TTRA wants to raise awareness on new trends in Asia, including female travellers.
KUALA LUMPUR- TTRA (Travel and Tourism Research Association) is a leading international professional research association combining both practitioners and academics with an interest in tourism research. Founded in the USA, today TTRA has now a chapter in Asia-Pacific. The Association provides networking and sharing opportunities for travel and tourism research professionals, and has a strong collaborative network. TTRA will organize its first meeting ever of TTRA Asia-Pacific over the challenges facing Asia-Pacific as it moves toward becoming the centre of growth for global tourism under the thematic “Charting a Future for Tourism Research in the Asia-Pacific Region”.
The theme and focus of this inaugural gathering and conference is on the challenges facing Asia-Pacific as it moves toward becoming the epicentre of growth for global tourism. Understanding the emerging travel patterns of the new middle class of Asia is going to be increasingly important for not only destination marketing organisations within and outside the region, but also airlines, hotels and tour operators.
The growth of urban, resort, eco-tourism and business events will place substantial strain on the region’s resources and infrastructure unless high quality research is undertaken to better understand these challenges.
Meanwhile, various demographic shifts in the region are going to see significant travel pattern shifts with those countries with ageing populations (such as Japan and Korea), to emerging countries with younger populations (such as Vietnam). The focus of this conference will be to look at what informed research is needed to enable the tourism industries to be better placed to understand and present options for the future of tourism in the region. How government agencies can co-operate across the region, and how companies, consultants and academic can develop their own agendas to contribute to a wider understanding of the changes that are underway.
TTRA is pleased to invite research focused practitioners and the academic community to submit their ideas and concepts for sessions and papers at the very first meeting of TTRA Asia-Pacific on the theme described below. The conference will take place from Nov 30 to Dec 1st, 2012 at Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus in Kuala Lumpur.
Recently, the association rose awareness about female travellers in Asia. Catheryn Khoo-Lattimore, an associate professor at the School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at Taylor’s University and student Samantha Yap recently completed an action research in collaboration with local businesses on girlfriend getaways.
The research saw women and their girlfriends staying at the School’s research hotel called Ruemz. During their 2D1N stay, the women were treated to women-preferred amenities and activities, including a shopping spree at a major shopping mall nearby. On the need for such research, Dr. Khoo-Lattimore said, “Women of all ages travel at some stage without men. These trips allow us a chance to be “girly”, to free ourselves the roles and associated duties & to bond with our female friends. However, hotels and resorts are not aware of women’s friendships in the leisure context, and so do not cater to our needs. We’ve put up with it but we don’t want to anymore.”
A radio station in Malaysia dedicated to women listeners, Capital FM 88.9 interviewed Dr. Khoo-Lattimore and the respondents in her study. Samantha also recently presented the findings from the study to general managers of hotels and resorts in Malaysia at a networking event in Taylor’s University. It does seem that the study warrants merit and is sending a message to hoteliers to begin paying attention to the needs of their female guests.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
