Rate My Professor Paul Stolk

Dr. Paul Stolk is a Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Tourism at Newcastle Business School, University of Newcastle, Australia, within the College of Human and Social Futures. He earned his PhD in 2010, Bachelor of Business, and Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) from the University of Newcastle. His research expertise centers on tourism and recreation in the marine environment, with a particular emphasis on recreational scuba diving and artificial reefs. Additional specializations include marine tourism, nature-based tourism, outdoor recreation, sport management, tourism marketing, tourism policy and planning, urban tourism, visitor management, and tourist behaviour and visitor experience. Stolk has demonstrated impact through applied and action research projects, collaborating with external partners such as Lake Macquarie Shire Council, the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, and the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association.

Stolk's career trajectory includes serving as a researcher for a social research cooperative in Manchester, UK, from 2009 to 2011, where he led the Big Lottery-funded 'Social and Community Benefits of Angling' project and contributed to the Sported project. Since 2012, he has held lecturing positions at Newcastle Business School, advancing to Senior Lecturer, and managed the primary research and project management for the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association 'Tourism Monitor' project from 2012 to 2015. His contributions to teaching excellence are recognized by the 2020 Work Integrated Learning Staff Member of the Year award from the University of Newcastle, the 2014 Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching award from the Faculty of Business and Law, and the 2013 Vice Chancellor's Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Key publications encompass 'Text mining in tourism and hospitality research: a bibliometric perspective' (2025, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology), 'A picture is worth a thousand words: how images influence information quality and information load in online reviews' (2020, Electronic Markets), 'Artificial reefs as recreational scuba diving resources: A critical review of research' (2007, Journal of Sustainable Tourism), 'Perceptions of Artificial Reefs as Scuba Diving Resources: A Study of Australian Recreational Scuba Divers' (2005, Annals of Leisure Research), and 'Building capacity in a regional business community through engaged scholarship: A case study of the Tourism Monitor project' (2017, Loisir et Société / Society and Leisure), among chapters, conference papers, and reports that underscore his influence in enhancing regional tourism scholarship and practice.