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TOUR Victoria October 2018
Kia ora tātou colleagues, students, alumni and friends
In this edition, as well as staff updates, including being short listed for a global award, we report on a successful Tourism: Careers in Focus event, Open Day and introduce the new BCom Major in Tourism Management.
From the Tourism Management group: Karen, Mondher, Christian, Ian, Eerang, Ina and Luisa (editor).
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TOURISM: Careers in Focus event. A great success!
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On Thursday 20th September, Careers and Employment service and the School of Management organised the biennial “Tourism: Careers in Focus”. The first part of the event introduced BTM students to different career options by hearing directly from people in the industry. This session was chaired by Bryn Lloyd (Tandem Travel) with contributions from Chris Roberts, CEO, Tourism Industry Association as well as four enthusiastic past students who gave an insight into the world of work in tourism. Ocean Belcher, Alexandra Gadd, Kieran O’Regan and Ryan
Wilmshurst talked about their personal work experiences in New Zealand and overseas and offered students advice to increase their employability.
The second part of the evening was an opportunity for employers and students to interact and discuss in an informal and pleasant environment. We were delighted to have a high number of exhibitors with individual stands: Tandem Travel, Angus and Associates, Interislander, WREDA, Tranzit, Accor Hotels, Bolton Hotel, Intercontinental, Air NZ, Explore Wellington and Booking.com. Around 60 BTM students attended and asked employers their hiring priorities, current job openings and summer work opportunities.
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Panel (L-R), Bryn Llyod, Chris Roberts, Ryan Wilsmhurst, Ocean Belcher & Alex Gadd.
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Booking.com was one of the exhibitors attending, fronted by BTM Alumni Keiran O'Reagan.
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VR Tourism Management project short listed for global award
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Introduction of the new BCom Major in Tourism Management
From 2019 onwards, our Bachelor of Tourism Management (BTM) will close to new enrolments and be replaced with a Tourism Management Major within the Bachelor of Commerce. We are excited about this change, as it allows our students to better align their qualifications with what the tourism industry is looking for, adding a broad-based commerce knowledge alongside our specialist and redesigned tourism courses.
For more information »
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Tourism education in Vanuatu grows
Following in Dr Mondher Sahli’s footsteps, Dr Christian Schott was in Vanuatu during September to teach a one-week block course on Sustainable Tourism Development as part of the new Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management programme.
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The relationship was initially formed and reported in May and solidified during this visit of Blair McRae (Assistant Vice Chancellor International Engagement) and Professor Ian Williamson (Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Victoria Business School) which coincided with Christian’s Tourism course in Port Vila.
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Routledge Handbook of Festivals
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An international team of authors has contributed to The Routlege Handbook of Festivals, a new book which offers a variety of disciplinary, cultural and national perspectives. It includes contributions by Prof Karen Smith on managing festival volunteers, and Dr Ian Yeoman on the future of food festivals including Wellington On A Plate.
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Overtourism: Causes, issues and solutions
Terms like 'overtourism' or 'tourismphobia' have made headlines in recent times, and reflect the challenges of managing growing tourism flows into urban destinations, plus the impact of tourism on cities and its residents.
Dr Ian Yeoman was contributing author of a new UNWTO report on overtourism.
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TOUR380 students work with TIA
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Peiyan Zhang (L) the winner of the ‘best report’ prize & Steve Riley (R).
As part of this year’s TOUR380 Tourism Research course, our students worked closely with Steve Riley, Insight Specialist at Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA). Steve and his team are working on improving tourism insight and research across New Zealand within their ‘Tourism Insight Framework’.
Tourism students created and implemented an online survey and conducted personal interviews with tourism industry members to better understand the perceived strengths and weaknesses of currently available information and provided recommendations for future improvement.
