San Diego State University is now home to the world’s first Center for Surf Research.
Students will learn about surf tourism across the globe and the center will focus on how countries adapt to surf-specific tourists. The non-profit research and teaching center is housed in SDSU’s L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
“Surfers take great care of the oceans,” Ponting said. “But they don’t always think about the rest of their surroundings. We want to teach students about sustainable surf travel.”
Professors will take students abroad to Peru this winter where they will surf and study the surf tourism culture and its impacts.
Ponting said the Center will distribute its research to government, communities and non-profits in hopes to encourage environmental awareness in the surf industry.
