Shirin Jafari

Shirin is the Director, Destination Development at MMGY NextFactor. She creatively helps destinations implement sustainable tourism strategies that lead to community engagement, socioeconomic growth, environmental conservation, and efficient destination management.

Prior to joining MMGY NextFactor, Shirin worked with the San Francisco Travel Association in spearheading the development of an innovative citywide sustainable tourism development plan. She was also appointed as lead consultant and project manager in an ecotourism development project in Abruzzo, Italy, in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Having worked with the International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) as a consultant and graduate research assistant, Shirin is a published researcher with extensive background in international relations and policy, data analysis, and cross-cultural stakeholder communication.

Shirin holds a Master of Tourism Administration degree with a concentration in Sustainable Tourism Development from George Washington University, while completing part of her graduate studies at the prestigious Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a minor in Economics from the San Francisco State University.