Spencer received his Bachelor of Business Administration Honours from Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business, concentrating in marketing & entrepreneurship. Under the supervision of Courtney Mason, he completed his Master of Science in Tourism Management (2020) through the Erasmus Mundus European Master in Tourism Management (EMTM) program, which is jointly offered through the University of Southern Denmark, University of Ljubljana, and University of Girona. Working on his master’s thesis at Thompson Rivers University, Spencer’s research centred on LGBTQ2+ travel motivations and preferences in relation to rural destinations and the role of ‘gay spaces’ in destination selection. His further research interests include rural tourism development, tourism policy & governance, destination branding & marketing, and sustainable tourism development.