April 2016 – International Institute of Tourism Studies

Tourism Plays Key Role in UN Sustainable Development Goals

GW IITSApril 27, 2016Leave a comment

How will we tackle the great, global problems of poverty, hunger, and social inequity over the next fifteen years? Or the threats posed by climate change, biodiversity loss, and unstable governments?

The United Nations' game plan is the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Adopted last September and endorsed by 150 world leaders, the SDGs place tourism as part of the solution to worldwide social and environmental problems. Goal 8, Goal 12, and Goal 14, which address economic growth and employment; sustainable consumption and production; and ocean and marine conservation all have tourism-related targets. That’s right—well-managed tourism is now widely acknowledged as a powerful development tool.

Not only that, but the UN declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Next year promises to offer an incredible opportunity for people working in the tourism field.

For students, professionals, and government officials who would like to participate in tourism-related UN development projects, George Washington University and the UN World Tourism Organization Themis Foundation are offering the comprehensive training course Tourism and International Cooperation for Development this summer and fall in Washington, D.C.

According to the description, “This intensive course trains university graduates, industry professionals, and government officials in subject areas related to international cooperation and development through tourism.”

Instructors include Dr. Don Hawkins and Professor Seleni Matus of GW’s Master of Tourism Administration program. The first half of the course is online from August 15 to September 25, and the on-site component takes place at GW from October 8 to 20.

Registration deadline is June 30, 2016. You can apply online. For more detailed information, click here: GW 2016 Course Brochure.

Photo credit: John Shedrick

Managing Earthquakes, Terrorism, Health Epidemics & Other Crises

GW IITSApril 21, 2016Leave a comment

Immediately following the devastating April 16^th earthquake that killed and wounded hundreds of people in Ecuador, the country’s Minister of Tourism Fernando Alvaro issued the following statement: “Visitors traveling to Ecuador or planning a visit to unaffected areas can feel confident that their trip will not be impacted and can feel secure to continue with their plans to visit the country.”

The earthquake itself and the minister’s prompt response, just three days before the annual George Washington Tourism Alumni Network Colloquium, a collaboration with the Organization of American States, highlighted the importance of smart and timely disaster response and management, particularly for a country like Ecuador that has invested heavily in its tourism sector.

In his presentation, Dr. Neil Parsan, Secretary for Integral Development of the Organization of American States, stressed that “To remain competitive in today’s travel market, destinations must maintain the safety and security of their people and tourists.”

The event, attended by tourism leaders including Jonathan Grella, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, US Travel Association and Marcos Espinal, Director of the Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis at the Pan American Health Organization, discussed the various organizational approaches to crises and the fundamental steps involved in managing them.

As Grella pointed out, “Crisis come in different forms: terrorism, health crisis, budget shutdowns, cyber-attacks, political boycotts, and they all have different implications on travel. In a crisis you have to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. If you are responsible for the crisis, you need to hold yourself accountable as an organization.”

Espinal focused on prevention: “Let’s have strong systems in place to prevent the crisis from happening in the first place," he said. He has been taking that approach in regard to the spread of the Zika virus, for example, which has experts scrambling and is already affecting the tourism industry.

Panelists from various destinations discussed their country’s approaches to safety and security:

Gloria Polastri, Alternative Representative of Ecuador to the Organization of American States and former Vice Minister of Security, explained how the history and geography of Ecuador has long made national security and safety a top priority, and that during the recent earthquake the Ecuadorian government was able to deploy 10,000 soldiers and 4,600 police officers to the affected areas.

Rodrigo Esponada Cascajares, Regional Director of the North America Mexico Tourism Board, addressed the public sector’s responsibilities and the re-positioning of Mexico following 9-11. “The tourism industry was never the same.” Not only did Mexico essentially halt tourism for two weeks to meet the UN health and safety guidelines, but the country publicly stressed to North American tourists that the country’s proximity to the US allowed visitors to drive as opposed to fly across the border. Through the tourism board’s strategic efforts and collaboration with the private sector, Mexico was able to increase the number of tourist arrivals last year to 32 million.

Malia Asfour, the Jordan Tourism Board’s Director for North America, explained how Jordan, in addition to struggling from internal crises, continues to work to counteract public misconception stemming from its geographical location and proximity to countries impacted by terrorism.

Jordan promotes its natural and historical assets to offset the challenges posed by its geographic location.

If you were unable to attend the Spring Colloquium, you’ll find the recorded presentations here.

Alum Feature: Tania Curry, World Wildlife Fund

GW IITSApril 20, 2016

From time to time the IITS likes to showcase the work of our Master of Tourism Administration alumni who are contributing to a more sustainable world through their work. Immediately after earning her degree in 2103, Tania Curry accepted a position as an intern with the World Wildlife Fund’s Travel, Tourism, & Conservation program. A couple of months later, she was hired as a Travel Specialist.

What is the role of the WWF Travel Program?

WWF’s Travel Program aims to give people opportunities to observe the world’s diversity first hand, immersing them in nature and inspiring them to actively care about conservation. We offer trips for both members and non-members alike that educate travelers about conservation work in the field.

Which aspects of that work are you involved with?

I help coordinate and promote our nature trips, and assist as needed with special trips we organize for major donors. The program works closely with Natural Habitat Adventures to promote educational nature travel, and train and equip their guides with the latest in conservation and science research. I also contribute to Good Nature Travel and World Wildlife Magazine.

Can you tell us about any special projects you’re excited about?

