Giovanni Ruggieri graduated with honors in economics from the University of Palermo. He spent a semester of study at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK. He achieved the title of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in tourism sciences at the University of Palermo. He is an Adjunct professor in applied economics, and he is an adjunct professor of tourism economics and tourism systems and hospitality management. He is the author of several articles on tourism published in international scientific journals concerning the economic impact issues, the birth and development of tourist destinations, and the growth of tourism economies in the island territories. He is a member of the Unesco Management Plan Working Group for the Sicily Unesco Foundation. He is president of the Observatory on Tourism for Islands Economies and chairman of the scientific committee made up of professors and international experts. His research topics pay particular attention to island realities and concern the tourism economy, innovation, micro-enterprises, and networks.