 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Welcome from the Chair, Dr. Larry Yu Dear Alumni & Friends:
This winter/spring issue of our newsletter updates you on many exciting and productive activities our faculty, staff and students have undertaken collectively and individually since the summer. At the start of the fall semester, we welcomed Dr. Soyoung (Vicky) Boo to our faculty to lead the Event and Meeting Management concentration in the MTA program. Dr. Boo received her doctoral degree from UNLV and specialized in event and meeting management. Throughout the year, the Department and the International Institute of Tourism Studies worked on the establishment of the Leadership Council. This distinguished Council, consisting of 25 members from the government, tourism industry, professional associations and Tourism Alumni Network (TAN), held its first meeting in the new Duqués Hall on November 1, 2006. The Leadership Council will provide strategic directions in tourism management education, research and professional development for the Department and the Institute. More information on the Leadership Council is reported in this newsletter. I am extremely happy to tell you that Dr. Frechtling has been recently elected to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) Board of Director and the TIA Foundation Board of Director. His involvement with the TIA Board and TIA Foundation Board will no doubt enhance the visibility of our programs in the tourism industry. I wish you a happy, productive New Year! Larry Yu, Ph.D. Master of Tourism Administration (MTA) Highlights
Department of Tourism & Hospitality Management & International Institute of Tourism Studies Leadership CouncilThe Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management (DTHM), together with The International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) formed a distinguished Leadership Council, made up of leading industry and association executives, event managers, and government and policy experts. These industry leaders and government officials have agreed to provide advice and develop opportunities for the students and faculty of the DTHM and the IITS. Twenty -five tourism industry leaders serve on the Council. The first Leadership Council was held on November 1, 2006. Sixteen members attended the meeting and GWSB Dean Susan Phillips gave a welcome speech to the members. Professor Yu stated, "The Leadership Council will provide strategic direction to the Department and the Institute in tourism, hospitality, sport and event management education, research, and other innovative activities." The Council is led by John Graff, former CEO and president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. The members represent government tourism agency, industry associations, leading hotel chains, national athletic franchises, major convention center and event companies. Members of Leadership Council are:
 The Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management would like to welcome Dr. Soyoung Boo to The George Washington University. Dr. Boo comes to us this fall as our new Assistant Professor of Tourism Studies. Boo completed her Ph.D. in Hospitality Development at the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). In addition, she holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Tourism Science from Kyonggi University in South Korea, where her dissertation focused on Impact Analysis of Tourism Events. Prior to leaving South Korea, Boo managed events for the South Korean government for five years. Her professional life includes active participation in many events including international events and tourism festivals as an event planner. Boo’s articles have been published in the Event Management, Travel and Tourism Marketing, International Journal of Tourism Science, Journal of Tourism Sciences, Journal of Consumer and Advertising Psychology, Korean Journal of Parks and Recreation, among others. She has teaching experience at several universities including: University of Nevada, Las Vegas; California State University; Kyonggi University; Hanyang Women University; Dong Seoul University; and Cheju National University. She has taught Event Management, Convention and Conference Management, Sports Club Management, Tourism Management, Hospitality Accounting, Outdoor Recreation Management, Tourism Law, Tourism Geography, and Modern Society and Leisure. Currently she is teaching two master level classes: Event Management and Risk Management for Events & Meetings.  