Dr Stroma Cole

Dr Stroma Cole


Dr Stroma Cole combines her academic career with action research and consultancy.  Her research explores the interconnect between tourism, gender and water rights. She is a co-director of Equality in Tourism an international charity seeking to increase gender equality in tourism. With research interests in gender, responsible tourism development, and the links between tourism, the SDGs and Human Rights (particularly to water), Stroma is an activist researcher critiquing the consequences of tourism development. She has over 30 publications, and is an Associate Editor for Annals of Tourism Research and on the editorial board at Journal of Sustainable Tourism.  

I welcome PHD applications from students who have interests in Gender equality and Tourism, Water and Tourism, Regenerative Tourism, Tourism and Human Rights, Tourism and SDGs.. 


My research explores the Tourism, Water, Gender nexus. Much of my work has been in Indonesia where I have been exploring the link between water and tourism for 10 years in Bali. I have conducted considerable research in Eastern Indonesia exploring the links between tourism and development; tourism, water insecurity and gender rights and presently the link between water insecurity and Gender Based Violence.


  • Place and Experience

Sustainable Development Goals
In brief

Research areas

Tourism, Gender, Water

Skills / expertise

Qualitative Research

Supervision interests

Gender and Tourism, Responsible Tourism, Human Rights, Tourism and Water