Dr Julio Munoz BCom (Otago NZ), MBus (Otago NZ), PhD (Surrey), FHEA

Dr Julio Munoz joined Aberystwyth Business School as a Lecturer in Tourism Management in the 2018/19 academic year. Originally from Chile he obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of Otago in New Zealand and gained his PhD from the University of Surrey School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. His research looks into the visitors’ experience of university cities and in particular how students play a role in attracting visitors. Professionally, Julio has experience working in the private sector in industries such as, banking, mining and software development, as well as been employed by various universities around the world in teaching, research and administrative positions. Julio is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). He currently coordinates Destination and Attraction Management, Tourism Marketing, Principles of Tourism Management and The Tourism System and teaches specific areas of Contemporary Case Studies in Tourism, International Tourism in Practice and Tourism Development and Planning.

Office hours: Tuesdays 4-5pm and Thursdays 3-4pm

Module Coordinator

• AB29120 - Destination and Attraction Management
• AB37220 - Digital Marketing
• ABM5560 - Managerial Report
• AB00120 - Decision Making in Tourism
• AB39220 - Tourism Marketing
• AB19120 - Principles of Tourism Management
• AB27420 - Applied Brand Management

Coordinator

• AB29120 - Destination and Attraction Management
• AB00120 - Decision Making in Tourism
• AB19120 - Principles of Tourism Management
• AB39220 - Tourism Marketing
• ABM5560 - Managerial Report
• AB27420 - Applied Brand Management
• AB37220 - Digital Marketing

Lecturer

• AB37220 - Digital Marketing
• AB15120 - Fundamentals of Management and Business

Julio’s main research interest is in Visit Friends and Relatives (VFR) tourism. In his PhD project he looked at how certain hosts’ characteristics influenced the visitors' experience of a university city as a tourist destination. The project provided a better understanding of the role of students as hosts of VFR travellers and the importance of student visits for university cities like Aberystwyth.

Publications

Munoz, J. R., Griffin, T., & Humbracht, M. (2017). Towards a new definition for “visiting friends and relatives”. International Journal of Tourism Research. 19(5), 477-485.

Munoz, J. R. (2017). The role of students as hosts of VFR travellers: How does the host affect the visitor's experience of a destination. Working paper in CAUTHE 2017: Time For Big Ideas? Re-thinking the Field For Tomorrow. 771-773.

Munoz, J. R. (2017). Is VFR the forgotten link of the collaborative economy? A comparative analysis of VFR, Airbnb and Couchsurfing experiences. IFITTtalk Surrey Think Tank: Collaborative Economy.

Munoz, J. R., Griffin, T., & Humbracht, M. (2017). Towards a new definition for “visiting friends and relatives”. Bournemouth University International Conference: The Visitor Economy, Strategies and Innovations. 

Munoz, J. R. (2016). The role of students as hosts of VFR travellers: How do hosts influence their visitor's experience. University of Surrey Hospitality and Tourism Management Conference 2016, 'Making an Impact: Creating Constructive Conversations'.