Larry Yu, Ph.D., Chair Department of Tourism & Hospitality Management Dr. Yu gave a keynote speech titled Current Research in International Hospitality Research at the Seminar on Tourism and MICE Education and Training in Asia and the Pacific hosted by the Network of Asia-Pacific Education & Training Institutes in Tourism (APETIT), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). The seminar was held in Shanghai, China and about 180 tourism and hospitality educators from the world attended the seminar. Dr. Yu is taking his sabbatical leave in the spring semester, 2007 as a Fulbright scholar to Cambodia. He will spend the spring semester in the National University of Management in Phnom Penh to conduct research on international hotel development and international tourist satisfaction in Cambodia. He will also offer a series of seminars to the host faculty and doctoral candidates on international hospitality management and research methodology. Soyoung (Vicky) Boo, Assistant Professor Dr. Soyoung (Vicky) Boo's basic interest is research methods in events, particularly in applying theories in social science to the field of event management in order to create a systematic and academic approach to the event and meeting industry. To date, Dr. Boo's research has focused on event psychology, event economics and event technology. A current research area focuses on web-based events and their impact on brand equity. Dr. Boo approaches event and meeting management from both finance and marketing perspectives. Specifically, Dr. Boo's interests include "the event as a project," or viewing events and meetings from a project management perspective (e.g., measuring event performance and closing out); and different measurement techniques of success or failure of events (e.g., monitoring and controlling change system in events). Recently Dr. Boo's article, Comparison of Three Different Methods of Forecasting Hotel Demand, was presented at the International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators (ISTTE) Conference in Las Vegas in October 2006. Dr. Boo will also attend the 12th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism in Houston, TX, in January 2007, where she will act as moderator in addition to presenting her article entitled Price Perception: The Influential Factor of Perceived Value Among Convention Attendees. Dr. Boo is also scheduled to attend several domestic and international conferences including TTRA, I-CHRIE, and ATMC. Currently Dr. Boo's article, The Hierarchical Influence of Visitor Characteristics of Tourism Destination Images, has been nominated for the Martin Oppermann Memorial Award JTTM Best Article of the Year, and she has been invited to serve as a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing. Rayland Board, Ed.D. , Director AMTA Dr. Brouard is currently researching the topic of the next Capstone Residency Case Competition. This annual event for AMTA students will take place in May 2007 and feature an MBA-style case competition on a controversial hot topic of interest to all three primary concentration areas. The subject of the next case competition is a secret and will not be revealed to students until a few weeks before the event.  Dr. Elliot's passion for information technology has lead to her spear-heading the committee for the creation of multimedia brochures and marketing materials for the BBA, MTA and AMTA programs. She is also the faculty co-coordinator for the OECD sponsored website development project, which allows MTA students to work with small Hoteliers to bring their web/internet presence up to international standards. At present Dr Elliott is working on an analysis of all the online travel organizations that report E-Travel data to determine if there are any inconsistencies among the data sets. She is also finishing a paper on the newly revived tourism industry in Cuba. Dr Elliott is very active in the Maryland community which has been her home for over 20 years, and the Governor of Maryland, recently renewed her appointment to the Cultural Heritage Authority of Maryland.  Following the 31st Annual Marine Corps Marathon, Dr. Frechtling recently began analysis of over 950 race participant surveys collected by MTA students enrolled in Sports Marketing (TSTD 264). The findings will be published in the "31st Annual Marine Corps Marathon Economic Contribution and Characteristics of Visitors and Local Spectators Report". Recently, Dr. Frechtling had an article published in the Journal of Travel Research, entitled "An Assessment of Visitor Expenditure Methods and Models". This article, as well as many of his other research publications on tourism economic impact, crisis management, and strategic planning can be found on his personal website <http://home.gwu.edu/~frechtli>.  Dr. Hawkins spoke at a conference in St. Croix on November 27, 2006. The conference was for St. Croix Unified Community Cultural Education and Economic Development (SUCCEED). Dr Hawkins' presentation focused on the uses of globalization and localization with specific recommendations for St. Croix and how they can adopt this approach to their development. From November 30th through December 1st, Dr. Hawkins was in Porto Alegre, Brazil for two different speaking engagements. At the World Tourism Forum he presented the case study of Montenegro that was undertaken by GWU Business School students from both the MTA and MBA programs in partnership with two universities in Montenegro in the summer of 2006. Dr. Hawkins also presented at the UNWTO conference on public/ private initiatives with a specific focus on new financial mechanisms. Dr. Hawkins continues working with the USAID funded tourism development project in northern Mozambique. Courses have been completed in marketing and product development for Pemba, Nampula province, and Niassa province. Dr. Hawkins will be traveling to Cabo Delgado, Mozambique in March which is the expected completion date for the tourism project of this region.  