INSTITUTE FOR TOURISM, TRAVEL AND CULTURE. REPORT FOR PERIOD JULY 2011-July Dr. Nadia Theuma Director

Transcription

1 INSTITUTE FOR TOURISM, TRAVEL AND CULTURE REPORT FOR PERIOD JULY 2011-July 2012 Dr. Nadia Theuma Director November 2012

2 Table of Contents Page 3 Introduction: The Institute for Tourism, Travel and Culture 3 Students 6 Academic Contribution: Courses taught by members of the Institute 7 Dissertations supervised/examined 8 Course Development 9 Visitors 10 Activities 16 Projects 19 International links 21 ITTC Staff - Involvement on Boards, Publications and other activities 29 Part-time staff 2

3 Introduction 1. The Institute for Tourism, Travel and Culture The second year of operation since the Institute s establishment in July 2010, proved to be a very busy period, with the continuation of the undergraduate and postgraduate Degree and Diploma courses, development of new courses, and the intensive initiation phase of several important research projects. The following is the report covering the period July 2011-July Students The Institute s main teaching focus during this period was the BA (Hons) undergraduate programme, the completion in February and May 2012 of the Diploma in Gastronomy, which commenced in February 2010 and October 2010, and the second group of students for the MA in Tourism. Table 1: Student Complement : B.A. (Hons) Tourism Studies Number of Students Year Maltese Gozitan Foreign (FT) Erasmus Total Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Total Table 2: Student Complement February and June 2012: Diploma in Gastronomy Number of Students Year Maltese Gozitan Foreign (FT) Erasmus Total Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

4 Table 3: Student Complement June 2012: MA in Tourism Number of Students Year Maltese Gozitan Foreign (FT) Erasmus Total Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female TOTAL Table 4: PhD Students Year Maltese/Gozitan Foreign Male Female Total TOTAL MA in Tourism In July 2012, five students completed the course leading to the MA in Tourism; their dissertation titles are: A systematic profiling of restaurant users, based on different demographics Cultural Identity and Transition: the impact of a developing tourism industry on the Maltese Cultural Identity in the last 40 years (1960=2000) A case study of Mellieha The impact of Tourism on the Community of Marsalforn: A villagers perspective Creating a Risk Management plan for the local UNESCO World Heritage Sites managed by Heritage Malta: an evaluation of the current practices and the possible way forward Why Malta? Malta Cruise Tourism and the Visitor s Perspective 4

5 Ph.D Students In May 2012, the Institute s Ph.D. Committee recommended to Senate the change in status to Ph.D. of the two M.Phil candidates registered in During the period under review, two new M.Phil candidates were registered with the Institute. The topics currently being research by M.Phil and Ph.D candidates are: The process and implementation of tourism planning at local level, with reference to some established destinations in Malta (Julian Zarb) Towards the rediscovery of Maltese Bread: The Maltese Panivour ( ) (Noel Buttigieg) Short of a Miracle: Faith based tourism in Malta (Dane Munro) Cultural Heritage Tourism and the Maltese Islands Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: recreating the Grand Tour (Natashia Baker) 5

6 3: Academic Contribution The Institute and its staff members have been engaged in the teaching of the following courses: Table 5: Degrees and Courses taught by Members of Staff Level Nature of Courses Tourism BA Hons Tourism (all Study units) B.Com (Gozo) (4 Units) Undergraduate Gastronomy Diploma in Gastronomy (4 study units) Non-Tourism Degrees B.Com (Hons) Public Policy BA International Relations BA (Gozo) Diploma in Commerce B.Com Institute of Maltese Studies Post Graduate ITTC MA in Tourism (3 taught units and supervision of Practicum) Others MBA Executive (1 Unit) MBA Executive - Gozo (1 units) MBA E-Business (1 unit) MA in Maltese Studies MA Cultural Heritage Members of the Institute s staff lectured to approximately 320 students, of whom 194 were students registered with other Departments/Institutes of the University of Malta. 6

7 Dissertations supervised and examined Table 6 below outlines the number of dissertations being supervised by members of the Institute during the academic year , including dissertations outside the Institute: Table 6: Dissertations currently being supervised Supervision / Examiners Number of Dissertations Supervised / Examined Supervision/Examination Undergraduate and postgraduate levels ITTC students BA (Hons) Tourism (37) MA Tourism (15) Ph.D. (4) Others B.Ed (Hons) (2) Assisting MA thesis on crafts, Institute for Creativity (1) MBA Executive (2) MA in Maltese Studies (1) Ph.D in Mediterranean Studies (1) Examiner Undergraduate and Post Graduate level Non-ITTC degrees B.Com (Mgt) Dissertation (1) B.Ed (Hons) (1) MBA Dissertations (2) 7

8 4: Course Development During the year under review, the ITTC ran the following courses: B.A. (Hons) Tourism Studies Diploma in Gastronomy MA in Tourism The Institute submitted for approval by the Programme Validation Committee a proposal for the Higher Diploma in Food Culture (expected to start in October 2013 and replacing the Diploma in Gastronomy). Preparatory work on the following proposed programmes was ongoing throughout the period under review on proposals for the B.A. (Hons) in Cultural and Heritage Studies and the MA in Mediterranean Food Studies. In response to feedback from the Programme Validation Committee, these two programmes were withdrawn and work then proceeded on a new proposal for the MA in Heritage and Culture. The Institute has also been working on two other new programmes: (a) B.A. (Hons) in International Hospitality Management the Institute has been working closely with the Institute of Tourism Studies to introduce this degree programme, which will be run on similar lines to the B.A. (Hons) Tourism Studies; (b) MA in International Hospitality Management. 8

