Conference call for clear vision on tourism
One of the leading voices on tourism in York
has praised the city for its strong branding and urged city leaders
to maintain a clear vision to promote its international prominence
as a top travel destination.
Dr Steve Watson, principal lecturer at York St
John University Business School, shared a platform with
representatives from universities in Spain and Greece at the recent
colloquium on tourism at the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning, in York. The event was organised by York St John
University in partnership with Visit York, and attended by Visit
York Chairman John Yeomans, who also chairs inward investment
organisation, york-england.com
Newly appointed as a director of Visit York,
Dr Watson is keen to develop the international links between
tourism cities with York at the forefront. The Business School
already has well-established links with universities in Seville and
Zurich and is developing its contacts with business educational
establishments in the USA.
In his keynote speech to the 45 delegates from
six countries, he stressed the importance of making decisions about
the market segments within which the city and the region operates,
and the need to flex the product, image and branding to attract
those visitors:
“Quite simply it’s about knowing what we’re
doing and who we’re doing it for. York does that really well
but we must keep learning from others and assimilating best
practice whenever we can. Pooling experience is vital to
international success.”
Steve is one of 35 lecturers currently working
within the York St John Business School. He was a postgraduate
student at the university in 1981 and spent five years at Edinburgh
University and a spell at the University of Hull before returning
to York St John in 2004.
Other speakers at the event included Professor
Alfonso Vargas-Sanchez, until recently Professor of marketing and
management at the University of Huelva in Spain and now Director of
Santa Maria de la Rabida campus of the International University of
Andalucia, and Dr Georgious Papageorgiou, Academic Dean of the
Alpine Center, the Swiss Business School for Hospitality and
Tourism Management Education in Greece.
For further information please
contact Karen Nixon on T: 01904 610077 or Amy Hall,
PR & Communications Officer on T: 01904 876466 or E: a.hall@yorksj.ac.uk