Dr. Neirotti represented GW's Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at the 2006 TEAMS Conference: Travel, Events, and Management in Sports - a forum which serves to define, develop and expand the rapidly growing field of Sports Tourism. Dr. Neirotti founded TEAMS in 1997 and has watched participation grow steadily to over 1200 attendees and 400 booths; the conference has been recognized as the fastest growing trade show in North America three years in a row. In addition to Dr. Neirotti's lectures, GW offered professional certificate courses in event management and hotel sales during the conference. For more information on TEAMS visit www.teamsconference.com. Dr. Neirotti also attended the Sports Marketing Association conference where she spoke to over 50 Olympians from the Americas about fund raising and presented a paper on "Branding Destinations through Sport Events: Case Study Torino Olympics." 2006-2007 Graduate Assistants David C. Brown is an MTA candidate with a concentration in Sustainable Destination Management. He is the graduate assistant for Dr. Lisa Delpy Neirotti. He is originally from Huntsville, AL, and holds a B.A. in International Affairs from the George Washington University. David is interested in pursuing a career in international tourism development and marketing. He's a Leo whose favorite food is cheese. If David could be any animal, he would be a lemur... or a peacock. But probably a lemur. Amanda Charles is the Graduate Assistant for Dr Sheryl Elliott. She is a 1st year MTA student specializing in Sustainable Destination Management, with a focus in Eco-tourism. She attained the Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) Plattsburgh, in Hospitality and Tourism Management, with minors in Business and French. Amanda is from the Caribbean island of Dominica and intends to work on a regional/international level, furthering the development of more responsible and sustainable forms of Tourism in the Caribbean. Amanda enjoys spending her free time shaking her head at the thermometer and taking scenic bus trips through central MD. Stephanie Smith is currently the graduate assistant for Dr. Yu. Stephanie is originally from Sauquoit, NY. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration and Integrated Marketing Communications from Ithaca College. Stephanie is an MTA candidate focusing her studies mainly on Resort Marketing and Management. She plans on pursuing a career in marketing and management of a mountain resort. She is currently learning how to defend herself from wild bears. Helen Davisson, Dr. Boo's graduate assistant, is from Northwest Indiana. She received her BA in Speech Communication with a minor in dance from The University of Washington in 2002. After teaching English and managing events in Japan over the past four years, Helen joined the MTA Program this fall, with a concentration in Event and Meeting Management. Her goal is to explore event management across sectors, while integrating her international, inter-cultural and communication background into her event practices. Helen is a vegetarian but isn't quite sure why. Kathryn Warnes came to GW with a Bachelor of Business Administration Management degree from University of Georgia (UGA) and a Culinary Arts Associate degree. Her goal is to combine her interests in food and traveling by earning a MTA degree with a sustainable destinations focus with a concentration in agro/culinary tourism. She is Dr. Hawkins graduate assistant. Kathryn collects antique sommelier knives and has an affinity for scarves, but only ones with tassles. Dr. Frechtling's Graduate Assistant, Patten Wood, is from Brandon, Mississippi. He has a BS in Human Geography from the University of Southern Mississippi. This is Patten's first year in the MTA Program and his concentration is Sustainable Destination Management. Before coming to GWU, Patten served as the 2006 Destination Scorecard Survey Manager for National Geographic's Center for Sustainable Destinations. His career goals include working as a consultant for international tourism organizations and private firms. Patten enjoys bird watching and new sweaters. AMTA & GW School of Business Host 2006 Case Study Competition  On May 16th and 18th The Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management's AMTA program hosted its capstone case competition. Thirty-seven participants from around the world including the United States, India, Africa and the UK came to the Foggy Bottom campus to participate in the case study competition: Maryland Horse Racing in the 21st Century.
