Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education

Recreation Management

Degrees

• B.S., Financial Counseling and Planning, Iowa State University
• M.S., Ecotourisum,  University of Portsmouth
• Ph.D., Tourism, University of Otago

Teaching Specialties

• RM 3561 Leisure Services Promotions
• RM 4450 Seminar in Tourism Development
• RM 2100 Leisure in Society
• RM 2130 Principles of Commercial Recreation and Tourism
• RM 3241 Travel and Tourism

Hobbies

• Hiking
• Cooking
• Wine tasting
• Dancing
• Travelling
• Writing

How did you discover Appalachian State University?

"My sister is an alum of the Recreation Management program!"

What is your favorite thing about Boone?

"Small town with great university and large town amenities surrounded by numerous opportunities to recreate in the beautiful outdoors!"

What most excites you about your field?

"I love the opportunities for global exchange that are present in the tourism industry, and introducing students to all the facets of the industry and opportunity that awaits them after graduation."

What are some of the highlights of your career?

"Studying abroad in graduate school (England and New Zealand); Managing an adventure lodge in Alaska; Traveling all over the world for work, school and play; Giving students tools to help them achieve their dreams (as both a financial aid director and now as a faculty member)."

Professional Certifications

• Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA)
• Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
• Certified Sustainability Manager (CSM)

Research Interest

• Haunted attractions
• Fear as leisure
• Dark tourism
• Ecotourism
• Sustainable touris

Selected Publications

• Weidmann, S. (2021). Blogging Our Way Through the Semester. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education, 1-2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1937156X.2021.1986435?casa_token=uk54--rCRIwAAAAA%3Apa7PC0HCbLw3nZDhpG9tpmcz7-d9xx_g5DvUWuOjryA4CFc6CIqi1vDUp1XUGZB6kOMspA1pY-4
• Weidmann, S. (2016). What screams are made of: Selling emotions with tourist promotional rack cards. In 6th advances in hospitality & tourism marketing & management conference (p. 144). http://www.ahtmm.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2016.pdf#page=160
• Weidmann, S. (2023). "... If We Don't Scare You, You're Already Dead!": A Study of Imagery and Language Used on Fright Tourism Advertising. Tourism Review International, 27(1), 19-33.https://doi.org/10.3727/154427223X16717265382750
• Weidmann, S., Filep, S., & Lovelock, B. (2023). Promoting the thrills: a study of emotional reactions to advertisements for fright tourism heritage attractions. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2023.2189523
• Weidmann, S., Filep, S., & Lovelock, B. (2023). How are tourism businesses adapting to COVID-19? Perspectives from the fright tourism industry. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 23(1), 121–126. .https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584221085217