An introduction to International student life at Bournemouth University.
Stuart David completes his BA in International Hospitality Management at Bournemouth University and reflects on his global experience
Stuart David completes his BA in International Hospitality Management at Bournemouth University and reflects on his global experience
Back in 2012, choosing to study International Hospitality Management at Bournemouth University was a long and difficult decision to make, however the progression and transition from School to University was smooth. The first year program included a variety of new and interesting topics naturally following on from my A-level studies.
In my second year of study, I was offered the chance to study abroad in the US on the semester exchange program, something that always appealed to me. The opportunity to experience the ‘college culture’ of Montclair State University is something that I shall remember for the rest of my life.
Choosing such an internationally focused degree, the chance to take place in the exchange program seemed a natural advancement, enhancing my learning experience. International Services, both in Bournemouth and Montclair helped make the whole experience enjoyable and stress free, allowing me to enjoy everything that Montclair and New York had to offer. The semester abroad Exchange Program is something that I would recommend to anyone, as it improved my university experience, made friends with people from all around the world and had the opportunity to travel. 
The mixture between academic teaching, practical application, international travel and industry exposure has given me the best possible start to my career in the Hospitality Industry. Reflecting back at my 4 years at Bournemouth University, I have learnt countless skills, made friends for life and ultimately increased my confidence in all aspects.
TMI Annual Convention taking place on 11-12 October in Bournemouth.
TMI Annual Convention taking place on 11-12 October in Bournemouth.

Booking is now open for this year’s Annual Convention taking place on 11-12 October in Bournemouth. Join us to
learn more about working with OTAs, hear the experiences of those who have run BIDs, and get insights into the latest tourism research/trends and the tourism landscape post Referendum. A range of activities are hosted and facilitated by Bournemouth University Department of Tourism and Hospitality.
Confirmed speakers include:
• Bernard Donoghue, Chair of the Tourism Alliance – Tourism post Referendum
• Tim Gardiner MBE, Chair of Tourism for All – Accessible tourism
• Tom Moore and Jowanna Conboye, Stephens Scown Solicitors – all you need to know about data protection
• David Gardner, Partnership Manager, GWR – packaging rail with attractions/accommodation and case studies
• Andrew Daines, VisitFlanders – Increasing the economic value of tourism to Flanders – how visitors are inspired and working with partners including carriers and OTAs to deliver an economic impact
• Samantha Richardson, Coastal Tourism Academy – Coastal Tourism in 2016 – Turning the Tide – new research findings highlighting the opportunities for tourism growth in coastal destinations
• Amanda Lumley, Destination Plymouth – Mayflower 400 – working in partnership with destinations in the UK, US and Holland and aspirations for 2020 and the legacy for UK tourism
• Cathrin Wurst, Hilton Bournemouth Hotel – Hilton Hotels Loyalty Programme
Early Bird rates for TMI members start at £97.50 plus VAT and we are once again offering a special guest rate so that you can bring a non member colleague from your team or organisation. Book now to secure the best rates for the convention, and accommodation at the new Hilton hotel or next door Hampton by Hilton.
Brexit Andrew Bateman FTMI reflects
It’s been a couple of weeks since the nation narrowly voted for Brexit and the political fallout has been both rapid paced and quite astonishing. A bit like living and breathing a national soap opera. No doubt the headlines will settle down as the major political parties settle out their leaderships and the agenda moves on to more technical stuff like triggering Article 50 and international trade agreements. As Visit Britain have recently highlighted, British tourism is currently in a good place, with strong performance in the domestic and international markets. And as international tourism tends to be more heavily influenced by exchange rates, the ability of visitors to enter countries easily and perceived welcome, rather than the level of trade agreement tariffs that other service and product exporters may have to contend with, then there is no reason why there shouldn’t be optimism for the future. However, whilst the level of demand for domestic and international visits should hold up, there could be an impact on levels of investment in our tourism product if capital flows are constrained and there is a loss of confidence from investors and developers. The tourism and hospitality sector’s reliance on freedom of movement of workers is also a key issue, particularly in light of negotiations around access to the EU single market. There’s no doubt that politicians need to provide clarity as soon as possible so that we have more certainty to plan.
The implications of Brexit will be featured at the TMI Annual Convention , 11-12 October, and it will be fascinating to gauge local impacts, debate the known unknowns, and maybe by then we may be a bit clearer on the unknown unknowns!
Anuschka Heid is studying on the MSc in Tourism Management and Marketing at Bournemouth University
Anuschka Heid is a German student studying on the MSc in Tourism Management and Marketing at Bournemouth University . She is explaining her experience this year: ” The things I enjoy the most about this programme are the various insights into the tourism and hospitality industry we get through collaborations with organisations and also through field trips. Besides, studying in a group of mostly international students from all over the world is a fascinating experience. I chose Bournemouth University because of its good reputation in tourism studies and also because of its location in the south of England and on the coast. My course provides a thorough insight and understanding of the tourism and hospitality industry with a particular focus on the challenges and opportunities arising from the shift towards managing and advertising organisations in an online and digital environment. I am convinced that the projects and studies we work on as our coursework will give me a more “hands-on” education and valuable experience of an actual working environment which will eventually make me more employable.
