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Category: International Institute of Tourism Studies

Published on Leave a comment on Why this travel company is committed to reconciliation with First Nations Australians

The Australia-based responsible tour operator Intrepid Travel has always been committed to making a real difference in travel destinations by investing in local communities, human rights initiatives, wildlife conservation projects and the environment. As Intrepid's website states: "We’re all about operating in a responsible manner and incorporating principles of sustainable tourism and development into the way we provide our travellers with real life experiences."

Intrepid is not only a sponsor of the Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas—an initiative organized by the International Institute of Tourism Studies along with the Organization of American States and the Bureau of Indian Affairs— but the company's commitment to creating more opportunities for First Nations people provides valuable learnings for all of us.


By James Thornton, CEO Intrepid Travel

The current crisis is an exceptionally challenging time for travel, but it is also a chance to consider how businesses can rebuild more responsibly – environmentally, economically and socially, which includes fostering stronger understanding with Indigenous communities. Intrepid Travel is headquartered in Australia and we formally started our reconciliation journey by committing to a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Reconciliation is about building stronger relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.

In July 2020, our 'Innovate’ RAP was endorsed by national body Reconciliation Australia. This built on our ‘Reflect’ RAP,
which was endorsed in 2019. While our experience is uniquely Australian and we’re still in the very early phase of our reconciliation journey, we wanted to share our experience so far to help encourage other organisations to take their first step. This is particularly important at a time when the global conversation is centered on discrimination and social justice, including for First Nations peoples.

For us, as a responsible business and a certified B Corp, developing a RAP was an important step. Intrepid is a truly diverse business with offices all over the world, but we were founded more than 30 ears ago in Melbourne, where our head office is. We also run trips in every state and territory in Australia (except Australian Capital Territory), including tours that visit remote Aboriginal communities and culturally significant places such as Uluru.

Intrepid Travel acknowledges Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognizes their ongoing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and future, and support the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices.
But we cannot reflect on Australia’s history and our place in it without acknowledging the devastating and lasting effects that colonialism, land dispossession and racism has had on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We know we need to play our part to close the gap that this legacy has created.

Developing a RAP, in consultation with First Nations advisors, is a way that a business can start to address inequalities, as it provides a formal framework and time frame for a business to take specific actions.
Since adopting our first RAP 18 months ago, we’ve introduced several changes – some of these are simple to implement but are significant nonetheless.

Brian Swindley, owner of Janbal Gallery in Tropical North Queensland – Intrepid started working with the gallery and including it in itineraries as part of its commitment to partner with more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism operators.

Personally, I now begin all important meetings, including company updates, with an Acknowledgement of Country. Our global websites also include an Acknowledgment of Country and at a product level, we banned alcohol on our visits to Uluru and started working with some new Aboriginal tourism operators in Queensland.

Under our Innovate RAP, we’ll take further actions over the next two years. This includes exploring internship opportunities for young people interested in a career in sustainable tourism and amplifying First Nations voices in our marketing and platforms.

We very much continue to be on the journey, but I’d like to share some of the things we’ve learnt so far:

  1. Do your homework and be open. We have a lot of learning to do. This is an ongoing process and it’s something that we’ve committed to at every level of our business. Engage First Nations advisors and do the work to understand the issues at play, and how inequalities are present in your business.
  2. Form a working group. Seek out people at all levels of your business who are passionate about reconciliation and who are committed to making change. These people must be empowered and made accountable. Ideally the working group would include First Nations people – this is something we continue to work on. Personally, I am updated regularly by our RAP working group lead.
  3. Build awareness. To be truly effective, everyone within the business needs to be on the reconciliation journey. You will need to dedicate time and resources to internal communications and continually share
    information. We’ve found one of the most important parts of this process has been to listen, learn, engage, reflect and build respect for First Nations cultures and histories. We continue to work on this aspect, and we are fortunate that in Australia, there are many excellent resources
    available.

As we rebuild from this crisis, we hope other tourism businesses will be open to change and starting their own reconciliation journey. Together we can rebuild more responsibly to benefit all communities, including First Nations peoples.

As an Australian-owned business, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to their Elders past, present and future.

