Collaboration

On July 15th, nearly 300 representatives from 24 countries met in Portland, Oregon to participate in the 46th Travel & Tourism Research Association (TTRA) Annual International conference. The conference objective was to investigate new solutions to the development of tourism, whilst preserving traditional culture. A paper entitled “Effects of the Big Five Personality Traits on Recreation Types - The Case of Vietnam Tourism” was presented by DTU, the only Vietnamese representative at the conference, and was well received. 

 

   

The Travel & Tourism Research Association was founded in 1970 in America. It has organized many kinds of events, including the annual international conference and also does research.  The conference was attended by TTRA representatives from Asia Pacific, Canada, Europe, Hawaii, Texas and others. They were travel executives, hospitality associations, DMOs (Destination Marketing Organizations) from Florida, California, and Colorado, Smith Travel Research (SRT), Rose Research, Golfcourse America, Mytravelresearch.com, and academics from renowned universities in America, Australia and Canada, including Temple University, Pennsylvania State University, Guelph University, Latrobe University, West Florida University, North Carolina University and Texas A&M University. Many interesting activities took place during the three working days of the conference, with eight special seminars for tourism managers to exchange their experiences. There were a total fifty academic papers submitted by researchers, ten by students and twenty-seven posters presented at the conference, which covered Destination Marketing Organization, Tourist Consumer Behavior, Management and Preservation of Cultural Heritage, the latest tourism research methods and models, Media development, new market development, tourism sustainable development targets, and Information Technology applications in Tourism management.  

 

  

 

One of fifty papers presented at the conference, “Effects of the Big Five Personality Traits on Recreation Types - The Case of Vietnam Tourism” was presented by Professor Tran Van Xuan of West Florida University, Mr. Nguyen Cong Minh, Dean of the DTU Faculty of Tourism & Hospitality and other DTU lecturers. On behalf of the team, Mr. Minh said: ”This annual conference is attended by many executives, researchers, associations and businesses, with about one hundred high-quality papers. It has affirmed its importance to the tourism industry worldwide. DTU’s paper attracted much interest. It was psychological study of tourists visiting Vietnam, conducted in 2014 and provides advice for hospitality managers and businesses in Danang, and Vietnam in general, on how to develop suitable entertainment and touristic products to reach out to and serve the needs of each and every visitor. The conference is a forum for those who work in the field of education, managers and businessmen to meet and exchange experience to come up with solutions and strategies to develop tourism everywhere. It is intended to help tourism companies gain a deeper understanding about the national and international tourism markets. The DTU representatives also gave an introduction to the potential of the tourism development of Vietnam, and promoted tourism in Danang to their international colleagues.”