UQ School of Tourism bring international tourism leaders together
The inaugural UQ School of Tourism Industry Day 2009 will stimulate future focused debate and showcase leading thought on global matters affecting the tourism industry. The daywill incorporate three distinct events: the Industry Leaders Forum (ILF), Adjunct Professor’s Discussion Panel and the Meet the Industry Leaders Event (MILE).
The day will provide a platform for tourism industry professionals, students of tourism and academics to participate in debate and discussion about current issues affecting tourism and its related sectors.
“The School of Tourism is taking a leading role in stimulating provocative discussion about topics that affect the livelihood of all those involved in tourism. We are bringing practitioners and researchers of international standing together to talk about the Tourism Industry” Dr David Solnet, Director of Industry Partnership, School of Tourism.
The focus of the Industry Leaders Forum (ILF) is sustainability, leadership and excellence in business practices across the Tourism arena. The School of Tourism has partnered with Brisbane Marketing to present this forum, providing leading members of Queensland’s business and political community the opportunity to hear pre-imminent speakers explore trends, issues and ideas that are shaping the nature of our global industry, while facilitating high–level networking opportunities.
The Meet the Industry Leaders Event invites students from the School to meet representatives of Australia’s industry, peak organisations and government bodies across the spectrum of events, hospitality, leisure, recreation, sport and tourism.
The Adjunct Professor’s Discussion Panel is a student only event providing the opportunity to discuss and gain insights into global issues affecting industry with the distinguished panel of recognized world leaders in Tourism and its related sectors. Read more
Visitor experiences improved at world heritage site
Research conducted by Dr Noreen Breakey at World Heritage listed Riversleigh National Park and Naracoota Caves in north-west Queensland.
Tourism in protected areas is a key research interest of Dr Noreen Breakey. To increase understanding of World Heritage visitors and their experiences, Dr Breakey received a grant to conduct visitor research at the Riversleigh World Heritage Area (WHA), in north-west Queensland.
World Heritage listing provides the highest level of recognition of heritage significance that can be associated with an area. Presentation of the world heritage values is an obligation under the convention.
For managers of protected areas, delivery of such obligations can be problematic. This has been the case for Riversleigh, which together with Naracoorte Caves, were jointly added as the Australian Fossil Mammal Sites World Heritage Area in 1994. The first Riversleigh Community and Scientific Advisory Committee (RCSAC) meeting was held in 2007. That same year the first visitor study at the Riversleigh World Heritage Site was conducted by Dr Breakey.
After completing the research Dr Breakey was invited to present the findings at the RCSAC meeting in 2008. The results have also been used to inform the Draft Riversleigh Interpretive Plan, recently developed by the Department of Environment & Resource Management (DERM).
The plan comprehensively reviews interpretation on and off site and provides recommendations to significantly improve the visitor experience. Illustrating the cooperative partnerships that have developed over the course of the study, Dr Breakey and Ms Vallance, from DERM, will co-present this work at the Global Ecotourism Conference later this year.
Dr Breakey has more than a decade of industry experience, having worked in hotels and resorts throughout Australia and in the travel industry in the UK. Immediately prior to joining the School Dr Breakey was a project officer with Tourism Queensland, working on Destination Management Plans for each region of Queensland. Her research interests are in sustainable visitor usage of the world’s existing, developing and potential tourism destinations. Read more
Dr Noreen Breakey Dr Breakey at the Riversleigh World Heritage site
Building tourism landscapes in China
Visiting Scholar Ms Li Cui from Beijing International Studies University is involved in the development of three major tourism landscape planning projects in China. The three projects include: the redevelopment of Kaiyuan ancient city of Liaoning, Chongqing Jinfo resort landscape design and the Qinghai Lake tourism landscape planning project.
In a presentation to the School, Ms Cui outlined the philosophical approach to Chinese landscape planning underpinning the projects. This approach is developed around six (6) factors: architecture, terrain, climate, culture, water and plants which are used to design a new landscape. The landscape endeavours to create a tourism and leisure environment that involves the union between nature and man’s constructed environment.
Ms Cui is currently completing her PhD in which she is exploring ecology and ecotourism research of tourist towns in China. She has a background of research and consultation in landscape design and tourism planning.
Dr Brent Ritchie and Ms Li Cui
Insights into hospitality
Director of Industry & Government Partnerships Dr David Solnet has embraced mass media in his tireless effort to engage meaningfully with industry and government on behalf of the School. Dr Solnet was invited to present three segments for Brisbane Extra produced for Channel Nine (9) Brisbane. The three segments are titled: service in restaurants; customer etiquette and jobs in hospitality.
Dr David Solnet (right) on the Extra set.
Best academic paper at 7th Asia –Pacific CHRIE conference 28-31 May 2009
Professor Steve Craig Smith recently attended the 7th Asia-Pacific Council on Hotel and Institutional Education (CHRIE) Conference in Singapore where he presented the UQ School of Tourism award for Best Academic Paper and presented a paper titled: The role of work placement in undergraduate degree programs.
The working paper was co-authored with Dr Noreen Breakey, Mr Richard Robinson from the School of Tourism and Ms Helen Batey of the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School.
Free lunch…Orientation familiarisation and advising day Thursday 23 July.
The School of Tourism BIHTM and post graduate familiarisation and advising day will be held on Thursday 23 July at the StLucia campus. Staff are invited to attend a BBQ luncheon at 12.45pm at the natural amphitheatre, grassed area near lake beneath Staff House Road. Wet weather back up is St Leo’s College, College Road building 36F.
CHRIE is a non-profit professional association that provides programs and services to continually improve the quality of global education, research, service, and business operations in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Discussions with the PNG culture and tourism minister
Professor Roy Ballantyne and Dr Brent Ritchie hosted a dinner for the Papua New Guinea’s Culture and Tourism Minister, Hon. Charles Abel and the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority Chief Executive Officer Mr Peter Vincent to continue discussions regarding the development of possible future research partnerships and programmes between the PNG Government and the School of Tourism.
Senior Staff Management Issues Conference
Professor Ballantyne recently attended the UQ Management Issues Conference for Senior Staff on the 11-12 June at Royal Pines Resort, Ashmore.