Published on Leave a comment on INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES THAT RELY ON TOURISM ARE FINDING WAYS TO COPE WITH COVID
Across the world, COVID has been taking a devastating toll on both the tourism industry and Indigenous communities. First Nations groups like the Heiltsuk of British Colombia—along with many Indigenous tribes—are enforcing strict lockdown measures in an attempt to keep their people safe from the virus. A recent BBC story quoted Marilyn Slett, chief councillor of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council: “Our laws and traditions are oral. They’re passed down by our Knowledge Keepers, a group of Elders who have learned the Nation’s customs, traditions and protocols. We only have 30 fluent Hailhzaqvla-speaking Elders left. We’ll uphold Heiltsuk laws and do everything we can to protect them.”

The Heiltsuk are not alone in their determination to do what they can to keep their traditions and people alive. What does COVID mean for tribes who’ve been generating income by hosting visitors?

On April 29th, the Organization of American States and the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies in collaboration with the US Bureau of Indian Affairs held a webinar to discuss the issue. Keith Henry, President and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada; Magi Williams, Public Relations Director for Wind Creek Hospitality; and Alfreida Littleboy, owner of Native Grill Navajo Soul Food shared their insights.

Financially, the impact of COVID-10 on Indigenous communities and tourism in Canada has been devastating. As Henry pointed out, 40,000 jobs and roughly $900 million GDP were lost in March alone. He has been advocating for Indigenous-led financial solutions as many of the stimulus funding options currently offered are not available to Indigenous tourism business owners. In April, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada announced that the federal government would be committing $306.8 million dollars in stimulus funding to support the 6000 small-medium Indigenous businesses across the country. Of these, more than 30 percent, or 1875, are Indigenous tourism businesses.

In the US, with the closing of tribal casinos, tribal revenue has been severely impacted—not only for the tribes themselves and the individual members who’ve lost their jobs at the casinos but for the people who own and work for nearby businesses, including restaurants, spas and hotels, which have also been closed. While the US government authorized $8 billion for tribes in March, when the casinos closed, it’s been slow to distribute the money.

Alfreida Littleboy, a member of the Navajo Nation who owns a food truck in Cameron, Arizona, described the challenges her community is facing, particularly due to a lack of infrastructure, access to medical care and the long distances tribal members need to travel to get even basic supplies. Because the Navajo lack running water and electricity, many people including tribal Elders, often live 30 miles from the nearest water sources. And because only 17 grocery stores serve the entire Navajo Nation, tribal members have been coming into contact with sick people on their way to get food and water. According to a recent article on the NPR website, if the Navajo Nation were a state, it would have the highest rate of coronavirus cases per capita after New York. Planeterra, the foundation arm of the travel company G Adventures, in partnership with local business owner Alfreida Littleboy, has been fundraising to provide the Navajo with supplies.

The webinar group agreed that good communications and networking are key to coping with the very difficult situation now and to recovery planning. Magi Williams of Wind Creek Hospitality, which manages casinos and racetracks for Alabama’s Poarch Band of Creek Indians—the only federally recognized Indian tribe in the state of Alabama—described how her office has been proactively keeping in touch with guests through direct outreach and by sharing information on a regularly updated website. The key is to keep guests connected and relationships alive.

The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada has also been focused on communications and networking, which as Keith Henry stressed are vital to making tourism work as a tool for cultural revitalization and to driving sustainable economic development.

A recording of the webinar and additional resources referenced in the webinar are available here.

If you would like to join us in our support of Alfreida Littleboy’s work with Planeterra Foundation and the local area’s Chapter House to increase access to locally-sourced sanitizers and cleaners, as well as basics such as food, in the Navajo Nation, please click here.

To continue the discussion, please join our Facebook Group.

We look forward to seeing you in June for our next webinar, which will focus on Indigenous tourism in Latin America; stay tuned for details.

 

 

Published on Leave a comment on THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TOURISM STUDIES PARTNERS ON TWO REPORTS CRITICAL TO HELPING DESTINATIONS REASSESS AND REBUILD POST-PANDEMIC
Of all the industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism has been most devastated. Because one in ten jobs globally is tourism-dependent, the industry’s collapse is profoundly impacting communities and economies everywhere. In fact, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts that the crisis will cost 100 million tourism jobs worldwide. 

What’s the key to rebuilding, once travelers feel safe enough to take to the skies, roads and rails again? As International Institute of Tourism Studies Executive Director Seleni Matus explains, “An intentional and sustainable future is critical now more than ever. We need to ensure that people living in travel destinations—whether they’re coastal, rural or urban— benefit financially from visitors and that they have the incentive to conserve their environmental and cultural resources for now and the future.”

