Visitor Research Forum: a Blockbuster

 

The Visitor Research Forum: in natural and cultural heritage attractions, co-ordinated by UQ School of Tourism’s, Dr Jan Packer was a sell out event. The Visitor Research Forum program provided an opportunity for attendees to engage with leading scholars and practitioners of visitor research including the UQ School of Tourism’s, Tourist Behaviour and Visitor Experiences Research Team, visiting Professors John Falk and Lynn Dierking of Oregon State University (USA) and Edith MacDonald of the Wellington Zoo Trust (NZ).

 

The primary themes of the forum sessions where visitor motivations, memories and affective experiences; understanding and influencing visitors’ behavior; and children and family learning experiences.

Dr Jan Packer presenting at the Forum

Shanghai Institute of Tourism
Sustainable tourism was the focus of a recent seminar developed and delivered by UQ School of Tourism staff to an international delegation of staff from the Shanghai Institute of Tourism.

The central topics of the ten day seminar revolved around principles, practice, policy, planning and strategy of sustainable and eco-tourism in Australia. Delegates also enjoyed presentations on the development and promotion of the Australian tourism product as well as event sponsorship and management.

Institute staff attending the seminar were hosted by Dr Peiyi Ding from the School of Tourism at the UQ St Lucia campus. They enjoyed a series of lectures, discussion groups and site visits including Mt Coot-ha Botanic Gardens, Southbank, Loan Pine Koala Sanctuary and the Gold Coast.

Shanghai Institute of Tourism staff, Dr Peiyi Ding and Prof Roy Ballantyne

 

In the hot seat
Doctors Noel Scott and Peiyi Ding felt the weight of being the supervisory team for both Ms Zhou (Vicky) Wang and Ms Jianyu (Jenny) Ma. Both doctoral students successfully confirmed their candidature at the recent School of Tourism confirmation session.

Ms Wang’s PhD thesis is titled, "Spectrum research on cultural heritage: A case study of the Tea-Horse Route in Southwest of China". She hopes to demonstrate that trust is a unifying factor between retailers along the Tea-Horse Route. Ms Ma’s thesis topic discusses, tourists’ experiences in urban and coastal zones in Shanghai using a case study approach.

L to R: Dr Noel Scott, Ms Zhou Wang and Dr Peiyi Ding	L to R: Dr Noel Scott, Ms Jianyu Ma and Dr Peiyi Ding

International CHRIE
Dr David Solnet is attending the International Council of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education Summer Conference and Marketplace (CHRIE) in San Francisco. At this year’s conference Dr Solnet will present a paper co-authored with fellow School of Tourism staff member Research Officer Ms Anna Hood. Dr Solnet was previously awarded Best Paper InternationalCHRIE in 2006.

‘Hood, Downey, Solnet and Brown Formal Education and Lodging Management Success: An Industry Update.’

The paper presents a partial replication of a 2005 Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education study into the influence of formal education on lodging management success and compares major findings between the two studies.Opinions of 235 senior and middle-level executives from 27 states across the US were solicited.  In contrast to the 2005 study, the findings of the current research demonstrate that today’s industry professionals perceive formal education as having a significantly higher positive impact on lodging management success. However, they still view formal education as having a moderate level of influence on their current knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs).  Study findings have implications for educators, professionals and industry by providing opportunity for enhanced delivery of education and achieving lodging management success.

 

‘Hot Arse’ fizzles after a lively start
The 2009 School of Tourism Retreat was the platform for a lively ‘academic debate’ that saw team ‘Cheesy’ narrowly win the Trivia Night competition over rival teams ‘Oi’, ‘Alpha’, ‘Beat It’ and an unsustainable early lead by team ‘Hot Arse’.

A very big thank you to the Trivia Night organising committee of Anna Hood, Nigel Bond and Karen Hughes. Unfortunately, there are now no legitimate excuses left to avoid their PhD’s! Also, another big thank you to Anthony Ash who worked behind the scenes to ensure the 2009 Retreat ran smoothly.

 

School of Tourism staff at the 2009 Retreat	Event co-ordinator: our own Anthony Ash

School of Tourism Seminar Series
The Future of Tourism: A Climate Change Perspective  is the title of the School of Tourism Seminar Series for August presented by Professor Stefan Gössling of Lund University, Sweden.