9 5: Visitors 5.1 Delegation from University of Rijeka, Opatija, Croatia: Prof Joze Peric, Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Dr Maja Juracic visited the University on 13 and 14 October Following a meeting with Rector Prof Juanito Camilleri and Ms Stefania Fabri, Director of the International & EU Office, further discussions were held with Dr Nadia Theuma regarding collaboration between ITTC and Rijeka on staff/student exchanges and projects. The delegation s visit followed the two visits made earlier in the year to Opatija by Dr Nadia Theuma and Mr Alfred Quintano. 5.2 Prof Robert Govers visiting the Institute as the keynote speaker in the Seminar on Branding, held on 30 th November He is a leading exponent of nation and tourism branding, and is the author (with Frank M. Go) of Place Branding: Glocal, Virtual and Physical Identities Constructed, Imagined and Experienced. Prof Govers is currently serving as Adjunct Professor at the Consortium University of Leuven, Belgium. He is visiting lecturer and consultant at the Hotel School, The Hague, Rotterdam School of Management, IULM University, Milan and other institutions. 5.3 Ms Noora Vikman, of the University of Eastern Finland, visited the Institute between 19 and 24 December Ms Vikman was carrying out research in Malta on Cultural Studies, Soundscape and Ethnomusicology. 5.4 Ms Annika Konttinen, lecturer in Tourism, Catering and Hotel Management at the HAAGA-HELIA University of Applied Sciences, Finland, visited the Institute on April Ms Konttinen gave three lectures to B.A. (Hons) students, on Corporate Social Responsbility, Marketing and Promotion of Sustainable Tourism, and Trends in Travel and Tourism. 5.5 Dr Antonis Theocharous, of the Dept of Hotel and Tourism Management, Cyprus University of Technology, was the Visiting External Examiner for the B.A. (Hons) Tourism Studies final year students. This was Dr Theocharous first visit to the Institute. 9

10 6. Activities 6.1 Danish Students Visit the University of Malta and the Institute for Tourism, Travel and Culture - September 2011 A group of 25 students from the town of Fjerritslev in Denmark visited the Institute for Tourism, Travel and Culture on 23rd September, They were accompanied by two teachers, Anne Charlotte and Martin. They were met on campus by Mr Alfred Quintano, lecturer at ITTC who gave them a talk on tourism impacts especially in the context of small nation states such as Malta and Denmark. They were later shown around campus and in particular a tour of the library by senior librarian Mr Silvio Cortis. 6.2 Seminar on the Use of Major Events to promote the Image of Tourism On 1 st November 1011, an evening seminar was held at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, in collaboration with the University of Westminster, London, on the use of major events to promote the image of tourism. The seminar, which was coordinated by Mr John Ebejer, was introduced by Dr Nadia Theuma. Dr Andrew Smith, of the School of Architecture and the Built Environment, University of Westminster, spoke on The use of major events to promote and develop tourism destinations. Ms Graziella Vella, representing the European City of Culture Committee (Malta), spoke on European Capital of Culture 2018 the Tourism Perspective. Westminster students on the Malta field trip attended the seminar, together with ITTC students, members of staff and other participants. The ITTC acknowledges with thanks sponsorship from the Malta Tourism Authority for the seminar. 6.3 Seminar on Branding Prof Robert Govers, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Consortium University of Leuven, Belgium (see page 9), was one of the two keynote speakers at the Seminar on Branding, which took place at the Corinthia Hotel, St George s Bay, on 30 th November Prof Govers spoke on Place Branding: Identities constructed, imagined and experienced. The other speaker was Mr Edwin Ward, who spoke on Brand Identity as the key management tool for competitive 21 st century business. Mr Ward is Director of Ogilvy Mlta, Director of Peak Ogilvy and Mather Ltd, and visiting lecturer at ITTC on Brand Identity and Brand Image. The seminar was well attended by University lecturers, undergraduate and postgraduate students and representatives of stakeholders in the tourism sector. The presentations generated lively discussions, which continued during the short reception which followed the seminar. The Institute acknowledges with thanks the sponsorship given by the Corinthia Hotel for the conference room and refreshments. 10

11 6.4 Exhibition: 50 years of Tourism Development in Malta and Gozo (2 December 2011 to 2 January 2012) As a result of the project undertaken by the Institute, the National Archives, the Malta Tourism Authority and the Tourism Directorate (see page ), on documents related to the history of tourism between the late 1950s and 1970s, an exhibition was held at the Auberge d Italie on the project. The official opening was held on 2 nd December. The invited audience, which included ITTC lecturers, students and tourism sector stakeholders, was addressed by Mr Julian Zarb (Tourism Directorate), Mr Charles Farrugia (National Archivist), Dr Nadia Theuma and the Hon Dr Mario de Marco, Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Culture and the Environment. 6.5 French Students visit University A group of students from La Bagotiere School, Paris, visited Malta from 31 March to 5 April 2012, on a field trip in connection with their tourism studies. Mr Alfred Quintano and Mr Julian Zarb gave lectures to the group on various aspects of Tourism policy, planning and development in the Maltese Islands. The students were also taken on a tour of the University Campus by Ms Daphne Kelleher, of the Communications Office. 6.6 ITTC Director meets German Bundestag Delegation Dr Nadia Theuma, Director of ITTC, was invited to a meeting with the sub-committee on Tourism of the CDU/CSU section of the German Bundestag, as part of their tourismrelated visit in May The delegation was made up of four members of the German Parliament, led by Mrs Marlene Mortler. Dr Theuma gave an overview of the programmes offered by ITTC and the existing links with German educational institutions. Of particular interest was collaboration with German researchers for ITTC projects and contribution to academic journals. Dr Theuma pointed out that, in the forthcoming EU funding proposals, the tourism sector is expected to be given a separate budget line, emphasizing the importance of tourism to EU policy and funding. The emphasis is on regional diversity, and cross-border collaboration. The German delegation was very interested in following up possible links with German institutions. Mrs Mortler spoke of the German Parliament traineeships which would be very useful for our students. Students would be required to have knowledge of German. The meeting also discussed employment prospects of tourism students. 6.7 Workshop on Opportunities for young talents in the Mediterranean tourism industry On 14 th July 2012, the Institute for Tourism, Travel and Culture, University of Malta, hosted a workshop in collaboration with the Italian organization Connect Talents, which 11

