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Tourism seminar highlights Anglo-French relations

The University's tourism research centre helped stage an international research seminar in October.

The event, which examined the subject of cross-border tourism, was the latest event organised by CENTICA - the Centre for Tourism In Islands and Coastal Areas, run by Dr Mark Hampton - and the Université du Littoral. The seminar, which took place at the St Omer campus in northern France, was attended by staff and students of both institutions - including PhD students studying Tourism Management at Kent - as well as representatives from local government and the hotel industry.

Keynote speakers included Professor Roger Vickerman, from the University's Centre for European, Regional and Transport Economics; Professor James Sawyer, from the University of Seattle; and Ed Woollard, Principal Tourism Development Officer for Medway Council.

Presentations covered a range of topics, including the economic impact of the Channel Tunnel on the coastal regions of Kent and Nord-Pas de Calais (Professor Vickerman) and lessons learned from cross-border government tourism projects such as the Maritime Heritage Trail and the Historic Fortifications Network (Medway Council).

Dr Hampton, who also runs the Tourism degree programme at the Medway campus, shared the results of his research into cross-border tourism in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. This pilot study was funded by the British Academy, the United Kingdom's leading organisation for supporting research into the humanities and social sciences.

Last year the two universities of Kent and Littoral co-hosted an experts' seminar on coastal tourism. Dr Hampton said this latest event showed the commitment on both sides to developing tourism between the two regions, and establishing networks between academic and government institutions. 'Part of CENTICA's mission is to share our knowledge, our experience and our research interests. We can all learn from each other and these events prove there is a tremendous spirit of co-operation.'

CENTICA, which is part of Kent Business School, is currently leading a two-year, British Council-funded project into the economic and social impacts of international dive tourism in Malaysia.

Contact: M.Hampton@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 12:00pm 3 November 2008