Skip to content

Author: GW IITS

consultant

About GW IITS

consultant

Published on Leave a comment on GW Students Attend Major Sustainable Tourism Conference in Kingston, Jamaica and Weigh in on Challenges & Opportunities Facing the Industry

By designating 2017 the Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the United Nations confirmed that tourism must be a driver of economic growth and environmental conservation. "This is a unique opportunity to build a more responsible and committed tourism sector that can capitalize its immense potential in terms of economic prosperity, social inclusion, peace and understanding, cultural and environmental preservation,” said former UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai in establishing the year.

A number of events throughout 2017 served to raise awareness of tourism’s many challenges and opportunities. The complex industry—an amalgam of transportation services, including airlines, cruise ships and taxis; hotels and resorts; restaurants and catering; and entertainment venues, from casinos to concert halls to national parks—has vast reach and touches an enormous number of sectors including food, fuel and manufacturing.

Among the year’s key events was the Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism held in November in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Organized by The World Tourism Organization, the Government of Jamaica, the World Bank Group, the Inter-American Development Bank and The George Washington University, the conference was a who’s who in the tourism industry, drawing 1,500 participants including six GW Masters of Tourism Administration students.

Students attended sessions designed to pave the way forward toward inclusive economic and social development through tourism. In general, they were impressed, as they said, “by the excellent panel topics, animated discussions and expertise of the presenters.” In addition to the breadth of subjects covered, Elizabeth Jordan was particularly struck by the “handful of presentations that focused on tangible issues such as the rise of the Chinese middle class and its resulting impact on the travel industry.”

The greatest challenges facing the tourism industry today, according to the GW attendees:

“Providing greater access to financing for small and medium enterprises and integrating measures that address climate change,”

—Marty SIlber

“Climate change is certainly going to impact the tourism industry and in many places already has.”

—Diana Kelterborn

“I think the industry's incredible growth may also be its greatest challenge, especially in terms of over-tourism and its strain on cultural and environmental resources. Tourism and the exploitation of children as well as the working poor are cause for concern. Lastly, climate change poses a significant long-term risk to the industry, one that must be taken seriously in terms of destination management.”

—Matthew Ozuna

“Incorporating the local supply chain for food, materials, human resources, etc. to encourage economic development in developing communities.”

—Jill Christmas

"To remain relevant and competitive, tourism destinations and businesses must respond effectively to today's travelers, who are increasingly informed, connected and demanding."

—Elizabeth Jordan

The greatest opportunities for growth in the sustainable tourism industry, according to the GW group:

“Data analytics and applying the information to strengthening tourism products and services.”

—Marty Silber

“Rapidly advancing technology is reinventing business models and making sustainable travel more affordable and accessible for both consumers and tourism businesses.”

—Diana Kelterborn

“Opportunities for jobs and inclusive economic growth, community and eco-tourism. I think the Buy Local movement helps sustainable tourism tremendously as do carbon offset programs.”

—Matthew Ozuna

“Travel is about the experience, not just the location anymore. If providers can change the way they think to create experiences, the growth potential is significant.”

—Jill Christmas

“The tourism sector will find growth and value in moving away from paid media advertising and investing in earned media. Sustainable development is going to require the balance of both the private and public sectors. And policy needs to ensure that tourism supports local communities.”

—Jonathan Mendez

"Tourism businesses have an opportunity to become sustainability leaders, ensuring that all of their decisions contribute to economic growth in destination communities, limit waste and reduce the greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change."

—Elizabeth Jordan

Published on

Elizabeth Jordan, now in her second year of the Master of Tourism Administration program, was one of 17 students to participate in an international tourism consulting practicum—or hands-on course—in Cuba this past summer. ...continue reading "GW Students Spend Two Weeks In Havana Consulting on Home Stays and Restaurants"

Published on

GW’s Dr. Hannah Messerli and Professor Emeritus Don Hawkins were in Madrid for the launch of The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, which the UN has designated to allow the industry to further drive responsible development that increases livelihoods, promotes the well-being of local communities and protects cultural and natural resources. “The United Nations’ recognition of sustainable tourism will support global sharing and innovation,” noted Messerli. “Key events in all regions will enable public and private sector stakeholders to share ideas and foster better tourism practices.”