12 is active in the field of youth promotion and networking. The workshop focused on Opportunities for young talents in the Mediterranean tourism industry: the examples of Italy and Malta. The panel of speakers included Dott. Fabrizio Nicolosi from Connect Talents (Italy); Mr. Reginald Abela from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Environment; Dr. Nadia Theuma, Director of the Institute for Tourism, Travel and culture; Mr. Livio Terilli, entrepreneur, from Sensus Faber (Italy) and Chev. Tony Coleiro, of TC Consult. The audience included Italian and Maltese academics, tourism sector stakeholders and students. Dott. Nicolosi gave a brief introduction on the mission of Connect Talents - the promotion and support of business projects focused on creating new entrepreneurial initiatives. Mr. Abela spoke of the current Maltese scenario, highlighting government initiatives aimed at supporting the national tourism industry. Dr. Theuma gave an outline of the evolution of the tourism industry in the last 50 years, focusing on current opportunities in the sector and on the educational and vocational offer available in Malta for national and international students. Mr. Livio Terilli presented an innovative business model for the agri-tourism sector, aimed at solutions to the problems commonly linked to seasonality and fragmentation of customers. The workshop concluded with the presentation made by Chev Tony Coleiro on the Calypso project, an international network between NTOs and other public organisations with the objective of facilitating social tourism exchanges between tourism destinations. Participants agreed that the workshop was an important opportunity for future collaboration in the field of tourism and culture development Industry Placements A total of 63 Year I and Year II students were placed with various institutions in the tourism and cultural sectors for work placements of 100 hours. The Institute is grateful to the following 25 organisations for hosting our students: Malta Tourism Authority MTA/ITTC Tourism Archives project Malta International Airport Malta Council for Culture and the Arts Heritage Malta (Museum of Fine Arts, Maritime Museum, Gozo Heritage, Inquisitor s Palace, Bighi Restoration Centre) Bir Mula Heritage Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Palazzo Falson, Mdina 12

13 Corinthia Hotel, St George s Bay, St Julians Corinthia Palace Hotel, Attard Grand Hotel Excelsior Malta Hilton Intercontinental Hotel Le Meridien Hotel Preluna Hotel Marina Hotel Diplomat Hotel Special Delivery Travel Tristar Travel Robert Arrigo & Co Alpine Sterling Conferences & Incentives EC English Language School Mizzi Foundation Nature Trust The placements carried out in 2009/2010 were a fruitful and interesting experience for the students. Most of the hosting institutions in that year willingly took on additional students for the academic year 2010/2011. The number of host institutions (particularly hotels) was increased to take into account the larger number of students. In order to better coordinate placements made by the University, ITS and other institutions with the tourism industry, meetings were organised by the Malta Tourism Authority and the MHRA to brief industry stakeholders on what is needed from them as potential hosting institutions. The ITTC Director and members of staff involved in placements participated in these meetings, which provide useful networking occasions. Plans are in hand for the following academic year, when it is expected that Second Year students will carry out their placements in the first semester, and the First Year students in the second semester. Students are also encouraged to seek suitable placement 6.9 Tourism Students visit ITB Berlin The now traditional visit by final-year Tourism students to the ITB Tourism Congress in Berlin took place on --- March Spread over three days and 150 conference sessions that cover the main current and future issues in the travel and tourism arena, the ITB Tourism Congress gives students the opportunity to listen to leading academics and practitioners alike from all over the world. This year, a particularly relevant presentation was made by the Secretary General of the International Tourism Organisation, on Mediterranean Tourism. The group was led by Mr Alfred Quintano Slow Food Malta Convivium The Institute for Tourism, Travel and Culture is the focal point for Slow Food in Malta, with several ITTC staff and other University members being active in the Malta 13

14 Convivium s committee. The Terra Madre Day was celebrated on 12 December 2011 at the Mosta Boys Secondary School, where a talk was held on food production. Form 1 students were provided with a simple meal, in line with Slow Food principles. 7: PROJECTS 7.1 EU and Other Projects and Applications The following are the current projects submitted and their status to date: Table 7: Project Participation Programme Project Title Date of Submission Role in Project Result ENPI HELAND (see below) October 2009 Lead Partner Project awarded. Kick-off mtg to take place in October 2012 INTERREG Malta-Sicily University of MALTA WATERFRONT Water and territorial Policies for integration of multi-sectoral development (see below) Typologies of Cultural Tourists in Malta (see below) March 2010 Partner Successful. Work on project being undertaken. Project awarded. The study is currently being conducted. Waterfront Project Water and Territorial policies for integration of multi-sectoral development Programme: INTERREG MALTA-ITALIA Budget: Euro 286,969 Partners: 5 partners from Sicily and Malta Duration: 24 Months Objectives: To define the strategies and mechanisms for sustainable coastal development To create a common platform for Mediterranean Islands, for improvement of policies and effective mechanisms for transnational coastal development To exchange good practices in coastal management 14

