"I have started a PhD to study
mobility in tourism destinations"
Predoctoral researcher in the Research Group on Territorial Analysis and Tourism Studies (GRATET) of the URV
Studying the bachelor's degree in geography at the URV fostered and strengthened my interest and motivation for a multitude of topics. During my degree I remember that I was especially interested in learning about and studying socioeconomic imbalances and inequalities at different territorial scales, the impact of tourism on mobility, landscape transformation processes, planning, management and territorial development or any kind of environmental problem. The Degree in Geography gave me knowledge on all these subjects in the form of theoretical contents, abilities, tools and resources that now allow me to work as a Geographer with guarantees.
During the four years of the degree I was a visiting student at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) studying climate change and sustainability, and I did an extracurricular internship paid by the Santander Bank in the Environmental and Territorial Consultancy Limonium, as well as work experience at the Territorial Mobility Authority of the Camp de Tarragona. This last experience represented a personal and academic turning point, as I would later do my Final Degree Project on the public transport network of a tourist destination. This work was awarded the Jordi Amorós Prize for the best Geography work of Catalan Universities, organized by the Catalan College of Geographers and the Professional Association of Geographers of Catalonia.
At the end of the degree, I completed my master's degree in Territory Analysis and Management: Planning, Governance and Territorial Leadership, also at the URV. I began working at the company where I did the curricular internship, the Tourism Observatory of the Tourism Science Park of Catalonia, as a statistical technician for nearly a year. In the meantime, I completed my master's final project entitled "Geography of Evictions in Spain", which later won the first prize in the twenty-second edition of the Lluís Casassas i Simó Prize, of the Catalan Society of Geography.
My ambition to continue learning and aspire to the highest level of education, together with the desire to enter the world of university research and teaching, led me to start my PhD in the Department of Geography at the URV on mobility in tourist destinations. I have a University Teacher Training Scholarship (FPU).
As you can see, doing these courses has opened doors for me and given me a lot of reasons to promote Geography and to contribute to its development. And hopefully for many more years to come!