While in Madrid, Messerli and Hawkins also attended a related event—the launch of the UN World Tourism Organization’s 13th Awards for Excellence and Innovation. Messerli, served on the award jury for public policy and governance applications. “These awards allow destinations from around the world to showcase and share their new ideas and—importantly—show how they can be successfully implemented,” she explained. “This year’s awards were diverse and demonstrated new achievements in measuring and monitoring tourism’s impact. It is exciting to see the increasing emphasis on all stakeholders—from tourists to governments to the private sector, and especially residents.”

The public policy and governance award went to Mexico’s Guanajuato Ministry of Tourism for a plan that aims to significantly increase tourism development in the state while developing its ability to measure and quantify impacts in a way that is useful to local communities, governments and businesses. “It is very thorough and based on extensive community participation,” said Messerli. In addition to the Guanajuato submission, Costa Rica’s Social Progress Index in Tourist Destinations, which measures the well-being of individuals living in destinations, was also noteworthy.

Over the course of the year, GW will actively participate in thought-leadership events around sustainable tourism including a global conference in November that will draw the development community, governments, donors and locals to focus on collaboration and best practices in the tourism industry. Along with UNWTO, the Jamaican government and the development group Chemonics, GW will help to organize the landmark gathering.

1

Published on 1 Comment on Creating Resilience in the Tourism Industry

“With the dynamic nature of tourism, there are many opportunities to adapt and recover in the face of adversity—economically, socially, environmentally and even politically,” noted Hannah Messerli, The Dwight D. Eisenhower Research Professor of Tourism Policy Chair of the International Institute for Tourism Studies.

Messerli recently moderated the 2016 Fall Colloquium: Resilience in Tourism, organized by the International Institute of Tourism Studies and Tourism for Tomorrow. Discussions focused on the importance of resilience in the face of challenges including natural resource depletion, political turmoil and the changing habits of tourists. Keynote speaker Kelly Craighead, Executive Director of the National Travel and Tourism Office, U.S. Department of Commerce, was joined by Norie Quintos, Editor at Large, National Geographic Travel Media; Neil Ardeshna, Senior Director of Business Consulting, Marriott International; Carla Portalanza, Cultural and Press Attaché, Embassy of Ecuador in Washington, D.C.

Neil Ardeshna, whose team is charged with leading strategic, enterprise-wide initiatives for Marriott’s 6,000 hotels and 500,000 associates, described how the global hospitality company has built corporate resilience by diversifying its footprint across over 110 countries and by offering 30 brands that can ensure almost any traveler can find a hotel that matches their preferences and price point. Locally, Marriott hotels are both influencing and influenced by their local economies, policies, and cultures in a number of ways…

• Marriott hotel owners, general managers, and local business councils work with local governments and businesses to help ensure local tourism is resilient
• Hotels adjust rates to balance supply and demand. If there is a shift in any given market, room rates can be adjusted to help maintain demand at a hotel, which directly helps to buoy tourism in that city.
• Marriott is constantly driving the development and adoption of innovative tools to help predict demand and react to any demand spikes or dips

Ardeshna also described how Marriott is always responding to long-term consumer trends. Rather than segmenting travelers purely on traditional demographics, for example, they instead work to focus on the traveler experience. “Whether it’s for business or pleasure, we want to make sure that travel is something people look forward to.”

Communications consultant Norie Quintos, who advises destinations and travel companies on how to effectively tell their unique stories, focused on the importance of the media. “Destinations that want coverage need to adapt and change,” explained Quintos. “The tools are affordable and now in everyone’s hands.” She cited examples of initiatives including Conversations with the Earth, a website that relies on participatory journalism and serves as a platform to allow how indigenous communities to share information on their strategies for adapting to climate change.

She also discussed strategies for engaging the media post disasters. “We know that the longer sustainable tourism lags after a natural disaster, the more damage is done to the social fabric of a place and its economic well being,” said Quintos. She described that because positive, where-to-go stories are the bread and butter for travel media, travel reporters tend to shy away from coverage of a destination following a disaster. She suggested that destinations strategically pitch journalists when they’re ready for coverage. “Focusing on the return of a destination following a disaster is always a great angle,” remarked Quintos.

