Dr. Iva BAHUNEK is an international tourism executive, strategist, academic, and consultant with more than 20 years of experience in destination management, tourism policy, international partnerships, and economic development.
She previously served as CEO of the Los Angeles Office of the Croatian National Tourist Board, leading tourism promotion, stakeholder engagement, and strategic partnerships across the United States. Prior to that, she served for nearly a decade as CEO of the Croatian National Association of Hotels and Restaurants, contributing to tourism policy development and industry advocacy at the national and E.U. level.
Dr. BAHUNEK currently serves as CEO of GEMELLI CONSULTANTS and is a Professor at Endicott College of International Studies, Woosong University in South Korea. She holds a Ph.D. in Business Ethics and is recognized for her work in tourism strategy, destination marketing, aviation connectivity, tourism resilience, and sustainable destination development.
In addition, she has advised international travel and lifestyle television productions, helping destinations engage global audiences through media and storytelling. Her work has connected governments, tourism organizations, airlines, investors, media producers, and private-sector stakeholders across Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East.