Tijana is an internationally established interdisciplinary scholar whose research projects, publications and interests predominantly lie within the themes of visual research methods; heritage, tourism and national identity; tourism, leisure and art; visual cultures of travel, tourism and leisure; tourism marketing; and representations of places, cultures and identities in promotional materials and popular media. 

Her PhD, which she completed in 2009, focused on the relationships between World Heritage, tourism and national identity at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. In addition to a range of other publications, a number of which stem from her PhD, Tijana has also co-edited several book length publications including An Introduction to Visual Research Methods in Tourism (2012, with D. Chambers), Narratives of Travel and Tourism (2012, with J. Tivers), Travel, Tourism and Art (2013, with J-A. Lester), Tourism Research Frontiers (2015, with D. Chambers) and two journal special issues Gender and Tourism (2018, with D. Chambers) and Visual Methods in Event Studies (2019, with T. Pernecky). Inspired by the power of visual and creative research outputs in reaching audiences beyond the academic, Tijana has also produced two academic documentaries: Visiting the Athenian Acropolis (2008, PhD film) and Of Holidays and Olives (2006, with Y. Karagiannakis), both of which have been shown at film festivals, public screenings and used for teaching in a number of countries. 

Tijana is currently the Chair of the Geographies of Tourism and Leisure Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of Britich Geographers, as well as the co-editor of the Routledge book series titled Current Developments in the Geographies of Leisure and Tourism (with J.-A. Lester). She is also a regular reviewer for a number of leading journals in her fields of studies as well as a member of Editorial boards of Tourist Studies, Tourism Geographies, International Journal of Tourism Cities, Consumer Behaviour in Tourism and Hospitality and the Finnish Journal of Tourism Research. She also leads the Tourism, Hospitality and Events Research and Enterprise Group at the University of Brighton. 

Through a reliance on an interactive teaching style, a wide range of different teaching materials and an emphasis on linkages between the theories and case studies covered and students' own interests, prior knowledge and future career plans, Tijana aims to inspire students' own curiosity about the topics covered in class. In addition, she also places an emphasis on research-informed teaching and wherever possible incorporates research insights from her own current and past research projects. 

Tijana is currently the Course Leadear for the MSc International Tourism Management and MSc International Event Management at the Brighton Business School. She also leads and teaches on a range of postgraduate and undergraduate tourism and events modules, including Tourism, Society and Culture (UG), Tourism Planning and Development (UG), Marketing for Tourism, Hospitality and Events (PG), and Events: Theory and Practice (PG).  

In 2022, Tijana was shortlisted for the Brighton Students' Union Awards in the Course Leader of the Year category. The published nomination text said: 

Besides being a great course lader and tutor, Tijana is an amazing person that understands her students. Full of compassion and worthy advice for academic and personal matters, she is truly emphatethic and more than helpful. 

Tijana is an experienced PhD supervisor and examiner and welcomes informal enquiries from potential PhD applicants who are interested in topics and methodological approaches related to her research interests, projects and publications.

These include but are not limited to the PhD research project ideas which propose to rely on visual and creative qualitative research methods and/or are related to the themes of heritage, tourism and national identity studies; travel, tourism and art; and representations of places, cultures and identities in promotional materials and popular media. 

Her PhD students say:

The supervisory support by Tijana is outstanding. She brings to her profession a wealth of experience, networks and expertise. She cares deeply about her students, their research interests and her own research interests, which together are forming powerful coalitions and synergies. I really enjoy the pleasant and stimulating work environment I am doing my PhD in whilst being supervised by Tijana. (Katharina Bürger, current PhD student)

Tijana is currently supervising 5 PhD research projects: 

• Ms Marineli Codin, working title: Constructing and Projecting National Identity in Post-Communist Romania: a Longitudinal Analysis of Tourism Promotional Materials from 1990 until 2020 (research degree study on-going, Lead Supervisor) 
• Ms Katharina Bürger, working title: Conflicts, Protest and Resistance to (Modern) Olympic Games (research degree study on-going, Lead Supervisor) 
• Ms Lorraine Ojukwu Odumegwu Ojukwu, working title: National Identity Construction in Tourism Promotional Materials in Postcolonial Namibia (research degree study on-going, Second Supervisor) 
• Ms Matea Hanžek, working title: Post-Conflict Destination Branding and National Identity Construction: a Discourse Analysis of Croatia’s Official Tourism Promotional Materials (research degree study on-going, Lead Supervisor) 
• Mr Brendan Downing, working title: Construction of Greeknes in the Travels and Artwork of Fred Boissonnas (research degree study on-going, external co-supervisor, National College of Art and Design, Ireland)