Published on

A combination of pollution, agricultural runoff, overfishing and climate change is undermining the health of the world's second longest barrier reef, which runs along the coast of Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Guatemala. Since July, I've been working to support its conservation through my job with The Summit Foundation, a family philanthropy that contributes to a sustainable future by funding projects that work to protect the Mesoamerican Reef from further degradation. Not only does the reef support people whose livelihoods depend on fishing, but it is key to a thriving tourist industry.

George Washington University faculty helped me to secure a job as a program assistant at Summit, where I review grant proposals, write memos and other documents, and maintain on-going communication with grantees. Over the years, Summit has funded conservation projects operated by the World Wildlife Fund, Smithsonian Institution, Conservation International, and many small, local organizations.

As a sustainable tourism student, I’m particularly interested in public-private partnerships and learning more about how nonprofit organizations can work with tourism businesses as conservation allies. These collaborative arrangements are beneficial for everyone: they help to protect the coral reefs, which not only provide recreational opportunities for scuba divers and snorkelers, but also protect the shoreline from storms—a priceless service for the hotels and resorts that line the Caribbean beaches.

With Summit’s support, the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative (MARTI) was founded over a decade ago to engage the tourism sector in reef conservation practices. Since then, MARTI has helped to improve waste management practices and protect the reef from pollution, train marine recreation service providers on sustainability, and prevent reckless tourism development. Participating in discussions on MARTI’s next steps has been a particularly rewarding learning experience for me.

This deep dive into philanthropy and conservation at Summit has been a highlight of my experience in the Master of Tourism Administration program, and I’d highly recommend similar, practical learning opportunities to my fellow MTA students.

By Wendy Li, Master of Tourism Administration '17

Photo credit: Gustavo Vier

Published on Leave a comment on Tourism & Debate Students Travel to Indonesia: Competition Awards Ceremony Provides New Appreciation for Innovative Approaches to Sustainable Tourism

Visitors to Rawa Pening, a lake in Central Java, Indonesia, describe their experience as “peaceful”, “calm” and “joyful.” But the tourist destination is threatened by an influx of invasive plants, which scientists warn may cause the lake’s waters to dry up within a few years. So Inasa Ori Sativa, a student from the from Bandung Institute of Tourism, came up with the innovative idea of using water hyacinths as a craft material for local artisans. Her proposal, submitted to the 2017 Forum on International Tourism and Environment (FITE) Business Solutions competition won first place among more than one hundred entries.

For the competition—sponsored by the George Washington University International Institute for Tourism Studies, the GW Debate and Literary Society, the Bandung Institute of Tourism, the Embassy of France to Indonesia and the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism—students were invited to submit proposals for business ideas in support of sustainable tourism. In addition to the students in Indonesia, George Washington University students also applied to the competition. Debate and Literary Society organizers Bailey Fischer-Columbo and Jeffery Lear along with GW competition winners Stephanie Westhelle and Sarah Marin, received all-expense-paid trips to attend the award ceremony in West Java, where they helped to prepare the Indonesian students for the event by coaching them on presentation and English language skills.

The GW students were joined by Director of Debate Paul Hayes and International Institute of Tourism Studies Executive Director Seleni Matus, who in her presentation underscored the importance of this particular year, which has been designated by the UN as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. She remarked: “When carefully managed, tourism has the transformative power to be a force for good—it can enrich lives, strengthen communities and help protect resources and hertiage.”

For the students, the opportunity to work with counterparts in Indonesia and witness first-hand their commitment to sustainability, was truly life-changing. As Westhelle observed, “In America, too often we take our education for granted. But it’s clear that the Indonesian students I met value the opportunities their universities provide in terms of shaping their careers. They were so proactive. Also, sustainability is well-integrated into the culture. The competition submissions were truly inspiring.”