The students were divided into teams to participate in an MBA-style case competition. It began on Tuesday, May 16th with first-hand research at Maryland racetracks, Pimlico and Rosecroft Raceway and the Maryland Stallion Station a state-of-the art horse breeding farm. During the research students were able to speak with experts involved in Maryland’s horseracing industry including Dennis Castleman, Assistant Secretary, Maryland division of Tourism, Film & the Arts, Bruce Spizler, Maryland Attorney General’s Office & Racing Commission, Lou Rafetto, The Jockey Club, Tom chukkas, GM Rosecroft Raceway and association directors, marketers and trainers of thoroughbred and standardbreds in Maryland. On Thursday May 18th with the challenge of revitalizing or re-branding the industry and drawing more visitors the competition began. The teams of students competed to create a fresh strategic plan and approach for Maryland's horseracing industry. The final rounds of the competition took place in the new School of Business building Duquès Hall and were judged by industry professionals and GW faculty. At the end of the day Team 3 consisting of Tanya L. Kern, Kimberly Dixon, Nakku Kiwanuka Senkeeto, and Agatha Chukwueke with faculty coach Kristin Lamoureux came out ahead and were judged the winners. As a reward for their efforts each member of the team received tickets to the 2007 Preakness Race at Pimlico Racetrack. International Institute of Tourism Studies
The International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) is a chartered research institute of George Washington University. IITS has three main components: professional education, academic research, and technical assistance. Kristin Lamoureux is the Director of IITS. Regular staff include Milena Nikolova and Kim Dreux-Kelly. Mary Ann Kovalick and Jailan Adly also work with the Institute as well as three research assistants, Phillippe Duverger, Danielle Rosenzweig and Attila Woodward. The professional education programs consist of the two certificate programs aimed at helping professionals increase their knowledge within a particular area of focus. These are event management and tourism destination management. Additionally, the program is hoping to add two new certificate programs in sports business management and hospitality management in the near future. At present, these courses are available as electives within the Tourism or Event Certificate Programs. Certificate courses are offered on the main GW campus, as well as through distance learning and through several partners around the globe. Recently, IITS has agreed to partner with the NFL Players Association to provide professional education opportunities to retired and retiring football players. IITS does provide some assistance to faculty members wishing to conduct research related to tourism, hospitality, events or sports management. Currently one of their main projects is researching volunteerism, specifically how people connect with these opportunities and how tour operators package these opportunities. This is a continuation of the work they have done with the Scientific Academic Volunteer Educational (SAVE) tourism market. IITS provides technical assistance through implementation of practical applications. This work is quite varied and ranges from economic impact studies of sporting events to strategies for sustainable tourism development among other things. Examples of the work IITS conducts includes the work Dr. Hawkins is participating in Mozambique (see other article) as well as a recent study of the Marine Corps Marathon. They have recently joined forces with USAID, Nathan Associates, AED and a group of other industry partners to form the Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance. This will allow IITS and other partners to participate more effectively in USAID funded tourism development projects. IITS expects the GSTA partnership to open up more opportunities for the international consulting practicum that many of the MTA students participate in by making contacts and providing funds to underdeveloped regions which further increases the benefits of this alliance. IITS Research Assistants Phillipe Duverger is currently working on developing the emerging international hospitality management certificate program. Phillipe is also a PhD candidate the department of Marketing. Danielle Rosenzweig is focusing her research attention on helping to develop the emerging sport management certificate program. Danielle is a first year MTA student concentrating in Event Management and is actively involved in Tourism 4 Tomorrow and the Sports Marketing Association. Attila Woodward is focusing his research on scholarly understanding of the volunteerism market segment and how companies incorporate Volunteerism into their corporate social responsibility. He will write and publish an article for the Voluntourist on this subject matter. Attila is a second year MTA student concentrating on Individualized studies with a focus on Vietnam tourism.  MTA/AMTA Alumni Network
