Capilano U Tourism
Bio:
I feel connected to many places. Particularly I feel connected to the community I live in - Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. I also feel connected to the villages where I volunteer in Northern Vietnam - Ta Phin and Lao Chai in the Sa Pa District.
I would like people to view the world more holistically and increase their understanding of both the positive and negative impacts of their actions in the short and long term. I want to encourage people to live sustainably in a self-sufficient fashion that doesn't diminish the lives of others either locally or elsewhere on the planet.
Primarily, I am an educator. I teach in the Faculty of Global and Community Studies at Capilano University in British Columbia, Canada. I teach a variety of courses ranging from Community Tourism Planning to Entrepreneurship to the Geography of Destination Environments. In addition, I volunteer my time through the university on community tourism projects. I also do consulting work related to resource and environmental management.
Challenge Entries
May 31, 2011 / 0 Comments / in Cultural preservation, Community development, Employment, Education, Poverty alleviation, Sustainable development, Travel and tourism
We wish to empower vulnerable communities through sustainable and responsible tourism development. We believe responsible tourism can be a tool for change that:
• Empowers people with little formal education to improve their quality of life by creating employment opportunities with minimal capital investment
• Develops communities through engaging a broad range of stakeholders, building relationships, increasing confidence and community pride
• Conserves culture through valuing distinct languages, traditional practices and other elements of culture