This was the competition’s second year. According to Paul Hayes, the YouTube video submissions from last year where students proposed their ideas for sustainability now have more than 60,000 views. For more information, please visit the FITE website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published on

A researcher at the University Institute of Tourism Research and a lecturer at the University of Alicante, Spain, Pilar Espeso-Molinero is focused on cultural heritage tourism, a key aspect of sustainable tourism. She recently completed her Phd thesis on her work with Mexico’s Lacandon, an indigenous group directly descended from the Maya, who until recently, lived in relative isolation in the forests of Chiapas. Espeso-Molinero received a fellowship to visit George Washington University, where she spent a week in November sharing her experiences with students from the International Institute of Tourism Studies, Master’s of Tourism program and the PhD program at the School of Business.

What interested you about Mexico’s indigenous Lacandon?

My work with the Lacandon grew out of a study of the potential for sustainable tourism as a tool for economic, social and cultural development. Mexico’s indigenous peoples, like many other around the world, live in extreme poverty. The Government has implemented tourism programs to solve social and economic challenges, but the approach has traditionally been very homogenous. Basically, they’ve built a model and replicated in different regions, indifferent to the unique cultural characteristics of each region or cultural group. Consequently, tourists don’t find the experiences very rewarding and have little incentive to visit more than one community. My focus has been to work with the Lacandon on developing tourism experiences that are unique to their own conditions.

More specifically, what has your approach been to helping the Lacandon develop their tourism potential?

I worked with various local entrepreneurs, employees and family members, forming a research team to design activities based on existing resources, which wouldn’t require additional funding. We focused on four distinct business units and worked with the members to decide for themselves what was particularly unique and might be of interest to visitors—more of a bottom-up than top down-approach. Development projects tend to focus on what a community lacks (education, economic resources or health); I wanted to focus on the resources it could offer (culture, traditional knowledge or values).

What types of tourist activities did you work with them to develop?

For example, we worked with one family descended from Chan K’in Viejo, who until his death in 1997 at the age of 104, was the spiritual leader of the Lacandon and who introduced many anthropologists to the ways of his people. One of Chan K’in Viejo’s sons owned a restaurant but didn’t offer any cultural activity in addition to it. So we worked with him and his family who belong to  the local women’s cooperative to organize an activity where tourists would visit Chan K’in Viejo’s two widows and learn from his granddaughters about issues related to family, marriage and women’s role in the community—all in their house while learning to make corn tortillas from scratch.

What types of activities did the other communities develop?

Because I worked with each group independently, they weren’t aware of one another’s approach and all came up with very different tourist products.

For example, one group operated a small tree nursery. So they developed a reforestation project for children, who learned about the forest and were given seedlings to plant. In all cases, the creative teams formed with local Indigenous people decided to run culturally-based experiential activities. Meanwhile the government has focused on nature and adventure-type tourism, disregarding local characteristics.

Have you worked with other indigenous communities to develop their tourism potential?

I’m currently involved in conducting research with the gypsy community in Alicante, where I teach.  This is more anthropological than tourism-related. We’re focused on gaining a better understanding of the gypsy’s opinion and perceptions, as they have been traditionally studied from a Western dominant paradigm.  It’s essentially the first step to conducting research with minority groups.

What brought you to George Washington University?

I received my Master’s degree in tourism studies from New York University, where Dr. Hannah Messerli was teaching. She was my mentor. Even while I was in that program, I was very interested in tourism as a tool for sustainable development, which was a focus of GW’s program. When I started to investigate the possibility of the Fellowship, Hannah was still working at the World Bank and it was Seleni Matus who helped me to organize my visit. I was delighted that by the time I arrived, both were there.

What was your experience at GW like?

Great! Lots of interesting discussions and debates. I taught a class on UNESCO World Heritage sites, presented my work on the Lacandon and worked with students involved in The North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance. I also taught a class on qualitative research methods to PhD business students, who were incredibly motivated to learn about anthropology. I hadn’t anticipated that I would be in Washington DC during the election, which was not only fascinating to observe but so many of the debated issues were, in fact, relevant to my work, which is really about creating methodologies to help us better understand one another. Tourism is an opportunity for improving mutual understanding and world peace.

Published on

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.

Published on

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.

 

International Institute of Tourism Studies The George Washington University School of Business Funger Hall, Suite 301 2201 G St. NW Washington, D.C. 20052
Viewing Message: 1 of 1.
 Notice

This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Visit GW’s Website Privacy Notice to learn more about how GW uses cookies.