The GW Tourism Alumni Network (GW TAN) is a global network for all tourism alumni that was created in the spring of 2006 with an appointed executive board to create the organizational structure. GW TAN welcomes alumni from the Bachelors, MTA, AMTA and certificate programs. GW TAN's goal is to provide social and educational opportunities for all of the department alumni. After the success of its inaugural event, last April's Colloquium, the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Administration has asked GW TAN to produce the Colloquium for spring 2007. The date is set for April 16, 2007. More information will be provided to alumni and current students shortly. GW TAN, Kerry Judge and two AMTA students will be conducting survey research to determine what alumni need and want out of their alumni association. If you are alumni, you may be contacted for your input. Please help GW TAN serve you better by responding to the questions. GW TAN is currently creating a new website that will be linked from the Department of Hospitality and Tourism website. GW TAN plans to use the website as a communication device to help alumni keep in touch with each other as well as network. All alumni should be on the look out for the launch of the new site soon. GW TAN welcomes questions, comments and suggestions from all alumni and current students on how to make our network even stronger and more valuable to you. If you are interested in getting involved, feel free to contact GW TAN President, Robert Miller at robert@traveladvocates.com. Student Organizations
Tourism for TomorrowAs the graduate student association completes its second year, the group continues to gain momentum. Membership in the association nearly tripled from the Spring 2006 to Fall 2006 semesters, increasing from 24 to 66 members. The group has expanded its mission to integrate more fully with the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management by encouraging students from all concentrations to participate and creating programming that appeals to a diverse set of professional interests. Fall 2006 activities include the Fall 2006 Colloquium, a roundtable with StepUp Travel, regular event planning meetings, and social events. Sports Marketing Association Club Background The Sports Marketing Association Club was born last year, but existed really in name only. There was a rough constitution and an abbreviated executive board. This year the students involved are working to have a more active role on campus. In order to do that, the Sports Marketing Association Club ratified the constitution and developed an executive board.
Goals The goals for the club are to create an opportunity for students to get practical hands-on experience in event production and marketing. The Sports Marketing Association Club also thinks it is important that to give its members networking opportunities within the sports business community. To do this, there will be networking/educational events, social events and hopefully a proprietary sports event that can be developed and that future clubs can build upon- so there will be a lasting legacy. The SMA Club also plans to partner with other organizations (like GW Baseball) to develop marketing plans and allow for volunteer experiences. The Sports Marketing Association meets once a month. For more information please contact cungar@gwu.edu.  Fall Colloquium Fall Colloquium 2006: How Green Is "Green"?
Sustainability & Profitability in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry On November 28, the student organization Tourism for Tomorrow and the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management hosted the biannual Colloquium. This fall's event proved to be a stimulating discussion of the issues, rewards and challenges associated with "going green" in the tourism, hospitality and sport industry. Distinguished panelists from the private sector include:
The Colloquium series was established nearly 30 years ago as a way to bring students, faculty and members of the tourism and hospitality industry together to discuss a timely topic, as decided by the faculty. This is the first Colloquium that was entirely planned and managed by the MTA student association.
Past topics have included space tourism, extra-terrestrial tourism, crisis management, green tourism, tourism forecast, sport and meeting/event futures, the top ten issues facing tourism development across the world, tourism development in Latin America, sport and event careers, media coverage of tourism, and the outlook for the hotel and hospitality sector. Upcoming Events SAVE THE DATE - Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management Spring Colloquium The spring colloquium will be held on April 16th. It will be planned and managed by the GW Tourism Alumni Network (GW TAN). Planning is currently underway for a topic to be announced shortly. Sport Event Marketing Experience Conference On March 23-24 the 3rd Annual Sport.Event.Marketing.Experience (SEME) will be held on the GW campus. For more information visit http://www.seme-now.com/ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |