Month: October 2016

Anthony Hunt, Chair of the Belize Tourism Board’s Airline Development Team and Director of Marketing and Route Planning for Tropic Air recently met with a group of George Washington University tourism students to discuss the role that airlines generally—and route planning more specifically—play in determining a destination's potential for tourism development. During the brown bag lunch presentation, he discussed his own approach to growing Belize’s tourism arrivals and the ongoing collaboration involved in such an undertaking.

1) What is the relationship between flight capacity and the ability of a tourism destination to develop?

Airline seats are what allow a destination to grow. An increased number of seats spurs competition, drives prices down and stimulates demand. Increased arrivals also leads to hotel investment and employment in the hospitality support sectors. So the launch of even one new route creates enormous trickle down benefits.

2) How do you define airlift in this case?

It means the overall capacity provided by an airline to a specific destination or market, and it can be measured in terms of inbound seats (arrivals) or round-trip flights.

3) If a destination is managing for sustainability, what are guidelines for responsible growth in terms of air traffic and new routes?

The single most important guiding factor should be a close correlation between the demographics of the airline’s passengers and the character of the destination. If there is a misalignment around demographics, it can lead to unhappy visitors. For example, if tourists are anticipating white sandy beaches and don’t care about protected mangrove areas, which harbor wildlife, you’re setting the state for unhappy visitors. A good example of contrasting airline demographics is Alaska Airlines vs Spirit. One airline’s passengers might be a better fit for Guanacaste, Costa Rica, which is more nature-oriented. The other may be better off in Cancun, which is all about sandy beaches and nightlife.

4) What are some of the challenges you've faced in helping Belize to develop as a tourism destination?

The five greatest challenges, in descending order, have been: 1) the need to advocate around issues such as removing visa restrictions 2) competition with other destinations willing to offer revenue guarantees 3) support for the process over time, which requires ongoing stakeholder engagement and education 4) funding, which is needed for the constant advocacy work as well as building the business case 5) developing a cohesive, diverse team, which represents the various the public and private stakeholders.

5) What is the number one lesson that you've learned from your experience in Belize, which you feel could be applied elsewhere?

Respect for the process. People often want to go to straight to the CEO when they’re advocating. But it’s important to include everyone in the process as you work through each obstacle and truly lay the groundwork for a successful service launch.

Salvador Anton Clavé was a Visiting Research Scholar at the International Institute of Tourism Studies during the past academic year when he was on sabbatical from his position as a Full Professor of Regional Geographical Analysis at the Rovira i Virgili University in Catalonia, Spain. He also serves as director of the Doctoral Program in Tourism and Leisure at the university, and he served as director/dean of the Tourism and Leisure School/Faculty of Tourism and Geography at the Rovira i Virgili University between 2002 and 2014. His research concentrates on the evolution of tourist destinations, urban and regional tourism planning, the analysis of the globalization of leisure, the impact of information and communication technologies in tourism destinations and issues concerning tourism policies and local development.

1) What initially drew you to GW’s International Institute for Tourism Studies and Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis?

I first met Professor Don Hawkins nearly twenty years ago, when he was the Executive Director of the International Institute of Tourism Studies. Recently, he introduced me to the idea of exploring the relationship between the walkable conditions of metropolitan areas—particularly Washington D.C.—and the visitor experience. I was intrigued and decided to spend my sabbatical leave from my own institution working on the project.

2) What are some high points of the research you've been conducting?

During this last academic year, we expanded an analysis of Washington D.C.’s walkable urban places that was previously conducted in 2012. We sought to account for the changes that have occurred in the city over the past five years as well as to incorporate measurements that capture the ways in which walkable urban places bolster the regional tourism economy.  The methodology analyzes the influence of walkable urban places on economic development and social equity. It also measures how walkability enhances the city’s overall attractiveness and can lead to the growth of sustainable tourism.

3) How are your conclusions influencing tourism planning?

Our findings demonstrate that tourism activity and hotel performance in Washington D.C. is closely associated with local walkability. For instance, walkable urban places in the metro area represent the 0.8% of the total land but 61.4% of the city’s total hotel revenue. While we’ve come up with a host of ancillary findings, our basic conclusion—from a practical point of view—is that the tourism and visitor experience industry needs to be more involved in the design, development and management of urban places and that developers should take into account the requirements and needs of the tourism industry and visitor economy. This conclusion highlights the need to rethink the current tourism management practices of many cities, recognizing the need to expand beyond marketing to place management, place making and place governance.

4) Are there specific destinations that are already applying your findings?

Until now the project has focused on metropolitan Washington D.C. Planning and research organizations in other cities are considering the usefulness of these types of measures and how they can be applied to better understand and plan tourism activities and development. This is for the New York metropolitan area, for example.

5) What is your involvement with tourism planning in Cuba?

During this past year I have been a member of a team of researchers, consultants and practitioners led by the current Executive Director of the International Institute of Tourism Studies Seleni Matus. We have been defining a vision for sustainable tourism in Cuba and designing potential support activities that the institute could provide as the country continues to grow its tourism infrastructure.  Our goal has been to help Cuba  use tourism as means of reducing social, gender and racial inequality; creating prosperous business opportunities; developing healthier communities; preserving and maintaining the county’s cultural and natural heritage; and supporting mutually beneficial exchanges between locals and foreigners. I am now involved in several educational and research initiatives that the institute is planning for Cuba for this next academic year.

 

This year the GW School of Business welcomed Dr. Hannah Messerli as its newest Chair of the International Institute of Tourism Studies, as well as an endowed professor of tourism policy. Dr. Messerli has in short time become an excellent resource for graduate students in the Master of Tourism program, bringing years of global experience as a tourism development specialist at the World Bank.

Recently, Dr. Messerli invited graduate students from her Tourism Policy and Planning course to join her at a World Bank presentation on Singapore’s urban transformation. Students have been examining case studies in tourism from Barcelona, Bali, and the Caribbean, and just spent a week poring over Singapore’s successes in tourism and its applicability in other destinations. Dr. Messerli’s invitation was a special opportunity for her students, many of whom had never been to the World Bank despite its proximity to GW.

At the event, students found a lively exchange of ideas among World Bank specialists in urban planning, urban sustainability, transport and other fields. Presenter Michael Koh, a Fellow with the Centre for Liveable Cities in Singapore, helped plan, design and lead the city-state’s urban revitalization. His presentation traced Singapore’s journey from slum to global financial hub. Through strategic urban planning and a whole-of-government commitment to housing and employing every citizen, Singapore inarguably surmounted the challenges it faced 50 years ago: limited natural resources, poverty, unemployment, and a high-density population. It also recognized and harnessed the power of tourism to drive development, paying special attention to growing the sector. Singapore now welcomes 15 million international tourists a year who enjoy the same bustling commercial centers, green spaces, riverfront, and historical heritage that residents do.

The presentation was great exposure for GW students to career paths in tourism planning, urban development, and other disciplines that contribute to thriving, liveable cities. Stay updated on our IITS staff and faculty at our Facebook page.

By Wendy Li, MTA '17