15 To explore the potential and development of the waterfront as a means of economic and social development. The project was launched in November During the period four project meetings were held (two in Malta and two in Palermo). In this project, ITTC is focussing on the 10 coastal localities in the east and south-east region of the Maltese Islands. Data collection on the project commenced in August 2012 and is expected to be finalised by end of September HELAND Project Promoting socio-economic sustainable development through innovative technological actions for Mediterranean tourism heritage and landscapes protection clusters Programme: ENPI CBC MED Budget: Euro 1,934,000 Partners: 10 partners from Malta, Spain, Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus and the Palestinian Authority Duration: 36 Months Objectives: To conduct state of the art analysis of heritage and landscape assets of the Mediterranean Basin To carry out technology transfer, training programmes and capacity building of personnel To design innovative products related to heritage and landscape To create virtual experience of the heritage and landscape of the Mediterranean Basin To design sustainability indicators for heritage and landscape attractiveness in the partner countries. The HELAND project suffered a delay in its commencement due to internal difficulties with some of the partners. These were eventually resolved and the project is expected to kick-off in October TYPOLOGIES OF CULTURAL VISITORS TO MALTA Programme: University of Malta Research Funds Budget: Euro 4,000 Duration: 9 Months Objectives: To create an inventory of all cultural assets in the Greater Harbour area, Mdina and Rabat To trace the development of these cultural heritage attractions over the past 20 years To generate a profile of cultural visitors to the Maltese Islands To classify visitors to these sites, using definitions of cultural tourists provided by scholars in the field 15

16 To quantify the number of visitors by category To determine the patterns of visits by cultural visitors to the sites being studies To assess the social and economic impact of cultural visitors to the surrounding areas. ARCHIVES Project Budget: Self-funded Partners: University of Malta, National Archives, Malta Tourism Authority and Tourism Directorate Duration: 24 Months This project is undertaking the inventory, cataloguing and storing of a number of documents related to the history of tourism in Malta between the late 1950s and 1970s. ITTC has the role of assisting in the conservation of the documents, and of providing the technical advice on the cataloguing of the documents. Much of this work was carried out by ITTC students on their Industry Placement. ITTC students also worked on setting up the exhibition held at the Auberge d Italie (December 2011 to January 2012). New Projects During the academic year , ITTC submitted three project applications under the Life-Long Learning Programme. Two applications were ranked highly but did not obtain the required mark to be awarded funds. The third project, a Transfer of Innovation Project, dealing with the theme of social tourism, was selected for funding. The project is expected to start in November International Links 8.1 On-Line Journal on Heritage Interpretation Following the first annual conference on Heritage Interpretation organised by Interpret Europe in Freiburg in July 2011, the ITTC was approached by Interpret Europe to co-edit the on-line journal on Heritage Interpretation which would give space to both academic and practical papers on HI. The first edition of this journal is planned for the second quarter of Dr Nadia Theuma, Director of ITTC, will be one of the editors of this on-line journal. 8.2 Slow Food Movement The Institute is the official site of the Terra Madre-Slow Food premises. 8.3 NECSTOUR The Institute is a member of NECSTOUR Network of European Competitive and Sustainable Tourism Regions. NECSTOUR is affiliated with DG Enterprise which is the EU Commission s body responsible for Tourism at a European level. Dr Nadia Theuma is a member of the academic committee. 16

17 8.4 OITS The Institute is a member of OITS (formerly BITS) through Dr Nadia Theuma, who participated at the OITS annual meeting held in Rimini in September Dr Theuma has been appointed to the Research Committee of OITS, where there is currently discussion on the setting up of a Mediterranean Observatory Centre for Social Tourism. 8.5 WIDE The Institute has continued with its membership of WIDE, which is an EU-based organisation promoting entrepreneurship and female participation. 8.6 ATLAS The Institute is a member of ATLAS (Association for Tourism and Leisure Education). This year the ITTC has started to carry out nation-wide research on typologies of cultural visitors in preparation for Malta s participation in Culture Capital of Interpret Europe ITTC is a member of Interpret Europe. 8.8 ATHE ITTC has joined the Association of Tourism and Hospitality Education. 8.9 Erasmus Programme Students: Fourteen incoming Erasmus students attended various study-units offered as part of the B.A.(Hons) Tourism Studies programme during the academic year Two ITTC students spent the whole academic year at Canterbury Christ Church University, and a further two students were at the University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule Bremen, for the second semester New Links Several requests for new exchange agreements have been received and are being considered by the EU and International Office, in the light of an overall review of agreements in the coming months Internships During the period under review, the Institute hosted four interns from Norway, Lithuana, Belgium and United Kingdom. They carried out research work on projects currently being undertaken by the Institute. 17

