Professor Noam Shoval
Prof. Noam Shoval is an expert in urban geography and planning, urban tourism and the development and implementation of advanced tracking technologies useful in urban studies, tourism and medicine.
He is a professor at the Department of Geography and the Leon Safdie Chair in Urban Studies. Currently he is the Director of the Institute of Urban and Regional Studies and the Director of the Center for Urban Innovation at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Professor Noam Shoval is an expert in urban geography and planning, urban tourism and the development and implementation of advanced tracking technologies useful in urban studies, tourism and medicine.
Recent Research Projects
2025-2027 Research Grant Council of Hong Kong, "Enhancing Mega-Region Destination Development: Uncovering Spatial Integration through Tourist Travel Patterns", (With Dr. Jinyan Chen as P.I. and Prof. Bela Stantic and Prof. Cathy Hsu as Co-P.I.’s)
Mega-regions and their interconnected transport networks offer huge opportunities for tourism, yet we still know very little about how tourists actually move and interact within them.
This study bridges this gap by focusing on the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Using an innovative triangulation method combining social media analytics, secondary data, and in-depth interviews. The research analyzes tourists' spatial-temporal patterns to uncover how they engage with the mega-region and shape its tourism structure.
2024-2028 The Israel Science Foundation, "Measuring the Tourist Experience in Time and Space Using GPS, Mobile Eye-Tracking and Physiological Sensors"
While tourism accelerates and digital nomadism grows, understanding its urban impact is more critical than ever. Traditional research relied on subjective surveys, but the tech revolution has shifted the field from basic spatial tracking (Tourist Tracking 1.0) to integrating social media and smartphone-based emotional data (Tourist Tracking 2.0).We are now on the verge of Tourist Tracking 3.0.
This study is the first to systematically measure the urban tourism experience by merging cutting-edge, mobile physiological sensors tracking location, eye movements (gaze), and emotional arousal (EDA) to analyze how cultural and socio-economic backgrounds shape how we experience cities.
2025 Digital Heritage and Culture Lab - in collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and the Government Tourism Company. The purpose is to create an organized process for measuring and evaluating the impact of investments made within the Heritage Division, in relation to visitors’ experiences at heritage sites. It also aims to develop practical tools and innovative mechanisms to advance the field of national heritage, with an emphasis on models operating at the local and regional government levels. The first project selected as a case study is the site of the burned vehicles near Moshav Tkuma.
What makes a successful tourism city? Case studies from central Europe: As urban tourism continues to surge, cities face the challenge of attracting visitors without harming the local community. This research explores the synergy between visitor appeal and resident well-being, aiming to redefine "urban success" beyond mere numbers. By focusing on Capital European cities as case studies, the study investigates how to ensure the city remains a thriving home for its residents while serving as a world-class destination.
Select Publications
Chen, J. and Shoval, N. (eds.) (2023)
Big Data in Tourism Geographies: Understanding Travel Patterns in Time and Space
Teaching
As a geographer, I believe that direct learning in the field is essential to understanding spatial processes. Consequently, field tours are a core component of every course I teach. My commitment to on-site research has led me to initiate study tours abroad, ranging from established urban centers like Barcelona and Berlin to my more recent work in China. These international programs allow for the close examination of the rapid and significant urban changes occurring in these regions today.
Gallery
Curriculum Vitae
Professor at the Department of Geography and the Leon Safdie Chair in Urban Studies.
Currently he is the Director of the Institute of Urban and Regional Studies and the Director of the Center for Urban Innovation at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Professor Noam Shoval is an expert in urban geography and planning, urban tourism and the development and implementation of advanced tracking technologies useful in urban studies, tourism and medicine.
Internationally, he is a sought-after consultant and collaborator on research projects in the areas of tourist time-space activities, urban tourism planning, and aging and cognitive decline of patients. Professor Shoval’s impact has been global, including policy and planning in Spain, Hong Kong (SAR of China), Israel, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Australia and Mainland China.
Professor Shoval completed his Ph.D. at The Hebrew University under the supervision of the late Prof. Arie Shachar and conducted post-doctoral research at the University of London (2000–2001). He was an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at the University of Heidelberg (2007-2008). He spent an academic year (2014-2015) as a visiting professor at the Center for Urban and Social Research at the University of Pittsburgh. In the Fall semester of the 2022-2023 Academic year, he was a Visiting Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism at the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong. Over the years he published five books and over one hundred and forty other scientific publications.
Professor Shoval, served as the chair of the department of Geography (2009-2013), Director of the European Forum (2015-2017, 2022-2025), The Provost of the Rothberg International School (2017-2022) and the President of the Israeli Geographical Association (2015-2017). In 2017 he was elected a fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism.
In 2019 he received the Belt and Road prize from the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong. In 2022 he received the Roy Wolfe Award for outstanding contributions to the field and discipline of Recreation, Tourism and Sport Geography - Awarded by the American Association of Geographers - Recreation, Tourism & Sport Specialty Group (AGG-RTS).
