Jenny Panchal

Dr Jenny Panchal is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism and Hospitality at James Cook University (JCU), College of Business, Law and Governance (CBLG), based in Townsville, Australia. With over 20 years of experience in higher education in Australia, Singapore and the Philippines, she has built a reputation for innovative teaching and impactful research that bridges academia, industry, and communities.

Dr Panchall's teaching practice emphasises authentic and transformative learning, with a particular focus on reflective, values-based assessments that foster critical thinking, ethical digital engagement, and sustainability leadership. She coordinates subjects in tourism and hospitality, which are taught in JCUA (Townsville, Cairns and Online), JCU Brisbane, and JCU Singapore, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She has been recognised with a JCU Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.

Her research explores tourism behaviour, wellness tourism, hospitality operations, and the social and cultural dimensions of festivals and community-based tourism in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. She has led and contributed to international projects on cultural tourism recovery, agritourism, and festival sustainability, often working with government agencies, NGOs, and Indigenous communities.

Beyond academia, Dr Panchal is active in professional networks, serving on the Board of the ASEAN Tourism Research Association (ATRA) and contributing to community organisations such as the Townsville Migrant Support Group (TMSG). Her work demonstrates a commitment to using tourism and hospitality scholarship as a driver for regional development, cross-cultural understanding, and positive social change.