How should Niagara region respond to the challenges it faces and find solutions to preserve and develop its tourism industry?

Citation

Jayawardena, C.(C). (2008), "How should Niagara region respond to the challenges it faces and find solutions to preserve and develop its tourism industry?", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 20 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm.2008.04120caa.002

How should Niagara region respond to the challenges it faces and find solutions to preserve and develop its tourism industry?

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Volume 20, Issue 3.

In 1994, I led a team of applied researchers in the development of a trends database project, which we used as the basis of an annual thematic review, published in IJCHM. Our interpretative work was linked to extensive content analysis and interpretation of the hospitality and tourism literature and to roundtable discussions about aspects of applied research. More than a decade later, these review articles still feature in the IJCHM “top 20” article downloads and I am delighted to announce its re-launch as a new Emerald journal for 2009, entitled “Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes” (WHATT). Each theme issue will address a question of strategic significance drawing on dialogue between practitioners and applied researchers with the aim of finding practical solutions. Prior to the new journal launch, IJCHM is featuring three theme issues in 2008, beginning with an analysis of the challenges facing the Niagara region in Canada.

Dr Richard TeareManaging Editor, WHATT

This inaugural WHATT theme issue is dedicated to the Niagara Region, a major tourist destination in Canada. On March 28, 2007 the theme editor organized a well-attended WHATT roundtable discussion at Niagara College, Ontario, Canada. The theme for the roundtable was “Tourism in Niagara: Challenges and Solutions”. A total of 14 expert panellists and the moderator Dr Dan Patterson, President of Niagara College, spent nearly a full day discussing the following strategic question:

How should Niagara Region respond to the key challenges it faces and find solutions to preserve and develop its tourism industry?

The panellists included seven industry leaders representing the following areas:

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  tourism development;

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  destination marketing;

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  hospitality management;

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  wine and culinary tourism;

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  visitor attractions and special events;

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  casino and gaming operations; and

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  binational tourism.

The other seven panellists were university professors with the above research interests.

Over 200 students majoring in tourism and hospitality management attended as observers and took part in a lively open forum discussion during the final hour of the event. Encouraged by the success of the WHATT roundtable at Niagara College, the team of panellists decided to work together to produce this theme issue. To facilitate this, the theme editor assembled seven teams of subject experts. Most of these authors attended the WHATT roundtable event as either panellists or participants. A few months later, another team was formulated to address issues relating to the management of crises such as SARS.

There are eight team articles and two solo articles in this theme issue. Overall, 22 authors (including nine panellists from the WHATT roundtable) contributed to this WHATT theme issue. It is noteworthy that eight senior industry practitioners and consultants contributed as co-authors to all eight joint articles. The other co-authors include five university researchers and nine college educators from six leading universities and colleges in Canada. The authors address some of the current issues, which are relevant and significant to the future development of the tourism industry in the Niagara Region in Canada.

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy this thought-provoking collection of articles from Canada and the future steps that are proposed for one of its most important tourism regions.

Chandana (Chandi) JayawardenaTheme Editor

About the Theme Editor

Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena PhD, FIH, CHE. Chandi is the Associate Dean of the Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts, George Brown College, Toronto, Canada. Formerly, he held professorships at Ryerson University (on a faculty exchange), Canadian School of Management and Niagara College. He also held visiting professorships in the UK, the USA, Jamaica, Guyana, Sri Lanka and Switzerland; and senior management positions in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South America, the Caribbean and North America, including 12 years as the general manager of five premier hotels. He is a past President of HCIMA, UK (now the Institute of Hospitality). He has co-authored or edited ten books and authored 79 journal articles or book chapters. Chandi has presented at conferences and seminars in 29 countries.