GTTP RESEARCH COMPETITION & AWARD

Each year the GTTP holds a competition for the best school research project. Research topics are selected by the GTTP Directors.

The topic for 2016 is “Heritage Tourism”, in 2015 it was “Sustainable Adventure Tourism.” and in 2014 it was “Technology and Sustainability.”

Schools that are part of the GTTP can research the topic and enter the competition. Each GTTP member country selects a winner of the GTTP Research Award. The winning school sends two students and their teacher to an international conference. In 2015 the conference was held in Nice, France in December 2015. At this meeting, winning teams present their findings and met students and teachers from all GTTP-member countries. There was a tour of Amadeus’ technology enter in Sofia Antipolis, and sightseeing in Nice, France and Monaco. Students and teachers had the opportunity to met the GTTP Global Partner Advisory Board members.

In addition to their presentation, each winning team prepared a case study that can be used by students and teachers everywhere. Contact the GTTP Director in your country if you want to enter the 2016 competition.

An endowment established in honor of Aldo Papone, former president of American Express Travel Related Services Company, helps fund the competition. Mr. Papone was a strong believer in tourism education and student creativity. When he retired, a fund was established in his name to support excellence and innovation in tourism education. The GTTP’s share of the fund is used to support the research competition.

Heritage Tourism

Destinations work hard to differentiate themselves. Can heritage tourism be a way for your country to attract more tourists? What kind of travelers are interested in heritage tourism? Do those travelers come to your country?

When a destination is popular, it risks having too many visitors, or having so much development that the natural beauty of the place, and the environment, are harmed. Most destinations, if not all, want to continue being a place worth visiting.

Questions to consider when you are doing your research include:

How would you define heritage tourism?

What makes heritage tourism destination sustainable?

Who should be in control of sustainability?

How are destinations in your country sustained? What are the problems associated with keeping them sustainable?

Can technology help their heritage tourism development? If so, how?

Are there heritage tourism companies in your area?

What role, if any, has technology in their sustainability?

What are the costs associated with making heritage tourism sustainable? The opportunities?

Before you do your research, be sure to read the article on How to Write a good Case Study in the Guidelines for the Research Award.

To help you get started on your research about sustainability, visit this website, http://destinet.eu/demo-design/topics/destination-management-good-governance. DestiNet is a website, partnered with the United Nations, which brings together the global community of people and organisations working to make tourism more sustainable. This website will link you to reports, research papers, and other information that can help you in your project.