After 44 years of teaching and conducting groundbreaking research at GW, Dr. Don Hawkins is retiring. His legacy in the field of tourism is outstanding. Not only is Dr. Hawkins the founder of the IITS, he has been instrumental in shaping the MTA program into an internationally renowned institution. He has also been a mentor, leader, and friend to countless numbers of students and colleagues.
This week, 120 guests gathered to celebrate Dr. Hawkins' extraordinary achievements and the path he's blazed for tourism students and professionals.
We encourage you to be part of that celebration. In Dr. Hawkins' honor, the IITS is establishing the GW Tourism Innovation Lab, which will develop tourism-related solutions to some of the world's most urgent social and environmental problems and help to achieve key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
But we need your support. All financial contributions will be matched by an anonymous donor and help us design and launch the first Tourism Innovation Challenge this fall. Contributions can be made here.
None of this would be possible without the visionary leadership of Dr. Hawkins. Congratulations and warm wishes for the next stage of your journey! We hope it will bring you back often to your GW family.
Dear Don,
I see that you have retired after a long and successful period in travel and tourism. I have retired too from UNWTO - at the end of 2018 - and spend most of my time in Madrid, Spain.
I am hopeful that spare days will give me the opportunity to study travel and tourism. This (2020) is going to be a difficult year and I am afraid that neither the UK nor the USA seem likely to re-join the Organization.
Warmest regards, Peter Shackleford