Santa's research so far has been focused on expanding the knowledge of the phenomenon of bucket lists and also the possibilities brought by tourism in an individual's search for immortality. With her colleagues, she has published in the Journal of Tourism Futures and Tourism Recreation Research. She is currently working on a chapter for a book entitled 'The Future of Dark Tourism: Enlightening New Horizons'.
Santa's educational journey began in Preston in 2012, when she joined Preston College, studying BTEC Travel and Tourism. Having successfully completed her college studies with a triple Distinction*, she knew that her next educational step would be to enrol here, which offered a fantastic BA (Hons) International Tourism Management programme. She developed an interest in the subjects of tourist motivations, dark tourism and tourism futures. With the continuous support and encouragement of her tutors, Santa decided to pursue a PhD, which she started in January 2019. During her journey, she presented her research to students and won our 3 Minute Thesis competition.
At the same time, Santa commenced her role as an Associate Lecturer. She taught predominantly foundation year students within the subject of study skills. In 2022, Santa completed her PhD which resulted in a co-authored publication entitled 'Living life or denying death? Towards an understanding of the bucket list'. During the summer of 2022, Santa worked as a research assistant for the Institute for Research into Organisations, Work and Employment (iROWE) where she contributed towards the Embrace Digital Evaluation by compiling interviews with the participating business. In the autumn of 2022, Santa was appointed as a Lecturer in Hospitality.