18 9. ITTC Staff Involvement on Boards, Publications and other Activities The members of the Institute serve on a number of University and other boards/ committees. The following is an outline of their activities over the past 12 months. Dr. Nadia Theuma Director, Senior Lecturer a) Boards and Committees Director, Institute for Tourism, Travel & Culture B.A. Tourism Studies Board of Studies Diploma in Gastronomy Board of Studies MA in Tourism Board of Studies ITTC PhD Board of Studies UMASA Council (Vice President) MA in Cultural Heritage Management Board of Studies (member) Institute of Tourism Studies: Member of the Board of Governors (Ministerial appointment renewed for another two years in July 2012); Member of the ITS Board of Studies Working Group on Revision of the Tourist Guides Course (Chair) Committee set up by the Minister for Education, Employment and the Family PRO, Wirt iz-zejtun Research Committee, OITS Academic Committee, NECSTOUR Advisory Board THM International Journal on Tourism Member of ATHE Member of the Slow Food Convivium Management Team Member of the Industry Sustainability Group (MHRA) - giving advice on action to be taken on a number of EU-communication papers on tourism issued during b) Publications/Papers Developing Community Based Tourism: Planning and Research Paper presented at the seminar Rediscovering Malta Enhancing Visitor Itineraries, April An Ethnography of Heritage Interpretation at Maltese Heritage Sites (with M. Avellino and G. Cassar). Paper presented at the Annual Interpret Europe Conference, Freiburg, July 2011 (this paper is currently being revised for publication). Country Profile: Malta, in Le Tourism Social dans le Monde, Number 152 October 2011, pp The Social Dimension of Tourism and Alliances (together with Julian Zarb); Paper presented at the Social Tourism Forum, held in Malta, November Tourism Higher Education and Industry Links: The Case of Malta. Paper presented at ATHE 2011 Annual Conference, held in Oxford, December

19 Turizmu Sostenibbli f Zona Urbana. Paper presented at the seminar Susainable Economies, organised by the Zejtun Local Council, May Crafts in Malta: State of the Art. A study commissioned by the Department of Trade, Valletta, Malta c) Media Net TV Il-Mara ta Llum, an afternoon daily programme presented by Gloria Mizzi. Discussion panel on food appreciation and healthy eating, 2 February 2012 d) Other activities Visiting Lecturer at the University of Strasbourg Gave lecture to the Diplo Foundation on Branding. Prof. Edward Zammit - Full Professor (on reduced hours) a) Boards Centre for Labour Studies, Board Member MA in Tourism Board of Studies B.A. Tourism Studies Board of Studies Employment Relations Board (Chairman), Dept of Industrial & Employment Relations Malta Statistics Authority, Board member b) Projects: Currently involved as the Malta expert in an EU Skills Panorama a project of the European Commission and Cedefop, aimed at articulating the EU s capacity for skills assessment, anticipation and matching. c) Publications: Rules of Workplaces. A review of book entitled Industrial Relations in Malta by Joseph Attard (Miller Distributors Ltd, in The Sunday Times, October 30, The Centre for Labour Studies Its Roots and Evolving Role, in CLS Biennial Report (pp 7-14), CLS Publ The characteristics and Legal Effects of Company Agreements and Workers Representatives. This is the Malta input in a study published by Labour Asociados (Madrid) (Forthcoming) An updated version of the 2006 monograph entitled Industrial Relations and Labour Law in Malta ( ) published by Kluwer International as part of The International Encyclopaedia of Laws (forthcoming). d) Media Participated in a number of local television and radio programmes on different topical issues of Malta s labour market. 19

20 Prof Carmel Cassar - Associate Professor a) Boards and Committees ITTC PhD. Board of Studies Diploma in Gastronomy Board of Studies B.A. Tourism Studies Board of Studies ITTC Research Ethics Board Member of the Board for the Rehabilitation of The Palace, Valletta Member of Council Sacra Militia Foundation Slow Food Malta Convivium Leader Fellow Royal Historical Society Member, Renaissance Society of America Member of the Malta Historical Society Fellow, Cambridge Commonwealth Society b) Publications Malta and the Study of Arabic in the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, Turkish Historical Review, No 2, pp Paper recently approved for publication in refereed journal: The Collegium Melitense. A Frontier Mission in the interface between the Christian and Muslim Worlds, Journal of Jesuit Studies, Brill (2014). Recently appointed on the Scientific Committee of the Journal Storia dell Urbanistica, which is published in Rome by the Associazione Storia della Citta. b) Conferences and Events The Renaissance Society of America Annual Meeting, Washington DC, March 2012; delivered paper on The Jews, Catholic Policy, and the Knights of St John in Malta, in the panel on The Politics and Culture of Violence in Early Modern Times: Gender, Social and Belief Structures I. The Renaissance Society of America Annual Meeting, Washington DC, March 2012: Co-organiser of Panel: The politics and culture of violence in Early Modern Times: Gender, Social and Belief Structures. EUTO Study Visit (Lifelong Learning Programme Leonardo da Vinci), Regione Marche, Italy, September Invited by the European Union of Tourist Officers (EUTO) and the Italian Association of Tourism Officers (ANET). Research visit to Rome Vatican archives and library, 9-24 June c) Others: L-Istrina at Palazzo Verdalle, Buskett, 26 December 2011: Logistics and details for an 18 th Century Banquet, held as part of the L-Istrina Presidential charity campaign. Malta Slow Food Convivium Terra Madre Day, 12 December 2011, celebrated at the Boys Secondary School, Mosta. Form 1 students were provided with a simple meal, and were given a talk about food production. 20

