Matea Hanzek

Matea Hanžek holds a Ph.D. from the University of Brighton where her research focused on "Post-conflict destination branding and national identity construction: a discourse analysis of Croatia’s official tourism promotional materials." Prior to her Ph.D., she embarked on her academic journey by obtaining an MSc degree with Distinction in Heritage and Cultural Tourism Management from Edinburgh Napier University in 2015, where she was awarded the University Medal for Best Student of her cohort and the Lee Allardyce Trophy for Best Dissertation. Matea also earned an MBA with a specialization in Marketing, focusing on "Destination branding – a case study of the city of Hvar," from the Zagreb School of Economics and Management in 2013. At the undergraduate level, she pursued studies in economics and management where her research was centered on "How to Attract Investment in Croatian Tourism?".

Currently, apart from her role as a tourism and marketing lecturer at the ZSEM, Matea serves as an Individual Expert for the European Commission in the Together for EU Tourism (T4T) Expert Group. In this capacity, she supports the Transition pathway for tourism in its co-implementation phase to advance in the green and digital transition, and improve resilience of the tourism ecosystem. Prior to this, Matea has gained professional experience at renowned institutions such as the Horwath HTL consulting firm in London and the Corinthia Hotel London. She continues to be actively engaged in various tourism projects.

Matea has enriched her academic journey with additional education from esteemed institutions including the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the BI Norwegian School of Management, the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), and the University of Oxford.