For thirty years, George Washington University’s International Institute for Tourism Studies has been working with destination stakeholders—including tourism managers, business owners, policy makers and local community members—to guide the sustainable development of tourism generally. As part of this work, the institute has partnered with the Adventure Travel and Tourism Association to produce the Adventure Tourism Destination Index (ATDI), which ranks destinations according to criteria including health care, protected areas and environmental performance. These key indicators help to determine how ready a destination is to host visitors seeking adventure experiences. 

While the index is designed as a tool for anyone working in tourism development, it’s particularly relevant for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs).  As Matus notes, “Given current needs and realities, the newly released ATDI 2020 is particularly timely and important for adventure destinations preparing for the arrival of post-pandemic visitors.” 

This year’s winners for destination competitiveness: Iceland and the Czech Republic remained in the lead, and Iceland held the distinction of first place for the third year in a row.

In addition to the ADTI, the International Institute of Tourism Studies partnered with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to produce the Global Destination Sustainability Report—a companion to the ADTI— with a specific focus on 24 destinations ranked on criteria such as waste management, wildlife protection and the preservation of cultural heritage, for example. While the GSTC report is not adventure destination specific, it may be used by any destination manager seeking insights into sustainable management, which basically leads to a balance between the short-term benefits and the long-term interests of local communities. 

Over the past few years, destination managers, business owners and policy-makers have had to contend with an additional reality, if they are to remain competitive in the marketplace. That is their ability to adapt to climate change. As the GSTC report concludes, destinations everywhere need to put in place a plan to address the impact of more frequent and intense weather-related events, water shortages and carbon emissions, for example.

While during the year leading up to the pandemic destinations were focused on managing for overtourism—or the unsustainable influx of visitors—those same destinations must continue to manage strategically and intelligently, no matter how many visitors they’re currently hosting, so that they remain competitive in the marketplace. As Matus stresses, “Only destinations that are healthy and have a solid sustainable management plan in place are likely to remain viable over the long term.”

 

Published on Leave a comment on MANAGING CRUISE TOURISM IN BELIZE CITY: GW Helps Lead The Way Toward A More Sustainable Future
Post by Taylor Ruoff

The International Institute of Tourism Studies provides Master of Tourism Administration students with unique opportunities to participate in ongoing research and consulting projects that support sustainable tourism development all over the world. Last year, recent graduate Taylor Ruoff went to Belize City to work on a project designed to help the country better manage its growing influx of visitors and their impact on the country's resources. Here are her reflections on the experience and the future of tourism in Belize. 

Belize City is not only the country’s largest urban area, but also serves as its commercial and cultural epicenter, and the main port of call for cruise tourism. Nearly 850,000 passengers arrived by ship last year to explore the country’s barrier reef, offshore islands, cave systems and Mayan archaeological sites. 

While the industry has grown steadily and fostered entrepreneurship and economic growth in Belize, tourism is bringing an influx of people to the city, which is increasing pressure on resources, infrastructure, transportation and other services. Despite noticeable improvements in recent years, “crime-ridden”, “unsafe”, and “dangerous” are adjectives commonly used by outsiders when describing the city, and the reason that a number of tourists don’t ever venture past the port. 

ASSESSING THE SITUATION

To help Belize City identify and overcome these challenges and plan for a sustainable future, I recently participated in the development of a destination assessment and sustainability plan.  Along with International Institute of Tourism Studies Executive Director Seleni Matus and fellow graduate student Amanda Reiser—as well as Belize’s Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Board, industry associations, conservationists, tour operators, attraction managers, and other key local stakeholders—we helped to facilitate dialogue and exchange between these different groups. While they are key influencers and decision-makers, they're often not at the same table when it comes to discussing tourism. 

“This sustainability assessment, the first ever of its kind for Belize, is a great step in elevating the importance and path towards responsible development and management within our cruise destinations,” noted Abil Castañeda, Chief Tourism Officer for the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation of Belize. 

SOCIAL MEDIA LISTENING

As part of the assessment, a team of graduate students from George Washington University’s Master of Tourism Administration program analyzed reviews on TripAdvisor and Cruise Critic  to better understand visitor perceptions of the destination. “Our results revealed that visitors appreciated the wealth of knowledge and stellar service provided by local Belizean guides, and greatly enjoy the diverse natural tourism products the destination has to offer,” shared Reiser. “However, visitors also noted that a lack of accessibility, safety issues, and overcrowding at some popular attractions and sites degraded their overall experience, which was further confirmed by our site visits while in-country.” 

