In 2022 the Estonian Business School (EBS) and Monash University will celebrate 20 years of partnership in international education. In that time over 60 students have participated in the exchange program and our alumni now includes senior employees for the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), UNESCO, professors and both government and business leaders both in Estonia and Australia.

In 2002 Jeff, while based at Uppsala University in Sweden was invited by Australia's then Ambassador to Sweden, Finland and the Baltic States, Ambassador Richard Rowe to assist in further developing bilateral links between the two countries. Initially this culminated in two strategic actions, firstly the establishment of a partnership between Monash and the Estonian Business School (EBS) and secondly (as championed by Dr Malle Tohver, the then Estonian consul general in Sydney) Estonia being included in the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa program for Australia. Both initiatives have significantly contributed to the development of a deeper understanding between the two nations.

This presentation will review the development of this unique university partnership and also provide a commentary on the development of the Estonian Tourism Industry over the last 20 years as well as Estonia's impact on the multi billion dollar Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program in Australia. (Jeff is also happy to have had the opportunity to represent Estonia in International Cricket while based in Tallinn).

About our Presenter

Dr Jarvis is the director of the Graduate Tourism Program at Monash University and has an industry background in economics and international marketing. He has developed an international research reputation in the high yielding segment of independent travellers following the publication of his report The Billion Dollar Backpackers.

He has delivered keynote presentations at the national tourism conferences of Australia, Estonia, Fiji and Kenya. He has been invited by the UNWTO to present at the World Tourism Conference and at ITB Berlin on the role independent travellers play in the development of emerging economies along the Silk Road in central Asia. Jeff has also worked in association with Princess Zahra and Prince Amyn and the Aga Kahn Development Network (AKDN) on tourism education and development in East Africa. Jeff has published research projects in association with industry partners on patterns of tourism economic development throughout Australia as well internationally on Fiji, Bosnia, Cambodia, Estonia and Vietnam. He has regularly been invited to provide input to the strategic planning process of organisations such as Visit Victoria, the Committee for Melbourne, Tourism Australia and Tourism Fiji as well as professional media commentary on the tourism industry for the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC), Radio National, Radio Australia, Estonian Public Broadcasting (ETV), The Age, The Herald Sun, The Australian and CNN amongst others. Jeff has published in, The Journal of Baltic Studies, Tourism Management and Tourism Geographies amongst others.