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UN Tourism Crowns 2025 Ulysses Prize Recipient
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UN's Pick for 2025 Ulysses Prize Revealed
The UN Tourism organization has awarded Dr. Larry Dwyer, a Professor and Adjunct Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney, the 2025 Ulysses Prize for Excellence in the Creation and Dissemination of Knowledge in Tourism. This prestigious prize is UN Tourism’s highest academic award, given to those whose contributions significantly enhance tourism's understanding and progress through knowledge generation and practical implementation. Since its inception, the Prize has honoured leading thinkers worldwide whose insights have influenced the future of the industry.
Dr. Dwyer is a highly regarded scholar in tourism economics, policy, destination competitiveness, and sustainable tourism development. His research effectively connects theory with practice, offering governments and industry leaders valuable tools for creating more innovative and sustainable tourism strategies.
Recognizing excellence at every level
In line with the prize's esteemed reputation, the selection process was carried out with strict academic standards, clarity, and fairness. The Coordinating Committee, which includes three Ulysses Prize Laureates—Professors Emeriti David Airey, Jafar Jafari, and Donald Hawkins—alongside Beka Jakeli, the Director of External Relations at UN Tourism (serving ex officio), managed the entire process and invited all former Laureates to nominate and assess candidates for the 2025 award.
The nominations for candidatures were based on 11 specific criteria, including: excellence and originality in their academic discipline; significant advancements in tourism knowledge; a history of knowledge generation and transfer that fosters innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity; acquiring academic recognition at a reputable university; recent and ongoing scholarly work; contributions to tourism education and mentorship; provision of academic and professional leadership; encouragement and modeling of innovative ideas pertinent to tourism; contributions to government, industry, and professional practices; a record of academic and professional accomplishments; and notable contributions to UN Tourism or similar organizations.
After the evaluations, Dr. Dwyer received the highest score and was proposed to the UN Tourism Secretary-General for final approval.
About the 2025 winner
Professor Larry Dwyer received the 2025 Ulysses Prize for his exceptional research contributions to tourism studies. He has produced an extensive body of work, with 350 publications in peer-reviewed journals, books, and reports, significantly influencing the field. His research in areas like tourism economics, destination competitiveness, sustainability, and special events has been pioneering, showcasing both technical precision and practical relevance for industry and government.
He is recognized for his extensive contributions, evidenced by his role on the editorial boards of thirty prominent academic journals and his positions as Professor of Tourism at multiple universities, including the prestigious Qantas Professor of Travel and Tourism Economics. Additionally, he has held leadership roles as the former President of both the International Academy for the Study of Tourism and the International Association for Tourism Economics, and he currently serves on its International Advisory Board.
Professor Dwyer has actively engaged with the tourism industry, making significant contributions at international, national, and regional levels. His expertise has been requested by organizations like UN Tourism, the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Taxation Policy Task Force, and the BEST Education Network, where he served as an appointed Executive Committee member. Furthermore, he has been instrumental on the boards of various national Australian tourism organizations.
As a pioneer in tourism education, Professor Dwyer has played a key role in crafting university courses and MBA programs in Australia, along with teaching at universities in eight other countries. He has also given many invited lectures around the globe. His textbook, Tourism Economics and Policy (Dwyer, Forsyth, and Dwyer), is highly regarded as a seminal work in the discipline. Dwyer's contributions to curriculum development reach beyond his own institution, including participation in the BEST Education Network, which has created various educational modules focused on sustainable tourism.
Professor Dwyer’s latest research has significantly impacted the integration of resident perspectives and well-being into tourism destination policies and development. His groundbreaking scholarship has played a crucial role in shaping the dialogue surrounding tourism sustainability and policy.
His remarkable academic and professional accomplishments, along with his contributions to government, industry, and professional practice, establish him as a leading figure in the field. His enduring commitment to promoting knowledge and learning makes him a worthy candidate for the Ulysses Prize.
The 17th UN Tourism Ulysses Prize will be presented to Dr. Dwyer during the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 7 to 11, 2025.