In May, the GW team presented the results of the social media analysis and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination Assessment in Belize City. We also facilitated the development of a sustainability action plan with input from local stakeholders. As a result, stakeholders agreed that in the near-term, they would take measures to better understand and mitigate against the negative impacts of tourism on visitor attractions and natural sites. For example, we discussed the production of guidelines to protect and properly interact with wildlife. Stakeholders also agreed to drive local action and policy-making around tourism development more generally by, for instance, measuring maximum capacities and limiting visitation to minimize overcrowding.

THE FUTURE OF CRUISE TOURISM

Following the assessment, the Belize Tourism Board held the country’s first cruise conference this past August, which brought together cruise line executives from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian, and other cruise tourism experts to discuss new trends and key issues pertaining to the sustainability of the industry and Belize. I had the opportunity to present the findings of our team’s online visitor perception assessment at the event, stressing the importance of tracking visitor experiences to better address safety, accessibility, and overcrowding challenges at popular attractions and sites. The assessment and conference are major milestones for Belize and are part of a larger effort to promote destination stewardship and cruise tourism sustainability throughout the country.

This destination sustainability assessment of Belize City was sponsored by the GSTC, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) with funding and support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 

Published on Leave a comment on TRIBES JOIN FORCES TO DEVELOP CULTURAL HERITAGE TOURISM
From cultural and historical sites, to parks and preserves to pow wows and traditional festivals, North and South Dakota are rich in opportunities for visitors seeking to experience Native American places and ways of life.

While in general, a growing interest in authentic and cultural heritage travel is fueling an uptick in Indigenous tourism, many tribes and communities throughout the US are not yet convinced of tourism’s potential benefits, which go well beyond economic development.

As Seleni Matus, Executive Director of the George Washington University’s International Institute of Tourism Studies explains, “We know that tourism is often the most promising way for many Indigenous communities to generate income while giving these groups the financial capability to protect their lands and cultural traditions.”

Three years ago, the Masters of Tourism Administration students, under the auspices of the International Institute of Tourism Studies, helped to establish the North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance. The idea was to bring together the state’s five Indian Nations—the Sisseton Wahpeton, Standing Rock, Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and Spirit Lake— to collaboratively design tourism opportunities and develop their own individual strategies around cultural heritage tourism.

While the project, developed with support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development and Division of Transportation, is building the capacity for tourism  and economic development generally, this year’s focus in particular has been on developing actual tourism products and experiences that will appeal to visitors from the US, Europe and Asia. For example, these include pow wows, visits with community elders and interpretive tours of historic and cultural sites.

In addition to working with community leaders to identify and develop products and experiences, the IITS team is helping tribes to establish pricing, market their products and train guides and interpreters. They’re also identifying tour operators and potential entrepreneurs interested in working with the tribes. And, also as part of the project, the GW teams helping to strengthen micro-enterprises, including those owned and operated by local artisans, storytellers and dancers.

“The International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) has been an instrumental partner, helping to inform and shape our program design and delivery,” explains Ed Hall, Tourism Coordinator at the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. They designed the approach now used in our work in the Dakotas to create long-term investment in sustainable cultural tourism development for tribal communities.  Our partnership provides graduate students with an opportunity to work in tribal communities and share their expertise while learning from the communities themselves. The project works with state representatives to identify existing resources, which can support tribal capacity building and facilitates coordination and access to these various resources, while identifying gaps or barriers that require additional support. Ultimately, however, it is the sovereign tribal nations and communities that must control their own tourism efforts and deliver products and experiences that are authentic to their own cultures and traditions.”

This year, the Institute expanded its reach to South Dakota, where it’s working with nine federally recognized tribes. Stakeholder meetings to establish the projects have been well received by the South Dakota Department of Tourism as well as officials including David Flute, Secretary of Tribal Affairs and Jim Hagan, Secretary of Tourism, both of whom attended recent gatherings. State representatives Senator Red Dawn Foster, Representative Shawn Bordeaux, and Representative Tamara St. John, all of whom are Native American, have also been attending meetings and publically endorsing our work.

In South Dakota, the initial goal is to develop a regional tourism strategy and build a regional alliance, similar to the approach taken in North Dakota. For now, the group is focused on addressing several challenges inherent to the state, including the concentration of tourism attractions in and around Rapid City and the Badlands National Park and the general lack of connectivity between these areas and the tribal nations.

Participants at recent meetings expressed their hope that tourism would be the vehicle to reestablish connections and reunite the Oceti Sakowin, the People of the Seven Council Fires. Until the arrival of trappers and settlers during the 1600s, these bands of the Sioux were united by language and kinship.