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The global and local exploration of food in tourism
Dr Eerang Park has been developing her research on food tourism publishing an article, What is Food Tourism?, co-authored with Dr Ian Yeoman and two Australian academics. She is now expanding her research into the wider social context, and is investigating how the local foodscape is created, shaped and transformed by co-creation of sensorial experience of
food. She completed fieldwork in Thailand in June, interviewing key stakeholders and tourists and observing and participating in food tour programmes and activities.
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After Eerang's return from fieldwork, she incorporated food as the peak experience of tourism to the TOUR230 Visitor Management course. Students (pictured above) studied local food as a significant representation of place identity and researched the multifaceted food and beverage experience of Wellington, which claims itself as a culinary capital. Students explored and tasted the coffee culture, craft beers, Wellington on a Plate, Beervana, Wellington Chocolate Factory, Capital Market, Fish & Chips and discussed the role and significance of local food in creating and managing the authentic place experience of Wellington.
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A policy perspective on the future of New Zealand tourism
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Hon Jacqui Dean MP, National Party Spokesperson for Small Business, spoke to TOUR 301 Tourism Policy and Planning students about the future of tourism and what the National Party would do if they were the government. Jacqui emphasised the importance of sustainable tourism from a community perspective, increasing productivity, continued air connectivity and creating a wonderful experience.
TOUR301 sets out to create a learning environment in which student’s envision the future of tourism where they have to create scenarios and write briefing notes to Ministers about various options. The role of the guest speakers is very important as they create a sense of realism to debate different ideas and policy directions.
Speakers in 2018 included Judy Chen (Tourism Export Council of New Zealand), Kevin Ward (Airports Association), Jenny Simpson (Air New Zealand), Candice Johanson (Tourism New Zealand) and Charlie Ives (Regional Tourism Organisation of New Zealand).
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2018 Best Sustainable Accommodation Report
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(L-R) Christian Schott, Jordan Taylor & Lisa Gebbels
The winner of this year’s Best Sustainable Accommodation Report was judged by Lisa Gebbels (Operations Manager at Wellington’s multi-award winning YHA property) and announced on 17 October.
"Choosing between the three best reports was again very difficult because they all exhibited excellence in different ways," said Lisa during the award presentation. Jordan Taylor was ultimately selected as the 2018 award winner because of her progressive and innovative solutions to sustainability challenges that arise from a new accommodation development.
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BTM Alumni - first wine tour operator in Azerbaijan
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My name is Nasimi Sadigzade. I am from Azerbaijan and studied Tourism Management at VUW from 2010-2012. During my studies, what I enjoyed most is that almost every course I took gave me ideas and made me think critically and practically. In my last year of education, I worked for Seal Coast Safari as a Tour Coordinator. As part of my studies I wrote a report about how we can improve tourism in Azerbaijan, by comparing with New Zealand best practices.
After returning to Azerbaijan, I worked in the event sector – 1st European Games in Baku. Then I worked for a couple of tourism companies as Incoming Tourism Manager, gaining valuable knowledge of the industry.
Tourism in Azerbaijan has had a revival in the last 2-3 years with more tourists coming to the country, especially from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. I decided to offer something more niche to cater to tourists from Europe, North America and Asia - Nasimi’s Wine Tours - which is the 'First Wine Tour Operator in Azerbaijan'. Why wine tours? Because it is what I am passionate about.
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Open Day- a new horizon
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On 31 August, Victoria University of Wellington hosted its annual Open Day, welcoming thousands of prospective students and their whanau. Head of the Tourism Management group, Ian Yeoman, Ina Reichenberger (TOUR Undergraduate Programme Director) and third year BTM student Adele Lonergan introduced the new Bachelor of Commerce Tourism Management Major programme to a lecture theatre filled beyond capacity.
Throughout the day the tourism team, supported by our students Joe Cheung, Diana Kham (who was being filmed for a Victoria International video) and Amy Norris, promoted the degree and answered numerous questions. Feedback from students and parents alike was very positive, and we are looking forward to seeing many of them at Victoria next year!
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All Tourism Management programmes are accredited with UNWTO tedQual certification.
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