21 The production of Maltese sheep cheeselets (Gbejniet), October 2011 and March 2012: Interviews with producers of gbejniet in the south, central and north of Malta as well as Gozo, in collaboration with the Ministry for the Environment. The activity was carried out after a thorough research report, based on archival documentation dating back to the 15 th century, was carried out by Prof Cassar. Maltese honey: Invited by Dr Vasilis Valdramidis, of the Dept of Food Studies and Environmental Health, University of Malta, to conduct interactive historical and educational research on the production of Maltese honey. The project is being coordinated jointly with Golden Island Ltd. d) Television: Arte (a public channel broadcast both in France and Germany): Le Blogueur, a programme on traditional Christmas food in Malta, Slovenia and Bulgaria. Interviewed on Maltese Christmas food culture by Christian Roudaut, 24 December TVM Sellili, an afternoon daily programme presented by Claudette Pace. Interviewed live on Slow Food philosophy, 9 January Net TV Il-Mara ta Llum, an afternoon daily programme presented by Gloria Mizzi. Discussion panel on food appreciation and healthy eating, 2 February 2012 e) Radio: Campus FM Series: I m Alright part 1 Interviewed by Charles Xuereb, 24 & 26 November 2011; Campus FM Series: I m Alright part 2 interviewed by Charles Xuereb, 1 & 3 December f) Interview Articles The Times, 3 January 2012: Time to celebrate slow food that s good for you, interviewed by Kristina Chetcuti. Malta Today, 8 January 2012: Thousands clamour for the return of La Valette s sword to Malta Malta Today, 15 January 2012: Feeding the World, slowly, interviewed by Rachel Zammit Cutajar g) Book launch: The Belgian Memoirs of a Maltese Intellectual: Giovan Francesco Buonamico ( ) by Prof Arnold Cassola: launched on 24 July 2012 at the University. Prof Cassar discussed the setting in which Buonamico lived in the late 17 th century. Dr George Cassar Senior Lecturer a) Boards and Committees University Council (academic staff representative up to May 2012) ITTC Board (academic staff representative) Diploma in Gastronomy Board of Studies 21

22 MA in Tourism Board of Studies ITTC Ph.D. Board of Studies B.A. Tourism Studies Board of Studies Mentor at the University of Malta Council of the Sacra Militia Foundation (Deputy Chairperson/editor) Harsien Patrimonju Mosti (President) Committee, Friends of the National Archives of Malta (Education Officer/editor) Mosta Local Council Sub-Committee for Cultural Regeneration (Member up to March 2012, Deputy Chair from May to July 2012) Ta Bistra Management Committee (Member), in partnership between the Mosta Local Council and Heritage Malta Maria Regina College, Mosta Boys Secondary, President of the School Council by ministerial appointment Project manager (lead partner) in the EU Interreg IV Italy-Malta project Archaeotur. Slow Food Convivium (Malta) member of the committee Heritage representative in the project REBACA (Rehabilitation of Roman Baths and Catacombs) managed by Heritage Malta in collaboration with Mosta Local Council and Mgarr Local Council History Teachers Association (Malta), President Committee of the Malta Tourism Society, member b) Publications History teaching in Malta today, (co-author), in E. Erdmann & W. Hasberg (eds), Facing Mapping Bridging Diversity : Foundation of a European discourse on History éducation (Schwalbach, 2011), pp A hundred years of history teaching in Malta (co-author), in G. Cassar & Y. Vella (eds), History teaching and Research : bridging the theory/practice divide, vol 2 (Malta 2011) pp Sigismondo Savona : personalità ta struttura nazzjonali u l-konnessjonijiet talpolitika tieghu mal-imqabba, in C.J. Farrugia (ed) Sicut Lilium : Devozzjoni u Ritwal tu lis-sekli (Malta, 2012), pp c) Editorial Work Sacra Militia Journal of the Sacra Militia Foundation for the study of the Military, Naval and other Aspects of the History of the Sovereign Order of Malta, No. 10 (November 2011). Arkivju Journal of the National Archives of Malta and the Friends of the National Archives, no. 2 (November 2011) Il-Mosta a magazine which deals with all that is Mosti, no. 12 (March 2011) Ilkoll differenti, ilkoll specjali, ilkoll ugwali (co-editor, Malta, 2011) d) Discussion forum/lectures : In March 2012, lectured in the Luther College, Iowa, USA study-abroad programme partly held in Malta, on Everyday life in the Mediterranean Region, and tutored the students in their papers on this thème. 22

23 Participated in the Seminari di Approfondimento «Conservazione, gestione, valorizzazione e marketing dei béni culturali», within the Archaeotur Italia-Malta Project held in Ragusa Ibla and Santa Croce Camerina, Sicily (11-13 April 2012) ; presented the lecture Cultural Tourism. Participated in the Open Weekend of the Institute of Agribusiness, Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology (26-27 May 2012), presenting the lecture L-ikel Malti fi Zmien is-sekli Dsatax u Ghoxrin. e) Conferences: July 2011: European diversity : A treasure-house to challenge héritage interpreters, held in Freiburg, Germany by Interpret Europe European Association for Heritage Interpretation ; presenting the paper An Ethnography of Heritage Interpretation at Maltese Sites : Notions of Maltese National Identity September 2011 : Study visit Social Tourism held in Ancona, Italy, organised by the European Union of Tourist Officers (EUTO) Under the Lifelong Learning Programme Leonardo da Vinci March 2012: conférence organised by The Renaissance Society of America, held in Washington DC, presenting the paper Wartime violence and the common people : the case of the Great Siege of Malta of May 2012 : conférence organised by Interpret Europe Caring for nature and culture : interprétation as a management tool, held in Pisa and the Parco Naturale Migliarino San Rossore Massacciuccoli, Italy. Ms. Marie Avellino Assistant Lecturer a) Boards and Committees ITTC Board (Academic staff representative) ITTC Research Ethics Committee (Chair) B.A. (Hons) Tourism Studies Board of Studies b) Attendance at Conferences/Seminars/Events Seminar: The future of tourism segmentation, 28 October 2011 ITTC Seminar on Branding, 30 November 2011 ABTA Seminar Creating Shared value through tourism, London 1 February 2012 MTA workshop: Visitor Experience at Visit England, Malta, 20 April 2012 Interpret Europe Annual Conference & site visits, Pisa, Italy: Caring for nature and culture: interpretation as a management tool, April 2012 RAI Annual Conference 2012, London: Anthropology in the World, June 2012 Annual Conference for London Universities: Anthropology London Day, 21 June 2012 Launch of the Waterfront Project in Malta, 22 November 2011 Launch of the exhibition Fifty Years of History of Tourism in Malta, 2 Dec 2011 Workshop: Leadership and Management, Malta 17 April 2012 University of Malta course on Authorship, 9 May

