Michelle Rutty (She/Her)

Dr. Michelle Rutty holds a Canada Research Chair in Tourism, Environment and Sustainability in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo. Her research examines the behavioural response of tourists to environmental change (past, present, future), as well as the climatic risks and emerging opportunities for tourism operators and destinations in a warming and decarbonizing world. She is also the Director of the deTOUR Lab, which utilizes leading-edge immersive technologies to explore the ways in which climate-induced environmental change (e.g., natural disasters, glacier retreat, coastal inundation), including adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies, are influencing the global tourism economy.

Dr. Rutty is a contributing author to the Sixth Assessment Report for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) North American chapter, a Lead Expert on the Tourism Panel on Climate Change (TPCC), and co-chair of the International Society of Biometeorology Commission on Climate, Tourism and Recreation. Her research has led to international recognitions, including awards from the Travel and Tourism Research Association, World Meteorological Organization, International Center for Research and Education in Tourism, and the World Tourism Forum. In 2024, Dr. Rutty was invited to join the International Science Council (ISC) Global Roster of Experts, providing ad-hoc science advice to the United Nations Secretariat and Member States, bridging the gap between science and policy.

• Tourism

• Climate Change

• Climate Hazards

• Disaster Risk Reduction

• Sustainability

• Immersive Technologies

• 2014 - Doctorate, Geography & Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2009 - Master of Environmental Studies, Geography & Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2007 - Bachelors, International Development Studies, University of Guelph, Canada

• 2024 - Global Roster of Experts, International Science Council (ISC)

• 2024 - Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo

• 2021 - Julian M. Szeicz Award for Early Career Achievement, Canadian Association of Geographers

• 2021 - Rotiyo'tenhserí:yo Award of Excellence, University of Waterloo

• 2017 - Sustainable Tourism Thought Leader, United Nations Environment

• 2014 - Early Career Scientist Award, World Meteorological Organization

• 2014 - Keeling Dissertation Award, Travel and Tourism Research Association

• ENVS 178 - Environmental Applications of Data Management and Statistics
  • Taught in 2025
• ENVS 205 - Sustainability: The Future We Want
  • Taught in 2022
• GEOG 101 - Human Geographies: People, Space and Change
  • Taught in 2024
• GEOG 225 - Global Environment and Health
  • Taught in 2025
• GEOG 233 - Geography of Tourism
  • Taught in 2022, 2023, 2025

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Rushton, B., Lemieux, C., Scott, D., and Rutty, M. (2026). On the Path to Regenerative Nature-Based Tourism in Canada? Insights from the Legacy of COVID-19 on Canadians’ Travel Behaviours. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 26(27).

• Knowles, N., Scott, D., and Rutty, M. (2024). Athlete Insights on Climate Change and Winter Sports: Impacts, Thresholds, Adaptations and Implications for the Future. Journal of Global Sport Management, 1-23.

• Wright, K-A., Rutty, M., and Scott, D. (2024). News coverage of hurricane events and Caribbean tourism: A critical analysis of the last 40 years. Current Issues in Tourism, 1-18.

• Rutty, M., Cardwell, F., and Gunn, G. (2023). Snowmobiling and Climate Change: A temporal analogue approach in Ontario (Canada). Tourism and Hospitality, 4, 604-617.

• Knowles, N., Scott, D., and Rutty, M. (2023). Climate Change versus Winter Sport; Can Athlete Climate Activism Change the Score? International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 1-21.

• Rushton, B., and Rutty, M. (2023). Gaining insight from the most challenging expedition: climate change from the perspective of Canadian Mountain Guides. Current Issues in Tourism, 1-12.

• Brunacini, J., Goralnik, L., Rutty, M., and Keller, E. (2023). Industrial Transitions in Michigan: Stakeholder Perspectives on Water Resources Restoration and Community Vibrancy. Society & Natural Resources, 36(2), 928 – 946.

• Rutty, M., Hewer, M., Knowles, N., and Ma, S. (2022). Tourism & Climate Change in North America: Regional State of Knowledge. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1 – 28.

• Goralnik, L., Brunacini, J., Rutty, M., and Finnell, E. (2022). Restoring Relationships: Water Heritage, Sense of Place, and Community Engagement. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 1 – 12.

• Steiger, R., Knowles, N., Poll, K., and Rutty, M. (2022). Impacts of Climate Change on Mountain Tourism: A Review. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1-34.

• Scott, D., Knowles, N., Ma, S., Rutty, M., and Steiger, R. (2022). Climate change and the future of the Olympic Winter Games: Athlete and coach perspectives. Current Issues in Tourism, 1-16.

• Gunn, G., Tarabara, V., Rutty, M., Bessette, D., and Richardson, R. (2021). Roughness and Storage Capacity of Freshwater Ice in the Straits of Mackinac. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 186, 103278.

• Rutty, M., Steiger, R., Demiroglu, C., and Perkins, D.J. (2021). Tourism Climatology: Past, Present, and Future. International Journal of Biometeorology, 65, 639-643.

• Bessette, D., Rutty, M., Gunn, G., Tarabara, V., and Richardson, R. (2021). The Perceived Risk of Freshwater Oil Pipelines and Spills in Icy Conditions. The Journal of Great Lakes Research, 47(1), 226 – 235.

• Rutty, M., Scott, D., *Matthews, L., Burrowes, R., Trotman, A., Mahon, R., and Charles, A. (2020). An Inter-Comparison of the Holiday Climate Index (HCI:Beach) and the Tourism Climate Index (TCI) to Explain Canadian Tourism Arrivals to the Caribbean. Atmosphere, 11(4), 412.

• Scott, D., Steiger, R., Rutty, M., Pons, M., and Johnson, P. (2020). Climate change and ski tourism sustainability: An integrated model of the adaptive dynamics between ski area operations and skier demand. Sustainability, 12, 10617.

• Yu, D.D., Rutty, M., Scott, D., and *Li, S. (2020). A comparison of the Holiday Climate Index: Beach and the Tourism Climate Index across coastal destinations in China. International Journal of Biometeorology, 65, 741 – 748.

• Rutty, M., and Richardson, R. (2019). Tourism Research in Cuba: Gaps in Knowledge and Challenges for Sustainable Tourism. Sustainability, 11(12), 3340.

• Eustice, C., McCole, D., and Rutty, M. (2019). The Impact of Different Product Messages on Wine Tourists’ Willingness to Pay: A Non-Hypothetical Experiment. Tourism Management, 72, 242 – 248.