Natalie has a PhD in International Studies with a focus on social-political and conflict studies in the U.K. but her first university degree was a Master in Cultural Studies from Ghent University. She has also completed a Journalism degree. Between studies, she mainly worked in non-profit organisations as policy or advocacy worker. During her PhD research, she felt the urge to do something more practical at the same time and therefore decided to combine her educational background with her interest and passion for sustainable tourism. Natalie founded a small-scale tourism enterprise in Lima, Peru where she lived for a while. She runs this social enterprise that focuses on alternative and local experiences now from Belgium with the help of a local team in Peru. Natalie has also been a core team member and researcher for the California-based organization Ethical Traveler for almost a decade. After living in different places around the world, she returned to her hometown of Ghent in early 2018 and started guiding visitors in Ghent and other Belgian cities.