Professor Kessler published five peer-reviewed academic articles in 2025 and a book chapter, produced 100+ Wellness Research Lab news stories over the past three years, and mentored two student projects that reached the finals of the Global Wellness Summit’s Shark Tank of Wellness, including a recent finalist experience in Dubai.

About Danny Kessler Ph.D.

Dr. Kessler is a Professor and Researcher whose work integrates wellness, tourism, business, culture, and global education. His research focuses on connecting traditional healing cultures with next-generation wellness innovation.

As the first Ph.D. in Wellness Tourism in South Korea, Dr. Kessler’s scholarship examines the three pillars of Korean wellness—Templestay, jjimjilbang, and ginseng. His work includes SSCI-indexed studies on Templestay and book chapters on the jjimjilbang (Korean spa) in Wellness Tourism in Asia, analyzing how heritage-based wellness shapes branding, identity, and cross-border consumer behavior.

Dr. Kessler serves as Director of the Wellness Research Lab, where—in two of the past five years—his students’ wellness innovations advanced to the Global Wellness Summit’s Shark Tank of Wellness, highlighting the emergence of Korean-based wellness talent with global relevance.

His work has led to invited talks and presentations at the Korean National Assembly, Busan City Hall, COEX (Seoul), and BEXCO (Busan), as well as international workshops and presentations in Miami (USA), Palo Alto, California (USA), Kuching (Malaysia), Bangkok (Thailand), and other global venues.

Before embarking on his academic career, Dr. Kessler founded Angels with Attitude, a company providing self-defense classes for women. He also established Club E Network, an online social network for entrepreneurs, which was sold in 2013. He is the author of several books, including Travel: 12 Rules for America and The Socially Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Personal Safety, and co-author of Hotelier Action English. In addition, he advises graduate students on MA theses and Ph.D. dissertations.

Global Roles

Senior Researcher, Wellness Tourism Institute
Research Associate, Wellness Tourism Association
Scientific Advisory Board Member, BIODIFUL (2022–2027, Finland)
Former Ambassador, Global Wellness Institute
Former Busan City Ambassador, World Wellness Weekend
Former Foreign Advisor, Busan Global Tourism City Project

Mission
To advance scholarly and applied understanding of wellness tourism by integrating traditional healing systems with contemporary innovation, while mentoring globally engaged students to lead ethically across cultures.

Professor Profile

2023: University of Pennsylvania Wharton HR Management and Analytics Executive Education

2021: Employee Wellness and Stress Management Stanford University Center for Health Education

2020: Ph.D. in Business Administration (Wellness Tourism) at Youngsan University

2017: Masters in Education (TESOL) at Framingham State University

2004: Bachelor in Business & Communications (Interdisciplinary Studies) at Arizona State University

Dr. Daniel (Danny) Kessler (Ph.D., Hotel and Tourism Management with a specialization in Wellness Tourism) is a highly qualified and experienced professional with a strong background in wellness tourism and business administration. He has a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a focus on wellness tourism from Youngsan University in South Korea, where he was the first person to receive a Ph.D. in this field. He is also a Research Associate at the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) and a member of the Global advisory committee for the Busan Tourism Organization. In addition, Dr. Kessler has held several leadership positions at Dongseo University, including Assistant Professor, Developer of the Workplace Wellness Micro-Degree, Founder of the Workplace Wellness Research Society, and Director of the Workplace Wellness Research Lab. He has over 12 years of experience teaching at universities in South Korea, including at Youngsan University and Dongseo University, and has created multiple curriculums for students in the field of hotel and tourism management. Dr. Kessler is also the author of two books, “Travel: 12 Rules for America” and “The Socially Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Personal Safety,” and is a member of the Scientific Advisory board for the Biodiversity-Respectful Leadership (BIODIFUL) project. In addition to his academic and professional pursuits, Dr. Kessler has entrepreneurial experience as the Founder and CEO of Angels with Attitude, a company that teaches self-defense classes for women, and as a Startup Founder for Club E Network. He is also a Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate holder.

Research and Conference Presentations

Currently Special Issue Guest Editor of the SSCI Journal Sustainability. ‘Sustainable Hospitality and Tourism Strategies: Aligning Stakeholder Behavior Towards Wellness in Protected Natural Sites’ – October 2024
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/R4N4P01N67
Brennan, B.S, Kessler D. From Ritual to Renewal: Templestays as a Cross-Cultural Model of Sustainable Wellness Tourism in South Korea – July 2025
https://www.mdpi.com/3404658
From Ritual to Renewal: Templestays as a Cross-Cultural Model of Sustainable Wellness Tourism – Summer Research Capacity Building Workshop with Dr. Timothy Lee at Youngsan University July 2025
Choi H-M, Kessler D. The Role of the Korean Media in Shaping Sustainable Tourism Among American Audiences. Sustainability. – April 2025
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/7/3253
Exploring the Evolution and Significance of the Korean Jjimjilbang: Unveiling a Hidden Wellness Tradition Wellness Tourism In Asia in Wellness Tourism in Asia: Emerging Destinations to Rejuvenate, Relax and Retreat, Springer June 2025 9789819628667
Wellness Tourism and International Living – Florida International University – Presentation for FIU students Miami Florida February 12th 2025
Creative Approaches to Teaching Wellness to International Students – KOTESOL University of Ulsan – October 26, 2024
Cultivating a Wellness Life for International Students in South Korea – National Association of Foreign Scholars in Korea (NAFSIK) – October 12, 2024
Unveiling the Significance of the Jjimjilbang: A History of a Korean Wellness Tradition, Cultivating the Local Tourism Ecosystem – June 8th 2024
A Comparative Analysis of Strategic Orientation: Applying the OODA Loop to Airbnb and the Hotel Industry – Poster Presentation, APacCHRIE 2024, May 26th, 2024