Reflection #2
During week 10’s lecture, Pete Larose was the guest speaker. Pete had talked about the tourism industry dynamics in BC and how it is shaping into one of the main economic forces in BC. He started the discussion with the infrastructure of tourism organizations responsible for making tourism policies in Canada and BC. The breakdown and linkages between each of the legislative units were interesting. Then he discussed the role of tourism planners in BC and how they take part in keeping the whole system together. For example, he talked about their role in tourism studies, decision making, creating value of tourism, understanding the provincial legislations, and lobbying the government. As tourism planners, we have to be aware of the current regulations at the federal and provincial levels. For example, wearing a mask is now mandatory in many parts of Canada. Re-opening during the pandemic or after the pandemic will require us to take additional precautions. These precautions will add cost to doing business. Therefore, as tourism planners, we must stay on top of the factors that Pete had discussed in the lecture in order to survive in the competitive market of tourism.
He discussed the role of research, politics, public sentiment, sustainability, and government regulations as well. According to Pete, we have to be aware of these factors in order to successfully establish ourselves in the tourism industry. In tourism, sustainability is important. We are seeing an increase in tourism throughout the world, therefore, sustainable tourism is about creating jobs, promoting local culture, and using the local products to reduce the environmental impact. Lastly, he had talked about the BC Ferry Consulting Study before the question and answer session. The information he had shared was kind of eye-opening because I never had thought that such a level of planning is required to conduct a case study. He had to look into each of the factors which were resulting in lost revenue for the company. Although, initially he had faced a backlash from the government the media did praise his effort which ultimately resulted in the acceptance of his work.
Reflection #3
During week 11, the guest lecture video provided by Kellee Caton was very interesting, and it inspired me a lot.
In the lecture, Kellee mainly talks about ecotourism and transformation. When nature is commodified as a marketing tool for tourism usually combined with moral issues. People’s excessive consumption of nature will lead to some serious consequences such as species extinction and environmental pollution. From a philosophical point of view, with the rise of capitalism, people pay more and more attention to economic interests, instead of the welfare of nature, and some capitalists even take advantage of the crisis to attract tourists and make money. In my opinion, ecotourism needs to rely on nature. Merchants need to know the importance of nature, better protect it, and reach a balance in order to achieve long-term development. Then, Kellee provided an interesting idea which is to be an enchantment to nature. Nowadays, people live in the concrete jungle which is separate from the natural environment, and we lose the experience with nature, so our respect for nature cannot be awakened. This reminds me of a class I took before with Robin. She let us observe the natural environment outside of the window and draw the landscape. Robin said: “You guys go to school and work every day, how long has it been since you stopped to take a look at the beautiful landscape around us.” In addition, my father bought a new house in the countryside of my hometown last summer, where the environment is very good. We stand on the roof to look at the stars every day, it also lets me feel the greatness of nature. At the end of this video, Kellee provided a very interesting view that humans are connected with nature, and I agree with that. My family believes in Buddhism, there is an idea in Buddhism that everything in the world is interconnected. People should be aware of the power of nature, love it, and protect it.
Lastly, human beings are closely related to nature, if nature is destroyed immoderately, then human beings cannot survive as well. The ultimate goal of ecotourism is to arouse people’s respect and love for nature. Therefore, it is very necessary to make a sustainable eco-tourism plan. To protect nature is to protect ourselves.