Climate change poses one of the greatest sustainability challenges for tourism. Tourism will be affected by climate change, but it is also a significant contributor to climate change. The presentation will outline these interactions, discussing the direct and indirect environmental changes to be expected, as well as their consequences for tourism. As one of the most imminent "threats" to the global tourism system, the presentation will also address mitigation policy, and its consequences for energy-intense travel, as well as opportunities to adjust the tourism system to low-carbon holiday-making.

Stefan Gössling is a Professor at the Department of Service Management, Lund University, Sweden, and research coordinator at the Western Norway Research Institute. His research interests include tourism and climate change, tourism and development, mobility studies, renewable energy, low-carbon tourism, as well as climate policy and carbon trading.

School of Tourism Seminar Series held on Friday 14 August, 11:00am-12:00pm, Room 112, Colin Clark Building 39 St Lucia.

Contact Information:
Name: Dr Brent Ritchie
Phone: 67308
Email: b.ritchie1@uq.edu.au
RSVP: 7 August 2009

Get you money faster
Helpful advice from School of Tourism Officer, Ms Judy McLean should result in expenses being reimbursed faster.The simple solution according to Judy is to, “Submit the appropriate form, correctly completed and accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation (itemised tax receipts) will ensure that processing is faster and will result in staff receiving their claims in a more timely fashion.”

Ms McLean advises that travel and/or expenses claim forms are available on the following link: just click the link and choose from the yellow section. Get your money faster: http://www.fbs.uq.edu.au/index.html?page=45336&pid=0

 

Insight into managing how Lions roar
School of Tourism, Adjunct Professor Mr Michael Bowers, Chief Executive Officer of the Brisbane Lions, hosted a group of master’s students studying Strategic Sport Management (MHTS7006) at the Gabba stadium.

“This was an opportunity for our post graduate students to gain an executive’s perspective of sports management at an elite level. It is also testimony to the value of having an adjunct professorial board who are working with the School to deliver outstanding student experiences.” Associate Professor Ian Patterson course co-ordinator.

Students from the course endorsed the value of the visit “…..that meeting with Michael Bowers, it was really interesting and it's not often you get to meet such high placed people.” Ms Carmen Urban, MHTS7006 student.

Mr Michael Bowers, Assoc Professor Ian Patterson and students

Fall in international visitor numbers predicted
A predicted decline of 4.2% in international visitor numbers predicted for 2009 by The Tourism Forecasting Committee (TFC) was announced at the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) breakfast attended by School of Tourism, Industry and Government Partnerships Director, Dr David Solnet.

Addressing the breakfast Mr Rick Allert AO, Chairman, Tourism Australia and Ms Margaret Jackson AC, Chair of Federal Government steering committee and author of the Jackson Report, discussed the challenges and opportunities facing the Australian tourism market.

QTIC Breakfast

Order your new UQ business cards: online
Ordering UQ business cards has recently been streamlined. Business cards should be ordered online using the following link: http://www.uq.edu.au/services/printery-st-lucia - on-line corporate stationery.

To order:

1. You will need to log in with a special username and password. 

2. Once you have placed your order, you will be given a job number.

3. Email the job number and cost ($) to the School’s Finance Officer, Ms Judy McLean.

4. A purchase order will be raised, sent and printing will proceed.

5. When you receive your business cards please email Judy again so the payment can be finalised.

Design of visitor attractions underpinned by research on emotions
Research being conducted by Dr Noel Scott, Senior Research Fellow, UQ School of Tourism may provide managers of visitor attractions with a template designed to facilitate specific visitor responses.

The nature of the tourism experience is being examined in a series of studies conducted by School of Tourism doctoral students led by Dr Noel Scott. These studies examine the relationship between experiences and their outcomes both hedonic and otherwise. One study by doctoral student
Ms Jianyu Ma is examining the antecedents of delight as a result of theme park experiences. In this study delight is seen as an emotional outcome that operates in parallel to satisfaction rather than simply a precursor to it.

A second study by Ms Eun Jun Kang, a Korean doctoral student, examines visitors’ activities, experiences and benefits in the context of a ‘dark’ tourism attraction on Jeju Island. The site for this research is a memorial to those people killed during the political turmoil in the aftermath of the Korean War. The project will investigate the impact of personal involvement on the relationship between visitors’ activities, experiences and benefits. These studies and others seek to help managers of attractions design their facilities to achieve particular visitor responses.

Happy birthday to all those who celebrated their birthdays in July.

Lisa	Ruhanen
Monica	Chien
Tien	Pham
Robyn	Stokes
Tim	Lee