November 9, 1936 — December 31, 2025
Professor Donald E. Hawkins devoted over five decades to proving that tourism, guided by the right principles, could lift communities, protect cultures, and build lasting peace. His passport was stamped by a world he helped make more sustainable.
In Memoriam
Born on November 9, 1936, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Dr. Donald E. Hawkins devoted his life to a belief both simple and radical: that travel, guided by the right principles, could change the world for the better. He passed away on December 31, 2025, leaving behind a legacy that spans five continents, more than 114 publications, and generations of leaders in sustainable tourism.
After earning his doctoral degree in Park Management from New York University in 1967, Dr. Hawkins joined the faculty of The George Washington University, where he spent over four decades building the university into a global center for tourism scholarship. He founded the International Institute of Tourism Studies in 1988 as a collaborative initiative with the UN World Tourism Organization — the UNWTO's first university research center in the world. In 1974, he conceived and established the Masters of Tourism Administration (MTA), today called the Master's in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management (MSTHEM) at the GW School of Business (GWSB), one of the first graduate tourism programs in the United States, built from its foundation on sustainability principles.
His very first tourism course at GW, taught in 1971, was titled "Tourism, Environment and the Quality of Life" — what today would be called the "triple bottom line." In 1970, he helped support the establishment of the first Earth Day and published early work on environmental education, laying the intellectual groundwork for what would become the global sustainable tourism movement.
Appointed to the endowed Eisenhower Chair of Tourism Policy, he taught management, tourism studies, and international affairs at GW's School of Business, later serving as Professor Emeritus. He was also Professor Emeritus of International Affairs in the Elliott School of International Affairs.
Don was a pioneer in identifying the value of Scientific, Academic, Volunteer, and Educational (SAVE) Travel as a critical niche market, particularly for developing destinations seeking to build community-based tourism. He coined the SAVE acronym while working with students in Honduras and went on to chair the SAVE Travel Alliance from 2003 to 2015. The concept — bridging academia with tourism to create viable niche markets for developing nations — has since become a mainstream framework, with countries around the world now actively developing this sector of the industry.
As Chairman and Principal of Solimar International, he worked with governments, development banks, and international organizations across every region of the world, consistently emphasizing that tourism must serve communities, protect cultural and natural heritage, and deliver long-term value.
Don's influence on global tourism policy was profound and direct. In 1990, he convened the first Tourism Policy Forum in Washington, D.C. — co-sponsored by the World Tourism Organization, the OECD, the Organization of American States, and the European Commission — the first international attempt to reconcile tourism business interests with emerging public concerns for sustainable development. He organized a second landmark UNWTO Tourism Policy Forum at GW in 2004, bringing together the key multilateral development banks based in Washington to address the role of tourism policy in supporting sustainable development goals. He served as Special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization from 2012 to 2017, as Vice Chairman of the UN Tourism Affiliated Council, as Chairman Emeritus of Sustainable Travel International, and as a board member of Tourism Cares. He mentored more than 2,000 alumni and countless professionals who now lead tourism ministries, international organizations, and universities worldwide.
Scholarly Legacy
Over a career spanning more than five decades, Dr. Hawkins authored or contributed to more than 114 publications — books, peer-reviewed journal articles, monographs, project reports, and educational materials that continue to shape tourism policy and practice worldwide.
View Dr. Hawkins' complete scholarly record, including full citation data and publication history, on Google Scholar.
View Full Record on Google Scholar →The Places He Served
Don Hawkins lived his work. For more than five decades, he traveled to destinations around the world — not as a visitor, but as a partner to the communities, governments, and students building something lasting there.
This passport is our way of honoring that legacy — and of inviting you to be part of it. If you were one of his students, colleagues, or collaborators, there is a good chance your paths crossed in one of these places. Maybe you worked alongside him in Jordan or Georgia. Maybe you heard him speak about Jamaica, or traveled with a GW cohort to the Dominican Republic. Maybe you simply knew Don and felt the weight of his commitment to doing tourism right.
We built this so those stories don't disappear. Choose a destination below, stamp your passport, and leave a memory — a moment in the field, a lesson he taught you, a conversation that stayed with you. Every stamp becomes part of a living tribute, visible to all who knew him and to the next generation of students who will follow in his footsteps.
At the heart of the nation's capital, The George Washington University became the launching pad for Don's global vision — where he built one of the world's most influential tourism programs and mentored generations of leaders who now shape the industry worldwide.
Jamaica's vibrant culture, stunning coastlines, and rich heritage make it one of the Caribbean's most iconic destinations — and a model for community-centered tourism development.
From the ancient medinas of Fez and Marrakech to the sweeping Saharan dunes, Morocco stands as a crossroads of civilizations and a laboratory for culturally sensitive, sustainable tourism.
Home to the rose-red city of Petra, the Dead Sea, and ancient Wadi Rum, Jordan has emerged as a model for heritage tourism that honors its extraordinary past while building a sustainable future.
Nestled between the Greater and Lesser Caucasus mountains, Georgia offers ancient wine traditions, medieval fortresses, and breathtaking landscapes — an emerging destination still discovering its full potential.
Beyond the resort beaches, the Dominican Republic's mountains, rivers, and communities offer a rich tapestry of experiences that sustainable tourism can bring to life while ensuring local communities thrive.
Saudi Arabia is undergoing one of the most ambitious tourism transformations in history, opening ancient sites, desert landscapes, and Red Sea coastlines to the world — a transformation where sustainability is central.
Known as "The Nature Isle of the Caribbean," Dominica's volcanic peaks, boiling lakes, ancient rainforests, and Kalinago indigenous culture represent the gold standard of nature-based sustainable tourism.
The Cayman Islands are renowned for crystal-clear waters, world-class diving, and pristine beaches — a premier Caribbean destination balancing international tourism appeal with the need to protect its fragile marine ecosystems and island character.
Community Passport
These are the stamps — real memories, in real places, from the people who were there. Each one was left by a colleague, student, alumni, or collaborator who worked alongside Don or was shaped by his work at one of the destinations he championed.
A stamp is more than a mark on a map. It is a firsthand account: a lesson learned in the field, a project that changed a community, a conversation with Don that never quite left you. Taken together, they document a career that touched every region of the world and a generation of professionals who are still carrying his ideas forward.
To add your stamp, return to any destination in the section above and share your memory there.
Support Don's Legacy
Don Hawkins believed the only way to truly learn tourism was to live it — to stand inside the communities, walk the destinations, and work alongside the people who depend on them. That conviction drove every course he built, every field program he launched, and every student he sent into the world.
Your gift to the GW Master’s in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management (MSTHEM) and the GW International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) gives GW undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to gain real, hands-on field experience — offsetting the travel costs that can otherwise stand between a student and the learning that matters most.
Your gift supports the GW MSTHEM program and the International Institute of Tourism Studies, giving students hands-on learning opportunities through study abroad, tourism conferences, field internships, and sponsored research — carrying forward Don's belief that real learning happens in the field.
You will be directed to The George Washington University's secure giving page. All gifts are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.