My BU experience has been amazing. I am looking back at a fantastic year where I met so many different and immensely interesting people, made new friends for live and learned a lot about things I had no idea of before. Overall, I can say that BU has broadened my horizons and I would not want to miss a single day of my experience at this university. If you are interested in learning about tourism and enjoy an almost family-like study experience BU is definitely a great choice for you. Besides my studies I have also been working as a Student Ambassador which has been an incredible experience. They offer lots of different specialist roles (like working with primary or secondary school pupils) that help you to acquire new skills. Also, SUBU offers a bunch of volunteering opportunities that you can participate to make your free time count, learn new things and make friends.
Bournemouth and Beyond a poster display and gobal cultural experience
Bournemouth and Beyond a poster display Festival of Learning event celebrated BU as one of the top 200 most international universities in the world. It showcased students’ success stories while studying and working on placement abroad. Dr Hanaa Osman organised the event and brought aspects of global culture to display. She even managed to bring a belly dancer and food from several countries. It was an opportunity to share our global identity with the general public and draw attention to the extent of our global reach. The event displayed students’ global journeys and learning experiences from around the world.
The event attracted 44 people from our local communities. They were talked through the students’ international journeys and inspiring stories making a difference in the global world. Countries visited included India, USA, Canada, Spain, Sweden, and Hungary. The event came alive with dance performance and a tutorial, which was very well received by the audience, and international food. 
New Article by Bournemouth University Academics : Emergency Management and Tourism Stakeholder Responses to Crises
Emergency Management and Tourism Stakeholder Responses to Crises
Abstract
This article examines the contested area of the responsibility for destinations and tourists, within emergency settings. It incorporates a Delphi-Scenario technique to facilitate a structured discussion of emergency management for different destination stakeholders. The Delphi exercise engaged 123 senior international stakeholders, from 9 different industry sectors, across 34 countries to provide a global perspective. The study’s principal focus is on the notion of emergency management, to identify the challenges that stakeholders would face within a disaster scenario. The exercise asked stakeholders to identify with whom the responsibility rests for 18 distinct disaster-related activities. The study proposes a responsibility allocation building-block framework that could help speed up the emergency management responses by “knowing who is going to do what” with a particular focus on dealing with international tourists as a community in a disaster zone.
- emergency management and policy
- disaster
- resilience
- business continuity
- Delphi technique
- management theory
http://jtr.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/06/13/0047287516641516.abstract?papetoc
Dr Susanna Curtin attended the Tourism Education Futures Initiative2016 conference in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
Dr Susanna Curtin attended the Tourism Education Futures Initiative2016 conference in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada June 26-29th in order to present her paper entitled ‘Animals and tourism: extending moral obligations of care’. As educators it is our job to instil, awaken and encourage notions of care in our students. We can do this by highlighting areas of study which may otherwise be overlooked in a ‘business’ orientated tourism-centric degree programme; one of these is the way animals are misused in the tourist experience. According to Fennell (2013) there are over 100 million animals working for the purpose of entertainment and an additional one million animals in zoos. The purpose of this paper is to urge tourism educators and scholars to include animal welfare in their tourism education and research in order to raise awareness. This is a notion supported by Fennell (2013) who highlights the importance of animal welfare in tourism studies.
Animals feature in a number of settings both captive and non-captive. Current research suggests that 70% of tourist excursions either directly or indirectly involve animals (Turner, 2015). Animals are used as transport, as photographic props and as entertainment. Many activities which were once deemed acceptable are now questionable as they are known to cause suffering and pain. The public dissection of Marius the giraffe in Copenhagen zoo, the shooting of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe and the Blackfish film which prompted outrage at the truth behind SeaWorld’s killer whale performances are recent provocative stories that have caught public attention. This has put animal welfare and tourism firmly on the agenda.
There is some evidence to suggest that public support for the use of animals for entertainment is beginning to shift (YouGovUK, 2012). Broom (2010) argues that more people think that poor animal welfare is morally unsustainable; that people who keep animals have a duty of care towards them. Generally tourists do not enjoy seeing unhappy animals. The Born Free Foundation in the UK are working with Global Spirits and ABTA to persuade the tourism industry to only promote tourist attractions that adopt appropriate animal welfare guidelines.
International tourism graduates are at the forefront of these important tasks: a) to expose and challenge the mistreatment of animals in tourism and b) to change public (tourist) opinions as to what is an appropriate tourist experience. Using extensionist environmental principles which extend moral obligations of care to other species, this interactive presentation will ask delegates to draw upon their own emotional responses to examples of animal uses in tourism; thus highlighting the issues scholars, students, NGOs and the industry need to address. The presentation included photographs which depict a variety of animals in questionable settings and performances.
