Contents - School of Hotel & Tourism Management - The Hong Kong ...
Contents - School of Hotel & Tourism Management - The Hong Kong ...
Contents - School of Hotel & Tourism Management - The Hong Kong ...
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22<br />
Field Trips<br />
Student Tourists Learn about <strong>Tourism</strong><br />
Finding a Sense <strong>of</strong> Place<br />
Twenty-seven SHTM students ventured to New Zealand<br />
for eight days mid-semester as part <strong>of</strong> the final year<br />
International <strong>Tourism</strong> Studies subject. Reflecting on the<br />
tour's success, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Bob McKercher said that all<br />
students really “wanted to see New Zealand, they<br />
wanted a Rotorua-type experience”.<br />
But before visiting Rotorua’s mud springs and other<br />
natural and cultural attractions, the group met local<br />
tourism <strong>of</strong>ficials for a series <strong>of</strong> briefings. <strong>The</strong>y were also<br />
required to study an aspect <strong>of</strong> tourism in New Zealand,<br />
based on plans they devised before leaving.<br />
Ms Elise Chueng pointed to the value <strong>of</strong> this exercise,<br />
noting that although she enjoyed the outdoor<br />
attractions and learning more about her friends, she very<br />
much appreciated the way the tour “encouraged us to<br />
learn by ourselves”. It was, she said, all a matter <strong>of</strong> selfmotivation.<br />
HORIZONS<br />
Top: Introduction to Maori culture<br />
Right: Adventure tourism, New<br />
Zealand style<br />
Experiencing New Zealand’s natural wonders<br />
Speaking <strong>of</strong> Auckland and the time spent in Rotorua,<br />
Ms Lilian Yeung noted that “surroundings really change<br />
one’s perspective and beliefs – but it is also up to your<br />
personality” to grasp opportunities. She certainly did<br />
that, moving out <strong>of</strong> her comfort zone to try her hand at<br />
adventure sports, and looking at life from a slightly<br />
different angle to write a comparative report on public<br />
toilets in New Zealand and <strong>Hong</strong> <strong>Kong</strong>.<br />
When discussing what <strong>Hong</strong> <strong>Kong</strong> could learn from<br />
New Zealand after the tour, the students noted that<br />
shopping opportunities and theme parks would not be<br />
enough to attract tourists in the future. Ms Emily Tang<br />
said that culture was “the nature <strong>of</strong> travel”. Ms Yeung<br />
agreed: “we should also think<br />
about what is unique in our<br />
culture and what kind <strong>of</strong> ‘sense <strong>of</strong><br />
place’ tourists could experience in<br />
<strong>Hong</strong> <strong>Kong</strong>”.<br />
With these young minds at work<br />
on the bigger picture, the future<br />
<strong>of</strong> tourism in <strong>Hong</strong> <strong>Kong</strong> is<br />
certainly bright.
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