Theme of this year’s event is ‘Rethinking Tourism’
World Tourism Day is on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, and College of the Rockies Tourism Management department is hosting an event at the Cranbrook main campus. Community members, students, and employees of the College are invited to take part in the keynote event on the 28th.
“We are excited to be hosting World Tourism Day events here at the Cranbrook campus to celebrate and discuss how to “rethink tourism” for a local perspective,” said Becky Pelkonen, Tourism Management faculty. “Students within the Tourism Management program will be in attendance for our upcoming keynote session and the community is welcome to also share in this gathering. I, for one, am looking forward to hearing the different community-based viewpoints on how the tourism industry can come back together to make our community a better place for people to live in and visit.”
The celebration of tourism will kick off on September 27 with streaming of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) events from Bali and/or other sustainable tourism productions. Students are invited to view the UNWTO events on a big screen in the College Learning Commons from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and to check out the curated book display relating to the theme.
On September 28, the public is invited to attend a keynote on ‘Rethinking Tourism’ which will feature discussions with Janice Alpine from the Ktunaxa Nation and Kristy Jahn-Smith from Cranbrook Tourism will take place from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. in the College’s Lecture Theatre (Room 250). The session will also include a welcome from a Sustainable Tourism student and an overview of the College’s Tourism Management programs from Stephanie Wells, Dean of Business, Arts and Science. Wells will also provide her perspective on ‘Rethinking Tourism’. Complimentary refreshments and networking opportunities will follow.
“This is an exciting time for our industry, the theme of rethinking tourism challenges all of us to take stock on the decisions we make when we travel and the impacts on the communities we visit,” Wells said. “I am excited to learn from the students and guest presenters to ask the tough questions of where is tourism going? Where do we want it to go? And how do we get there?”
Community members, students, and employees of the College are all invited to take part in the September 28th World Tourism Day event. For those who are unable to attend in person, a livestream will be available.
About College of the Rockies
For more than 45 years, College of the Rockies has provided post-secondary education that meets the needs and aspirations of the people, industry, and businesses of our region. Each year, we welcome more than 10,000 full-time and part-time students into a full range of programs, including: skilled trades, university studies, adult upgrading, early childhood education, health and human services, business, office administration, tourism, hospitality, recreation, fire services, continuing education, and contract training. Through smaller class sizes, highly personalized instruction and dedicated support services, our students are primed to succeed in the job market, or in the next stage of their academic journey.
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