We’ve been working on a project we’re calling Conservation Travel that focuses on harnessing the economic potential of the travel industry to create incentives for communities and governments to conserve wildlife and wild places and support green growth.

How did your experience in the Master of Tourism Administration program prepare you for your current work?

Through the program, I gained access to contacts and networks that I otherwise would not have found on my own. Guest lectures, events, and course projects allowed me to further explore career options. I actually found my current job while assisting with the UNWTO.Themis Foundation course, Tourism and International Cooperation for Development. The MTA summer practicum in Peru was one of my most personally rewarding courses and gave me a better understanding of the economic importance of tourism and the value of over-communicating when multiple stakeholders are involved. Finally, the experience I gained during my research assistantship with the Crow Nation helped me understand the value of capacity-building and community empowerment within tourism development.

Do you have tips for graduate students who are considering their own career paths?

Consider exploring careers that fall outside of the traditional tourism umbrella and don’t be afraid to think beyond the typical jobs you hear about most. If you’re interested in working with a smaller company and have a research or internship idea that you think may be worthwhile, don’t be afraid to pitch it to them.

[button href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/travel" style="emboss" size="medium" color="#0096d6" hovercolor="#ffffff" textcolor="#ffffff" texthovercolor="#0096d6"]Learn more about WWF’s Travel Program[/button]

GW Faculty Research New Culinary Tourism Project in Peru

GW IITSApril 20, 2016

Eight years after the 2007 earthquake that killed hundreds of people on the southern coast of Peru, many impacted communities in the area still struggle to recover. GW faculty Dr. Jane Henrici and Dr. Anna Helm are working to launch a project to help poorer coastal Peruvian women develop sustainable culinary tourism enterprises selling food items prepared on clean and efficient cooking stoves. (Traditional wood-burning ovens are highly harmful to both the people who use them and the natural environment.) Through their project, they intend to build up a new business model for long-term local sustainability and expand the use of clean cookstoves in women-owned enterprises.

In January, Dr. Henrici and Dr. Helm conducted research on the ground in Peru as the first stage of their project, with funding provided by the International Institute of Tourism Studies. Check out the slideshow of photos from their trip and stay tuned for future developments!

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Seleni Matus Joins the IITS as Executive Director

GW IITSApril 20, 2016

In January 2016, Seleni Matus became the new Executive Director of the International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) at George Washington University. A native of Belize, she has served as the country’s Director of Tourism, and held positions at Conservation International and Sustainable Travel International. Seleni brings more than 15 years of experience designing and overseeing large-scale initiatives in sustainable destination management throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.

We had the pleasure of meeting with Seleni to welcome her to GWU and learn about her experiences and vision for the IITS.

Welcome Seleni! How did you first become involved in sustainable tourism?

While I was still living in Belize and working on development and entrepreneurship, I oversaw the design of a national tour guide training and certification program. Tour guides can play a key role in sustainable tourism because they interact directly with tourists and act as interpreters of local culture. As a result of the program, and seeing how well-managed tourism can transform the lives of people in local communities, I became very passionate about sustainable travel and tourism. We need to ensure that there’s more good tourism going on around the world.

Would you say that the development of the tour guide training program was among your proudest achievements?

Absolutely. More recently, however, I led the development of the Sustainable Destination Alliance of the Americas. We brought key players to the table to develop a practical toolkit designed to help tourism-dependent destinations start on their sustainability journey. To have been able to connect all the dots by bringing together top-level decision-makers, regional organizations, NGOs, and major corporations — and to get them to agree on a shared vision — is one of my proudest moments.

What are some upcoming IITS projects you’re most excited about?

We’ve been working to expand the reach of our destination management certificate program to other regions in the world, particularly to the Caribbean, where program partners and universities have expressed enormous interest.

We’re also planning to develop a more robust applied research agenda. Because the tourism industry needs reliable information to make more informed decisions about our future, we’re hoping to position the IITS as a leader in the field, helping to advance industry thinking around sustainability and destination management.

In addition to research, we also want to fill the more pressing needs for capacity building on sustainability and destination management in key regions such as the Caribbean and Latin America. And finally, we want to develop strategic partnerships that would enable us to offer our students very unique experiences working in tourism development issues around the world.

How can students and professionals get involved in these new projects?

Oh, in many ways. We offer non-degree certificate programs that provide professionals with practical ways to enhance their skills in the tourism industry. Our students can participate in our research projects and the programs we’re developing with strategic partners. For example, we hope to collaborate with partners such as the Organization of American States on specific tourism projects. This would allow students to spend a few weeks or even a semester helping to implement projects in the real world.

And finally, what’s your favorite travel destination?

There’s a saying in Spanish: “I’m taking it in my heart.” Places like Cozumel, Suriname, and Jamaica are all very special to me because of the work I’ve done there and the relationships I’ve built.

Alum Feature: Tania Curry, World Wildlife Fund

GW IITSApril 15, 2016Leave a comment

What is the role of the WWF Travel Program?

Which aspects of that work are you involved with?

Can you tell us about any special projects you're excited about?

How did your experience in the Master of Tourism Administration program prepare you for your current work?

Do you have tips for graduate students who are considering their own career paths?

Learn more about WWF's Travel Program here: http://www.worldwildlife.org/travel

Are you a GW Tourism alum who would like to be featured on our blog? If so, get in touch! We’re always looking for great examples of how our alumni are making a difference in the tourism world!