The Ninth International Hospitality and Tourism Research Conference Switzerland@ HTMi Hotel School

The Ninth International Hospitality and Tourism Research Conference Switzerland was held over a two-day period in November 2012. The conference theme was ‘Preparing hospitality and tourism professionals for challenging and changing times’ with two sub-themes: learners, industry and educational institutions: together preparing for futures in hospitality and tourism, and the challenges of changing products and changing patterns of demand for hospitality and tourism. Over the course of two days, the conference brought together leading researchers from across the world, HTMi faculty and HTMi senior students, to discuss issues facing the future of the hospitality, tourism and events management industries. The conference had over thirty nationalities of young researchers in addition to internationally renowned academics and practitioners.

The opening address was given by HTMi's Head of Research, Dr Ross Tinsley with emphasis on the importance of a well-rounded education in hospitality and tourism, meeting industry expectations but also emphasising broader educational goals. In the latter part of his address, Dr Tinsley emphasised the importance of the latest generation of students as the future inheritors of the tourism industry and the broader societies in which they exist. In this context, Dr Tinsley drew attention to the unique feature of HTMi Conferences in that they are student-focussed. They include a large number of students in their audiences and devote much time to providing a forum where students at BSc (Hons) and MBA levels can present their own research work and receive feedback from internationally renowned researchers.

In total, ten presentations were delivered to the conference by invited keynotes and guest presenters. In addition, there was a workshop as well as presentations by MBA and BSc (Hons) students.

The conference keynote speakers were Prof. Mike Osborne (University of Glasgow, Scotland), Prof. Adele Ladkin (University of Bournemouth, England) and Yves Givel (Corporate Human Resources Directior Hyatt Hotels and Resorts International). In the first keynote address, Prof. Mike Osborne gave a critical and thought provoking analysis of lifelong learning and the workplace, emphasising learning for, at and through work. Prof. Adele Ladkin presented the second keynote on the ‘people’ aspect of tourism, highlighting the trends and challenges faced by those working in the industry and reminded us of the long terms rewards and success to be gained in such a career.The final keynote of the day by Yves Givel successfully brought day one of the conference to a close, with an engaging balance of practitioner and researcher on the subject of organisational learning, learning organisations and leadership. Additional topics presented by speakers on day one included Future tourist villages: where can tourism take us to? by Prof. Soile Veijola of the University of Lapland, Finland;The changing landscape of tourism in Northern Ireland: the potential role for dark/political tourism to shape part of that landscapeby Prof. Stephen Boyd of the University of Ulster, N. Ireland;Developing a sparkling wine route in South Africa: benefits to the wine and tourism industry by Radu Mihailescu of Stenden University, Holland; Sustainable Olympic Games: challenges and opportunities for managers and planners by Dr Eleni Theodoraki, Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland; Revenue management in small and medium-sized independent properties: a new perspective by Brad Andrews, HTMi, Switzerland; Engaging local communities as beneficiaries of socio-economic event tourism by Janet Landey, President of IFEA Africa, South Africa; and finally,Strategy building:The role of community engagement in the preservation of heritage sites in Plovdiv, Bulgaria by Carrie Ann Brühlmann HTMi, Switzerland. An eloquent summary of day one of the conference was given by Prof. Stephen Boyd.

Day twostarted with a workshop on qualitative data analysis by Dr Muir Houston from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. This was followed up byHTMi student presentations, covering such diverse topics asthe impact of mass tourism in Barcelona and resident perceptions and attitudes;Does customer satisfaction with a Japanese food line encourage wider brand loyalty? A case study of DAISHO group in Malaysia;A study of Hong Kong consumer motivation toward travelling to Japan for the pop idol entertainment industry; An investigation of Chinese staff’s challenges in international communication and the important role of language - A case study of Missions Hills, Hainan, China; andThe impact of market instability on revenue forecasting in the case of M?venpick Hotel in Prague.

Overall, the conference was an exciting and stimulating event and presented many opportunities for discussion and networking amongst delegates, HTMi faculty and HTMi students.

The conference papers will soon be available for viewing online atwww.ihrcs.ch,the official website of the conference organiser, the International Hospitality and Tourism Research Centre, Switzerland. The tenth IHTRC Conference takes place on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th April 2013.

Pictured are keynote speakers Mr Yves Givel, Prof. Mike Osborne, Prof. Adele Ladkin and Dr Ross Tinsley

Dr Ross Tinsley

Head of Research HTMi

International Hospitality and TourismResearch Centre

HTMi | Hotel and Tourism Management Institute | Switzerland

November 2012