience in tourism destinations facing natural disasters, health crises and other disruptions. She has helped design resilience models and safety frameworks for coastal and cultural heritage sites, and she is currently developing a tourism safety index that integrates social perceptions, infrastructure and geographic attributes. Her scholarship has been widely published in journals including Current Issues in Tourism, Tourism Economics, and the Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management.

At South Carolina, Basurto has taught courses such as Foundations of Tourism and Global Travel and Tourism, and Hotel Management while also developing online curriculum to expand access to hospitality and tourism education. She is certified through the university’s Inclusive Excellence program and has led workshops on diversity and inclusion, including stereotype awareness training. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes collaboration, cultural understanding and preparing students to lead in an increasingly globalized industry.

International engagement is central to Basurto’s career. She has facilitated multiple faculty exchange agreements between the University of South Carolina and universities in Ecuador, creating opportunities for collaborative research and academic partnerships. She has also worked closely with government agencies, tourism boards, and NGOs to design development and recovery plans for destinations impacted by crises.

Through her research, teaching and service, Basurto is committed to strengthening the global tourism industry by advancing resilience, sustainability and inclusivity. Her work supports not only the tourism sector but also the communities that rely on it, ensuring destinations can thrive while protecting cultural and environmental integrity.

Honors / Awards

• Certificate of Research Recognition, Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí, 2024
• Certificate of Researcher Recognition, Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí, 2023
• Certificate of Reviewer Recognition, International Journal of Tourism Cities (Emerald Publishing), 2018
• Outstanding International Student Award, University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance, 2016
• Manta Ray Diploma for outstanding work performance, American Air Force Base in Ecuador (ITT), 2009
• Gold Diplomas for Outstanding Student Performance, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, 2006–2007
• Silver Diploma for Outstanding Student Performance, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, 2005

Research Interests

• Tourism destination resilience
• Tourism safety and crisis management
• Destination planning and sustainable development
• Hospitality management
• Tourist behaviors and socio-cultural, environmental and economic impacts

Professional Affiliations

• Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA)
• Reviewer for journals including Tourism Management Perspectives, International Journal of Tourism Cities, and Tourism Analysis

Selected Publications

Basurto-Cedeño, E., & Pennington-Gray, L. (2024). Navigating the storm: Transformational leadership in engaging on robust crisis response planning. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 32(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.12586

Ferreira, J. P., Court, C. D., Basurto-Cedeño, E., & Pennington-Gray, L. (2024). Using the 2016 Zika outbreak to estimate the potential tourism impacts of a chikungunya event in Florida. Tourism Economics, 30(4), 1062-1080. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548166231185984

Basurto-Cedeño, E., Cedeño, X. B., & Pennington-Gray, L. (2024). Cultural barriers influencing tourism residents’ empowerment. Global Journal of Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management, 1(2), 555559. https://doi.org/10.19080/GJTLH.2024.01.555559

Basurto-Cedeño, E., Pennington-Gray, L., Court, C., & Ferreira, J. (2023). Using a Delphi technique to determine the likelihood and tourism impact of a chikungunya outbreak in the United States. Current Issues in Tourism, 26(21), 3439-3443. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2023.2177833

Pennington-Gray, L., & Basurto-Cedeño, E. (2023). The role of crisis management in managing cultural heritage tourism in a Covid era. In Heritage and cultural heritage tourism: International perspectives (pp. 61-72). Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44800-3_6