Marta Soligo

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Assistant Professor, William F. Harrah College of Hospitality

Director of Tourism Research, ��ӽ紫ý Office of Economic Development

Expertise: Sociology of tourism and leisure, Tourism development and social justice, Sustainable travel, Health tourism, Film-induced tourism, Dark tourism and thrillertainment, Cultural tourism, Agritourism, Festival tourism, Sports tourism, Tourist attractions

Biography

Marta Soligo is a sociologist and hospitality professor who serves as the director of tourism research with ��ӽ紫ý's Office of Economic Development. Her work examines various facets of travel and tourism — including culture, sports, and entertainment — through a sociological, social justice, and environmental sustainability lens.

Soligo is the academic lead for the ��ӽ紫ý Tourism Development, Diversification, and Resiliency Initiative — a project that aims to diversify Las Vegas’ tourism economy and its beneficiaries. In particular, the initiative centers around cultural, sports, and medical tourism in Southern Nevada, with a focus on support programs for disadvantaged businesses.

In addition to educating ��ӽ紫ý students as an assistant professor with the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, the Italy native teaches a University of Bergamo master’s course in Planning and Management of Tourism Systems. She has also offered "Sociology of Leisure," a ��ӽ紫ý course part of the UN World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) “Tourism for the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030” program.

Soligo’s interests include tourism and social justice, community development, and immigrant labor within the hospitality industry. Additionally, her sociological research has focused on a wide range of themes, such as film-induced tourism, dark tourism (travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy), and gambling studies. She has presented her works at several conferences hosted by professional associations and international institutions, such as the UNWTO and the American Sociological Association.

Education

Ph.D., ��ӽ紫ý
M.A., Planning and Management of Tourism Systems, Università degli Studi di BergamoUniversità degli Studi di Bergamo
B.A., Foreign Languages and Literatures, Università degli Studi di BergamoUniversità degli Studi di Bergamo

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hospitality & tourism, social issues, sustainability

Marta Soligo In The News

The rise in large-scale music events being hosted in Las Vegas – including past performances from artists like Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift and Korean girl group TWICE – are attracting a new kind of crowd, one that might prefer fan experiences, photo pop-ups and curated food over gambling.  They’re spreading their spending across the city, from shows on the Strip to dinners at local restaurants and injecting financial support throughout the region – not just in tourism hotspots.

The U.S. Travel Association expacts annual travel spending to grow by a modest 1% this year, powered largely by domestic leisure travel despite the FIFA World Cup giving soccer fans from other countries a reason to visit the U.S. Airfares have climbed around the world along with the price of jet fuel as the war constrains global oil supplies.

Sticking closer to home may not cushion the sticker shock. The nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimated Americans would collectively spend an extra $3.5 billion on gasoline over the holiday weekend. The average price for a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. was $4.56 on Thursday compared to $3.18 a year ago, according to motor club AAA.

From "White Lotus" to "Game of Thrones," and Western movies, film and TV are reshaping where—and why—we travel, turning iconic on-screen settings into real-world bucket list destinations.