Master's program in Tourism Policy and
Planning
The Tourism Policy and Planning program at the University of Waterloo provides a unique education.
You will be part of a graduate program that integrates the social, cultural,
environmental, economic and political perspectives on tourism.
This 2-year program, offered jointly by the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies and the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, provides a constructive, critical, and interdisciplinary education that will prepare you for careers in government, business, tourism and recreation planning, and consulting.
You will interact with professors with strong local, national and international research links from a variety of disciplines.
Highlights and AWARDS
courtesy: Patty Robinson-Angel
- Pritzi Castaneda Bilodeau, MES Candidate, Environment: Recipient of a 2011 $1000 National Tourism Association Canada scholarship through Tourism Cares.
- Ryan Sim, MES Candidate, Geography and Environmental Management (Environment), recipient of the World Tourism Forum (Lucerne) 2011 Young Talent Award, first place, for his presentation on "Assessing the Implications of Sea Level Rise for the Sustainability of Caribbean Tourism" (poster)
- Michelle Rutty, Ph.D. Candidate, Geography and Environmental Management (Environment), recipient of the World Tourism Forum (Lucerne) 2011 Young Talent Award, third place, for her presentation on "Vehicle monitoring technology: opportunities to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of a ski resort fleet" (poster)
courtesy: http://www.wtflucerne.org/young-talents-award-2011/
- The University of Waterloo and Waterloo's Tourism Policy and Planning program were extremely well represented by current students, faculty and alumni at the 2011 Tourism Travel Research Association (TTRA) International Conference in London, Ontario, from June 19-21. Presentations included:
Current Students and Faculty:
- Suzanne Ainley, doctoral program in Recreation & Leisure Studies -
in the academic session on Rural Spaces, The Country Population and People that Dwell Within - "Beyond Positivism: Studying the Experience of Farm Families Engaged in Agritourism." This paper won the prestigious TTRA 42nd Conference Award for best conference research paper.
- Tom Griffin, doctoral program in Recreation and Leisure Studies- in the academic session on Shopping and Inner City Lifestyle: A Look into the Borough - Urban Tourism - "Revisiting VFR and Pleasure Segmentation for Urban Canadian Destinations
- Zainub Ibrahim, doctoral program in Geography and Environmental Management-
in the academic session on Using Perception and Tourism Planning to Your Advantage - "An Index Approach to Assessing the Status of Tourism Planning."
- Robin Nunkoo, doctoral program in Recreation & Leisure Studies,The Idea Fair - The Idea Fair - Illustrated Papers Exhibit in the category of "Travelers' Intent to Purchase Tourism Products and Services Online"
- Suzanne Ainley, doctoral program in Recreation & Leisure Studies, with Bryan Smale, The Idea Fair - Illustrated Papers Exhibit in the category of "Goat Walks, Scratch Baking, and Pumpkin Cannons: Growing Agritourism on Ontario Farms"
- Maria Banyai, doctoral program in Recreation & Leisure Studies, The Idea Fair - Illustrated Papers Exhibit in the category of "Travel Blogs in Marketing Research: Stories of Stratford, Canada
- Arlene Garrick, doctoral program in Recreation & Leisure Studies, Student Symposium presentation - "The Leisure of Learning: Students' Perceptions of "Learntertainment" as an Instructional Model", with Alexander K. Amoo and Stephen L. J. Smith
- Hoffer Lee, doctoral program in Recreation & Leisure Studies, Student Symposium presentation - " Tourism Innovation: Integrating Ginseng into Spa Development: A Case Study of Sunmore Ginseng Health Spa in Kamloops, BC, Canada," with Stephen L. J. Smith and Carrie Pan
- Mamie Sealey-Baker, masters program in Recreation & Leisure Studies, Student Symposium Presentation - "Coral Bleaching and Diver Operators in the Caribbean: Observations, Understanding and Response," with Paul Eagles and Daniel Scott
- Arlene Garrick, doctoral program in Recreation & Leisure Studies, Student Symposium presentation - "Mis-Steps in the Dance of Differences: Problems and Potentials in Cross-Cultural Job Interviews," with Stephen L. J. Smith
Alumni:
- Dan Mulrooney, Parks Canada (MA Recreation & Leisure Studies) - "National Park Visitor Expenditures and the Associated Economic Impacts in the Territories." General Session presentation.
- Wayne Smith, College of Charleston - "Measuring the Economic, Social, and Environmental Impacts of Special Events: A Mixed Methods Approach." Academic Session presentation. And "Power Laws in Tourist Flows." Academic Session presentation.
- Honggen Xiao, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (MA, PhD Recreation & Leisure Studies), "Tourism Research in Chinese Versus Tourism Research in English: Yet Another Perspective on Forests and/or Trees." The Idea Fair: Illustrated Papers Exhibit.
- Micah J. Hewer, Environment: Recipient of a 2010 $1,000 National Tourism Association Canada Graduate Scholarship through Tourism Cares.
- Daniel Guttentag, Environment: Recipient of the University of Waterloo masters Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Studies Certificate, June 2010 Convocation.
- Stephen H. Gilmour, Environment: Best Presentation, Graduate Student Research Symposium, Travel and Tourism Research Association – Canada Chapter. Guelph, Ontario Canada, October 14-16, 2009.
- Stephen H. Gilmour, Environment: Best Presentation, Graduate Student Research Symposium, Travel and Tourism Research Association – Canada Chapter. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, October 17-21, 2007.
courtesy: Stephen Gilmour
Tourism Policy and Planning Student Research
- Maria Banyai, Tourism Policy and Planning graduate of 2009, Recreation and Leisure Studies, will be publishing a paper entitled, "Dracula's image in tourism: Western bloggers versus tour guides," in the Spring 2010 volume (3[1]) of the European Journal of Tourism Research (EJTR).
- Maria Banyai has also published:
- "The image of tourism destination: A case of Dracula tourism," in press, Proceedings of the 2009 Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA), Canada Chapter Conference, Guelph, Ontario;
- "Destination image: Dracula tourism," poster presented at the 2009 Travel and tourism Research Association (TTRA) Canada Chapter Conference, 5th Annual Student Research Symposium, Guelph, Ontario.
- Daniel Guttentag, graduated with his MES in Tourism Policy and Planning in 2010, Environment, has published the following articles:
- " The Legal Protection of Indigenous Souvenir Products," in Tourism Recreation Research, volme 34, No. 1, 2009;
- "Virtual Reality: Applications and implications for tourism," Tourism Management, in press, 2009;
- "The possible negative impacts of volunteer tourism,"International Journal of Tourism Research , volume 11, issue 6, pp. 537-551.
- Julie Vanderwerf, graduated with her MES in Tourism Policy and Planning in 2008, Environment:
