The Olympics are coming and tourism is DOWN!
August 20, 2008 § 4:46pm
by Leslie Robinson
Tourism, at least in British Columbia, is waaay down this year. The strength of the Canadian dollar against the US, gas prices, the sketchy American economy, are all contributing to record low occupancy rates in BC’s accommodations and parks. On top of that, recruitment and retention of employees is at an all time low. If this trend continues over the next year or two, is it possible no one would come to the Olympics?
What does all this mean for your tourism graduating students? Are enrolments in your tourism program down? Is career/job anxiety high? Are your students ditching tourism for the trades?
February 23, 2010 § 1:40pm
by Leslie Robinson
Well those were lofty comments made half a year ago…and now the Olympics are on, in full swing.
I have been in Vancouver several time just before and during the Olympics and must say I am thrilled at the gentle Canadian warmth and hospitality that I am experiencing everywhere…from being approached with an offer to help as I gazed at a transportation map at the Olympic Village and a lovely woman just asked if she could help…on her way home from work. I’ve been enjoying the openness of people on local transportation…nothing too overt…just a genuine warmth…
I am wondering how we can bottle this for the future…or maybe, energetically, we are all creating and holding this lovely wavelength that people will take it with them as they return home and we return back to work and the day to day life in BC…let’s all keep holding the wavelength folks…peace on earth one person at a time…!
And what, I wonder, could all that have to do with teaching tourism in the future anyway?