24 Workshop: Sustainable Tourism, Malta 11 May 2012 Workshop: People Management, Malta 15 May 2012 Workshop: Industry Trends, 25 May 2012 Presented paper at the 2 nd Island Dynamics Conference: Consuming Culture in Malta, May 2012 Presented paper An ethnography of Heritage interpretation at Maltese Sites: Notions of Maltese National Identity, at the Interpret Europe Conference 2011, Freiburg, Germany, July 2012 Presented paper at the Doctoriales of the EIREST and the UNESCO Chair Tourism, Culture, Development : Paper in Tourisme, Concepts et methodes a la croisee des disciplines/ Tourism, Concepts and Methods at the disciplinary crossroads, pp , Touristic Encounter: Local Maltese and British Tourists, Unesco, Paris, September Doctoral Colloquium, Corfu, 31 May 2012: Consuming Culture in Malta: Invention and re-invention of home 2 nd AHTMM Conference 2 blind peer reviewed papers, Corfu 1-3 August 2012: British Tourists Consumption of Culture in Malta c) Publications Socio-Anthropomorphoc Strategies for Competitive Advantage, in International Conference on Applied Business Research, Britain in Aspic: Tourist Visits to Malta, in Matthews J. and Travers D. (Eds) Islands and Britishness: A global perspective, Cambridge Scholars Publishing Touristic Encounter: Local Maltese and British Tourists, in UNESCO in Tourisme, Concepts et methodes a la croisee des disciplines/tourism, Concepts and Methods at the Disciplinary Crossroads d) Research Currently reading for PhD in Anthropology with London Metropolitan University. Research on Older British Tourists in Malta: links to identity, nostalgia and memory. Extensive fieldwork in Malta and UK. Monthly PhD Seminars organised by the University of Malta Collaborating with the Malta Tourism Authority and the National Archives on a project that will inventorise, catalogue and store a number of documents related to the history of tourism in Malta between the late 1950s and 1970s. Mr. Alfred Quintano Assistant Lecturer a) Boards and Committees B.A. Tourism Studies Board of Studies ITTC Research Ethics Board Appointed to represent the University of Malta on a Committee of Experts to advise the Minister of Tourism on the drafting of the Tourism Policy for the Maltese Islands

25 Appointed in a specialist capacity on a Committee of Experts of the Malta Hotels & Restaurants Association on Hospitality Industry Sustainability. b) Conferences/Seminars ITB Berlin: 3-day Travel and Tourism Congress Postgraduate Research Conference, University of Portsmouth presentation Presented lecture on The application of the Balanced Scorecard in Business to MBA students, University of Portsmouth Annual Research & KT Conference, University of Portsmouth c) Publications: Advanced draft of co-authored academic journal article on A Taxonomy of Literature in Hospitality Performance Measurement and MCDA Studies. A literature Review. For publication in Autumn d) Research: Primary research area as part of the PhD process reading at the University of Portsmouth, centred on the demand generation aspect of the superior hotel industry. Successfully concluded demand-side quantitative field survey. Presented preliminary results and analysis to University of Portsmouth supervisory team and given the go-ahead to start writing PhD thesis. Presented results to a number of hotels and trade association in Malta. 25

26 PART-TIME LECTURERS AT ITTC Dr. Vanessa Borg a) Boards, Committees and appointments Member of the MAHE (Malta Association of Hospitality Executives), Member of IOH (Institute of Hospitality) Member of MIM and an SME member of the FHRD. Vice President and Board Member of Foundation Temi Zammit Committee member on MEUSAC S Education, Culture and Youth Committee Chairperson for the Employment Engagement Award and has been involved as a qualified assessor of the national People Management and Satisfaction Award. She has been appointed as an accredited lecturer/tutor to deliver educational programmes at levels 5,6,7,8 with; Henley, University of Reading, University of Leicester; University of Malta, BPP Professional Education; Business School of Edinburgh; CIMA- Chartered Institute of Accountants; IUKB (Institut Universitaire Kurt Bosh); Heriot-Watt University; Tbilisi National University Metekhi ; Institute of Tourism Studies- Malta; MCAST Malta, FHRD-Malta and forms part of the Adjunct-Faculty of MSM. Dr. Borg was guest speaker on a number of local and overseas conferences and provides various training and consultancy services within the international arena. Dr Borg s area of interest is Strategic Management and Human Resources, promoting the importance of the development and deployment of human intellectual capital by integrating people, processes, policies and culture, ultimately influencing financial and operational success. She has been nominated as a Nationalist Finalist in the 2012 RSM International Entrepreneur of the Year Award category after competing with over 15,000 European businesses at the European Business Awards. Dr Borg lectures on Managing Tourism Organisations in the B.A.(Hons) Tourism Studies course. Mr Malcolm Bray Mr Bray lectures on Basic Economics in Tourism to the B.A.(Hons) Tourism Studies students. Dr Silvio DeBono Dr DeBono lectures the B.A. (Hons) Tourism students in Data in Tourism, and in the Advanced Research study-unit to the MA in Tourism students. He has also been involved in helping the Master s students to formulate their research proposals and questionnaires. Mr John Ebejer a) Seminars, Conferences and Academic Activities Organised a seminar on The use of major events to promote and develop tourism destinations. The seminar was for students from Westminster University on a study trip to Malta and for ITTC students (1 November 2011). 26