Professor Dimitrios Buhalis will be keynoting at the National Congress of Hotel Management in Cali, Colombia, invited by COTELCO, the Hotel and Tourism Association of Colombia
Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, Head of Department of Tourism and Hospitality Bournemouth University will be keynoting at the National Congress of Hotel Management in Cali, Colombia, 30 September invited by COTELCO, the Hotel and Tourism Association of Colombia to address their annual congress. http://pre172.wix.com/congreso-2016#!programa/xmtut He will discuss Intelligent Tourism and the impacts of Smartness on Tourism and Hospitality.
93.6% of Bournemouth University students are in work or further study six months after graduating from University.
Bournemouth University has received recognition for the number of graduates in work or further study after graduating, rising in 2016.
According to latest statistics from the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, 93.6% of Bournemouth University students are in work or further study six months after graduating from University.
This is up on the year before – this is the third straight year that BU’s employability statistic has risen, showing that the University is continuing to prepare students for the world of work and enhancing their career prospects.
Professor John Vinney, Vice-Chancellor of Bournemouth University, said, “Bournemouth University has always had a strong reputation for graduate employability, and this latest data highlights that our Fusion of research, professional practice and education has a strong bearing on the career prospects of our graduates. We are delighted that the employment rate is consistently high, and continues to rise. From offering work placements to all students on undergraduate courses, to the high proportion of our courses that are professionally accredited, and our focus on linking education with the latest research, I am proud to lead a University that takes the employability of its graduates so seriously, and I am proud of our excellent graduates who go on to make a real difference in their chosen careers.”
This latest news follows a number of other accolades collected by the University in 2016, including being named as one of the Top 200 most international universities in the world and one of the Top 150 Universities under 50 years of age in the world, both by the Times Higher Education.
Bournemouth University is one of the only universities in the UK to offer a work placement opportunity to every student who studies on an undergraduate course, and a high proportion of students on postgraduate courses are offered a work placement opportunity too.
Professor Vinney continues, “The work placement opportunities that we offer are a vital part of our students’ learning. On a placement, students take the knowledge and skills they have learned and use them in workplace. When graduating from BU, you leave with knowledge, skills and experience, prepared for your professional career, a powerful combination that leaves you ready to succeed in the workplace.”
The University has a focus on creating global talent, and 60 staff and students from the University recently attended the University’s global Festival of Learning events in China and Malaysia as part of their experience of living and working in a truly global environment.
The Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey is a yearly survey conducted by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), and is based on undergraduate UK student data.
For more information about the University’s DHLE statistics, visit the HESA website: https://hesa.ac.uk/
Welcome Professor Metin Kozak, Dokuz Eylul University, Turkey to Bournemouth University
Welcome to Professor Metin Kozak, Dokuz Eylul University, Turkey to the Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Bournemouth University. He will spend two months with us working with Professor Dimitrios Buhalis on a research project funded by the Turkish government The Establishment of Joint Cross-border Destination Marketing. The study objectives include 1) the identification of potential instruments/organisations taking place in a cross-border collaborative destination marketing between Greece and Turkey; 2) suggesting solutions for any possible barriers that may hinder a successful implementation of cross-border collaborative destination marketing; and 3) the discussion of possible benefits/advantages for both parts in order to be successful for marketing in international tourism.
Metin is a specialist in quality management, benchmarking, destination management and marketing, consumer behaviour, competitiveness, and branding. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Cukurova University (Turkey), Master’s from Dokuz Eylul University (Turkey) and Ph.D. from Sheffield Hallam University (UK); all relating to tourism and hospitality management. He has published a wider range of articles in top-tier journals such as (i.e. Annals, TM, JTR, IJHM, Cornell Quarterly, JTTM), conference papers in more than 40 countries and books released by Elsevier, Routledge, CABI, Emerald, Cambridge Scholars Publishing among others. He is the co-editor of Anatolia and serves an editorial board member of over 25 journals including Annals, JTR, JTTM, JBR and TA. In addition, he was a Research Fellow in 2005-2006 at the University of Namur (Belgium) and as Visiting Professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong SAR).
He is involved in several tourism-based national and international research projects, particularly with his partners based in Europe and the US. Developing such partnerships has resulted in publishing quality journal papers, conference presentations and book chapters. As of September 2015, his works have received over 300 citations in ISI-referenced journals and over 6,000 citations counted by Google Scholar. Recently, he was ranked among the top 25 prolific tourism researchers in terms of the number of publications from 1985 to 2004 (Zhao & Ricthie, 2007) and from 2000 to 2009 (Park, Phillips, Cantr & Abbott, 2011). He was also ranked among the top 50 prolific scholars in terms of the frequency of cited articles (McKercher, 2008). He was elected as the Fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism (Hong Kong) and Tourist Research Centre (Austria).