1 December 2010 Silver Jubilee for Tourism teaching and research at Lincoln University

A silver jubilee function is being held in Christchurch tonight (1 Dec.) to mark 25 years of Tourism studies at Lincoln University.

The function, hosted by Lincoln University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Roger Field and being held at Rydges Christchurch, brings together Lincoln University staff involved in Tourism studies and representatives of industry organisations. Speakers from the industry will include:

• Acting CEO of Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism, Ian Hay
• Director of the Tourism, Events and Consumer Affairs Branch of the Ministry of Economic Development, Roger Wigglesworth
• Policy and Research Manager of the Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand, Simon Wallace.

 Lincoln University staff and associated representatives who will speak  include:

• Professor of Tourism, David Simmons,  head of Tourism at Lincoln University. When appointed Professor in 1989 he was NZ’s first Professor of Tourism.
• Associate Professor Susanne Becken, who has internationally acknowledged expertise in the areas of the impact of “peak oil” on tourism and climate change and tourism.
• Shailendra Thakali, a PhD candidate from Nepal. 
• Dr Dominic Moran, Lincoln University PhD graduate and past CEO of “Destination Marlborough”.
• Lauren Cooper, a Bachelor of Commerce (Hotel & Institutional Management) graduate.

Tourism was taught originally at Lincoln University as part of the old Bachelor of Parks and Recreation Management degree. Lincoln University’s first Masters degree with a Tourism thesis was awarded in the 1980s and the first PhD in Tourism was conferred in 1994. The first tourism research papers were commissioned in 1986. The identifying term “Tourism” was added to the Parks and Recreation Management degree in 1994 and the BPR &TM qualification sat alongside the Bachelor of Commerce (Tourism) which had been introduced in 1989.  From 2002 both programmes were replaced with a single Bachelor of Tourism Management degree.

“In a quarter-century of Tourism teaching and research at Lincoln University we like to think we have had a significant impact on policy, planning and practice in the industry,” says Professor Simmons.