27 Attended seminar on Social tourism as policy innovation organised by NET- STaR: Network for Social Tourism and Regeneration. Leading academics on social tourism addressed the seminar, held at the University of Westminster, London (October 2011) Presentation on urban design and tourism aspects of Valletta in seminar organised by Valletta Alive Foundation. Presentation to students and general public on the Valletta City Gate Project, at the University of Westminster, London. Attended various seminars including Writing for the Media (9 February 2012), Author Workshop (9 May 2012) and Enerscapes PV Systems in the Maltese landscape (15 June 2012). b) Research Reading for a doctorate at the School of Architecture and the Built Environment of the University of Westminster. The thesis is about the tourist experience in heritage urban spaces, using Valletta as a case study. Research abstract approved for presentation at GLTRG Colloquium to be held at University of Surrey in September c) Publications and Media Contributions Co-authored paper with Dr. Andrew Smith The role of national identity and tourism in city planning: the case of Valletta published in Urban Research & Practice, 2011, Vol. 3(1), p Regular contributor to local printed media on tourism and urban planning issues. The most recent contributions were: People first in Heritage Conservation in the Times of 14 September 2011 EIA Regulations need to be changed in the Times of 16 November 2011 Urban planning and the property market in the Malta Independent on Sunday of 29 April 2012 Mr Ebejer lectures in the BA programme on Spatial Planning and Tourism, Walking and Sustainable tourism. Mr Daniel Gravino Research: Mr Gravino s main research interests include the economic impacts of various sectors within the economy, foreign direct investment and the labour market, often adopting input-output or computable general equilibrium modelling approaches. Mr Gravino is currently employed as an economics analyst at the Economic Policy Department within the Ministry of Finance, the Economy and Investment and is also a member of the LIME Working Group of the European Commission (which studies methodologies for the assessment of structural reforms). Mr Gravino is a visiting lecturer in tourism economics and socio-economic issues in tourism at ITTC and a tutor in microeconomics at the Economics Department, FEMA, University of Malta. 27

28 Dr Louis Laganà a) Publications and Research APS Bank Exhibition 2011, Catalogue text and curator: Jacqueline Agius, Joseph Casha, Liz Denaro and Walter Vella, APS Bank Centre, Birkirkara, October Conference Proceedings: Malta as a Prehistoric Heritage Destination, ISBN b) Conferences, public talks, etc V International Tourism Congress, The Image and Sustainability of Tourist Destinations, School of Tourism & Maritime Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Leira, Peniche, Portugal, November 2011; title of paper presented: Malta as a Prehistoric Heritage Destination. Dr Laganà, who is a full-time lecturer at the Junior College, lectures on Art, Culture and Tourism. Mr Adrian P. Sciberras Mr Sciberras lectures the B.A. (Hons) Tourism students in Introduction to Finance and Business Accounting and Accounting Systems in Tourism and Heritage Sectors. Dr Anthony Theuma Dr Theuma lectures the MA in Tourism students on Innovative Tourism Management Projects, and the B.A. students on Innovation in Tourism and Tourism Enterprises, Skills, Creativity and Management. He has also supervised BA long essays and MA dissertation. Mr Edwin Ward a) Publications Authored White Paper on behalf of the Ogilvy Group on 'Brand-Building and SME Competitiveness'. This paper was reviewed in the national media by Joanna Ripard, Deputy Business Editor at The Times of Malta, and is circulated as a reference thought-leadership document by Nichole Brown, Corporate Communications Manager at Ogilvy Global Headquarters in New York. b) Conferences and Seminars Keynote speaker at seminar on "Place Branding" organised by the Institute at the Corinthia San Gorg on 'Brand Identity as the key management tool for competitive 21st century business'. Lead speaker at the Malta Financial Services Authority workshop series ŒPowers, functions and duties of company directors¹, where he presented on ³Corporate Governance and the CEO² held at the MFSA. Presented paper during The MIM Corporate Performance Management - The New Frontiers Conference, April 2012, on ³Why a balanced scorecard is the only way forward for Brands and Boards² Mr Ward is a Visiting Lecturer on Branding in the MA in Tourism programme and 28

29 teaches "Branding and Tourism" in the undergraduate BA programme. He has also been involved in supervision of MA dissertations. Mr Julian Zarb Mr Zarb lectured in the BA programme on International Tourism Development and in part of the study-units of Sustainable Tourism and Malta s Tourism Development. Mr Zarb is a Ph.D candidate with the Institute. Ms Lisa Cassar Ms Cassar lectured in the BA Programme on Tourism Impacts and Changes. She is also the coordinator of the Industry Placements for both the Year 1 and Year 2 students. 29