As meeting attendee Randy Ross, from the Alliance of Tribal Tourism Advocates said, "Tourism isn't just about money. It can make light and open a path to knowledge. Then, our future generations will have a place to hang their hat on. They will have a legacy. Tourism is a vehicle to humanity.”

Kansas Middletent from the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe added that, “This initiative is important in so many ways but overall, it allows us to control our narrative. We get to share our way of life through our own lens, our own perspective, that often isn’t told to in fullness or in truth.”

To explore the ways in which tourism can drive opportunity and contribute to a better quality of life for Indigenous communities, the Organization of American States and the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies, in collaboration with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, are organizing a two-day Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas scheduled for March 17th to 18th, 2020 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visit the forum website to learn more and register.

 

Published on Leave a comment on STUDENTS REFLECT ON THEIR RECENT CONSULTING PROJECT IN ABRUZZO, ITALY
The experience gave me a unique perspective on tourism as a catalyst for economic and social development. The number of variables involved in developing a successful plan is almost overwhelming, and instituting this type of plan successfully requires hard work, patience, dedication and openness.  —Joel Reis

For me, the most worthwhile aspect of the experience were the opportunities for experiential learning  along with the feeling of knowing that your recommendations could have a positive impact.
— Danielle Lewis-Jones

Having the opportunity to engage on the ground, run focus groups and interviews, and meet with a wide variety of stakeholders helped me to get a true sense of what tourism consulting entails and helped me refine my career path.
—Maureen Wyse

Proper and efficient management of tourism is the first step toward sustainably developing a destination's capacity. We received a positive response from the local stakeholders, who attended our final presentation, and I hope they’ll be able to successfully implement our recommendations for a better future.
—Shirin Jafari

 

Published on Leave a comment on Student Consultants Support Cultural Heritage Tourism in Abruzzo, Italy
The juxtaposition of the sea and mountains makes for an ideal travel destination anywhere in the world. But in Abruzzo, Italy, this natural beauty is combined with world-class cuisine and wine, and a rich historical and cultural context.

During the summer fourteen students from The George Washington University (GWU) traveled to Abruzzo for a two-week consulting project conducted in collaboration with the local D'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara and DestiMed, an initiative of the IUCNCenter for Mediterranean Cooperation, which is a nonprofit working to promote sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean.

As Seleni Matus, Executive Director of GWU's International Institute of Tourism Studies explains, "the summer practicum provides Masters of Tourism Administration students with a unique opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge and to see for themselves the actual challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable tourism." Matus, who organized and led the trip, has taken GWU students to Cuba, Mexico and Indonesia during prior years.

The student-consultants were paired with three local Italian students and tasked with researching the region's tourism landscape. Their primary focus was on developing ecotourism-related products and services, exploring market opportunities and evaluating the local and national governance structure in terms of tourism.

Presentations from area experts and professors, one-on-one interviews, and site visits to local attractions—including several national parks—provided students with an understanding of and insights into this relatively unknown part of Europe.

Fred Baldassaro, a second-year Masters of Tourism Administration candidate, summed up the experience this way: “Abruzzo gave us a chance to put all of our education and theory into practice through real-world encounters and experiences. The project also allowed us to contribute to a region that is using tourism for economic development and improving the lives of people living there.”

The students prepared for the project during a month-long class that provided a deep-dive into the general consulting process and included desktop research on the history of tourism in Abruzzo. Perhaps most importantly, the classroom preparation provided students with the confidence to successfully deliver on a project in an unfamiliar area and outside of their comfort zones.

On site, the consulting project began with a two-day seminar at the D'Annunzio University in Chieti and featured speakers from the region, including Gran Sasso National park officials and representatives of the the Italian National Institute of Statistics. Site visits brought classroom research to life and into focus. Yet it was the dozens of interviews with Abruzzo’s tourism stakeholders — mayors, museum curators, park rangers, tour guides professors, hoteliers and restaurant owners— that provided the most useful insights.

Following the interviews and field research, the students synthesized all of the information they gathered and assembled a presentation for local stakeholders— which was covered by local and national TV news-outlets—and a final consulting report that included recommendations for ushering into the region a new generation of sustainable travel.

Published on Leave a comment on Overtourism Forum Draws Thought Leaders From Around the World
In collaboration with our colleagues at the Center for Responsible Travel, on World Tourism Day—September 27th—the International Institute of Tourism Studies gathered industry leaders from around the world to share their approaches to the vexing challenges that stem from overtourism.

