Preparations for BEST EN Think Tank XI in Philadelphia are in full swing

In June of last year, Prof. Dr. Dagmar Lund-Durlacher took over as Chair of the BEST Education Network, which is an international consortium of educators committed to furthering the development and dissemination of knowledge in the field of sustainable tourism. One of the most important happenings within the network is the annual Think Tank, where new research is presented, sustainable tourism topics are addressed, and research and educational materials for use in undergraduate education are developed.

Currently, Prof. Lund-Durlacher and her team at MU are busy planning Think Tank XI, which will be held in conjunction with event hosts Temple University in Philadelphia this year. The chair of the Think Tank is Dr. Elizabeth Barber at Temple University. In the last week of May, BEST EN will welcome academics, educators, researchers, government officials, industry experts and students from all over the globe to discuss this year’s topic: Learning for sustainable tourism. This theme highlights the importance of education and learning in the field of sustainable tourism to promote and implement sustainable tourism practices in tourism.

On this year’s agenda are several exciting events to look forward to:

Two key note addresses will be given by experts within the field of sustainability and education. The first key note will be given by Dr. Janne Liburd, addressing the topic of collaborative learning for sustainable tourism. She has previously published widely within the fields of open innovation and Web 2.0, tourism education ,and sustainability. The second key note will be given by Dr. Cynthia Deale (president of ICHRIE), who has published widely within the field of students’ attitudes towards sustainable tourism and sustainability education in the hospitality curriculum. This key note focuses on teaching tools for furthering sustainable tourism education.

Other exciting activities that are currently being planned include a site visit to a local Philadelphia tourism business, which has shown excellence within the field of sustainability; an open industry forum where local industry people from Philadelphia will present themselves and their businesses; presentations by researchers attending the conference and – of course – the Think Tank component itself. The Think Tank is spread out over three days, with several sessions allowing the participants to work together in groups to develop the material for the teaching module and the research agenda. Along the way, the conference-goers will have ample opportunity to make new contacts, exchange ideas, enjoy Philadelphia and have a great time.

For more information and to keep updated – please visit the BEST EN home page!