President of the KIPT board and Professor at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Algarve, affiliated with CEFAGE. With a Ph.D. in tourism economics, a master's degree in Strategy, and a degree in Business Management, she is a tenured professor in tourism economics. Since 1994, her research focuses on consumer behavior, tourism economics, and models. Besides publishing over a hundred articles in tourism, leisure, and economics journals, she is a member of the editorial board for several international journals such as the Journal of Travel Research, Journal of Business Research, Tourism Analysis, Anatolia, and Current Issues in Tourism. She collaborates with several international universities and co-organizes two tourism conferences: 

Research Networking and Advances in Tourism Marketing.

Ph.D. in Tourism with a Master's degree in Digital Marketing and a Bachelor's degree in Business Communication, he is a university professor at ISMAT and an affiliated member of the Center for Advanced Studies and Training in Management and Economics (CEFAGE). He is a communication and advertising consultant, creative copywriter, and specialist in managing inventive and scientific events. He also co-authored a book entitled "Event Management - Escolar Editora". In addition to his education in communication from various institutions, including the Professional School of Communication and Image and Fundação PT, he has also authored research studies for the Algarve Tourism Region and other public entities. In 2022, he joined the KIPT collaborative laboratory as a researcher.

Paulo Martins holds a Ph.D. in Community Psychology, a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology, and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, all acquired from ISPA - Institute of Applied Psychology. He developed community-oriented projects for the Uma Porta Amiga Association, The Humanitarian Centre of Tavira of the Portuguese Red Cross, and MAPS – Movement for Supporting Social Issues. At KIPT, he works as a researcher on projects related to education, social responsibility, and the gradual recognition of professionals involved in the sector.

Carimo Rassal is a researcher at KIPT and an Invited Assistant Professor at the School of Management, Hospitality, and Tourism of the University of Algarve. He collaborates as a researcher with CEIA - Center for Applied Studies and Research of ISEC Lisbon and CEFAGE - Center for Advanced Studies and Training in Management and Economics of the University of Évora. He is a highly experienced specialist in institutional and commercial projects with extensive experience in domestic and international contexts, specializing in strategic consulting, training, and qualification of human resources within the hospitality and catering industry.

Ângela Lopes is a Ph.D. candidate in Tourism and a researcher at KIPT. She also holds a Master's degree in Management and Development of Tourist Destinations and a Bachelor's degree in Tourism with a specialization in Marketing from the University of Algarve. Her research has focused on destination management, and she has been involved in numerous consulting and research projects related to the development and marketing of destinations on a regional, national, and international scale since 2010.

Liliana Alves is a researcher at KIPT with a Master's degree in Tourism Destination Management and Development, a postgraduate degree in Tourism Marketing from UALG, and a Bachelor's degree in Tourism, Leisure, and Heritage from the Faculty of Letters at the University of Coimbra. Previously, she held positions as a Tourism Technician at a local development association and as a trainer at IEFP. Her research focuses primarily on exploring identity and branding in a sustainable paradigm in low-density territories.

Maria Cujba is a researcher at KIPT with a Master's degree in Tourism and Hotel Management and a Bachelor's degree in Tourism from the Universidade Europeia. Her professional journey began in 2019 when she joined the Front Office department of a five-star hotel. Two years later, she shifted gears and joined the sales department of a sales & marketing representation company for upscale, independent hotels worldwide. As part of her master's degree program, she authored an internship report centered on rent-a-cars, using the Europcar case study as a reference. Her report included an action plan for more personalized service.

She was born in 1980 in Ahvaz, Iran. She is personable, readily interacting with fellow students, professors, and people in hospitality and tourism. Her cosmopolitan character allows her to interact across cultures and languages. When she puts her head into something, her goal stays in the core until the mission is accomplished. Her artistic mind makes her creative, especially in the hospitality sector, where guests expect more standard settings and services. She was a top candidate for her Master’s in Tourism Planning and Geography. Then she came to Portugal to take her PhD. Degree in Tourism at Algarve University in Portugal from 2016 to 2023. She assessed the originality and contribution of the research and its relevance to the wider field of tourism studies and experienced tourism manager with 15 years of experience in planning and executing successful tourism programs. She is a researcher at the CinTurs Research Center of Algarve university and the Kipt collab association to develop projects linked to education, monitor and analyze tourism trends and statistics and identify opportunities for growth and improvement.