The forum, Overtourism: Seeking Solutions, was a great success in terms of attendance, media coverage and the sharing of ideas for possible pathways forward. As all presenters stressed, overtourism stems from a complex set of challenges; solutions will need to be multi-faceted and site-specific.

Francesca Street—who interviewed three of our panelists for her CNN feature Can the World Be Saved from Overtourism?—summarized the key takeaway as follows: “Speakers agree that government, locals and tourism companies working together is the best recipe for success. Events such as the World Tourism Day Forum also allow for cross-pollination and sharing of ideas on a wider scale."

Johanna Jainchill, in her Travel Weekly story Experts Talk Threat of Overtourism and Possible Solutions, said: "Among the clearest takeaways from the event was that governments worldwide need to step up and recognize they are the first line of defense in saving their historical cities and natural treasures from being "loved to death."

A few additional takeaways...

  • Recognize the tipping point: More isn't always better. Determine maximum capacity for your destination and monitor social media to determine whether it's on traveler hot lists.
  • Plan ahead: Make tourism part of comprehensive urban, regional and destination plans.
  • Stay flexible and adaptable: What works for historic sites doesn't necessarily work for beach communities, for example. Needs differ and change over time.
  • Rethink good governance and management: DMOs have a vital role to play beyond marketing; they need to participate in the sustainable management of destinations.
  • Redirect visitors: Encourage visitors to travel smarter, to seek out hidden gems and to contribute to the protection of the places they visit.

For those unable to attend the forum in person or via livestream,  we've posted video recordings of the entire day on the International Institute of Tourism YouTube playlist.

Published on

International Institute of Tourism Studies Executive Director Seleni Matus traveled to Indonesia where she delivered the talk Placemaking, Culture & Tourism: Creating a Sense of Place at the 3rd Forum on International Tourism and the Environment (FITE). A partnership between the Institute Français, the Embassy of France to Indonesia and the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism’s Institute of Tourism in Bali with support from The George Washington University, FITE invites students from Indonesia, France and other countries to participate in international student conferences on tourism and sustainability.

Cultural heritage tourism is a particularly fast-growing segment of the tourism sector and key to the work of the International Institute of Tourism Studies, which focuses on tourism as a means of sustainable development. To better understand the overall concept of placemaking and how it relates to cultural tourism, we sat down with Matus just before she left for her trip.

Could you define placemaking?

First we need to be clear what we mean by place. Places are environments in which people have invested meaning over time. A place has its own cultural and social identity and is defined by the way it’s used and the people who use it.

So, then, what is placemaking?

Either organically or by design, people create places. An example of a place that evolved organically is Fusterlandia, an area on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba where a mosaic tile artist decorated his house. The neighbors, who were so impressed, asked him to decorate their homes. Very soon, the entire area became covered in wonderfully festive tiles and the once-forlorn area suddenly developed a cohesive identify. Tour buses now make Fusterlandia a regular stop. Fusterlandia is not only a good example of organic placemaking but of cultural tourism.

What do you mean by planned placemaking?

Several years ago, UNESCO began a program to conserve cultural heritage in cities around the world and identified places known for particular cultural characteristics—design, folk art, literature, music, etc. There are now more than 180 UNESCO Creative Cities. The intentional conservation of culture has enabled these cities to not only protect but also to promote their unique cultural characteristics. In Indonesia, for example, there are two UNESCO Creative Cities—Bandung, a design hub, and Pekalongan, which is known as the “Batik City.” While families have been making batiks there for thousands of years, the city government created a resurgence around the art form through increased funding, which has drawn the interest of young people as well as tourists and helped to revive the city’s economy.

Do you foresee that the placemaking movement will grow?

Absolutely. We’re seeing it around the world…Cuba, Croatia, Dublin, Durbin, Mexico, Malawi—placemaking is all about identifying, cultivating and conserving culture, which is key to sustainable development and to tourism, especially as an increasing number of travelers want to visit places that feel authentic. And residents in communities with a distinct sense of place are realizing economic benefits as well as enjoying the sense of cohesion that comes from living in a well-defined place. The UN in its 17 Sustainable Development Goals identifies the conservation of culture as key to sustainable development. So I   think we’re only beginning to recognize and understand the power of placemaking as a vehicle for healthy development, which economically benefits communities and protects cultural and natural heritage.

 

 

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