UNBC CLASS STUDIES PERCEPTIONS OF PRINCE GEORGE
October 27, 2004 for immediate release
Prince
George's attractiveness as a destination for tourism is the focus of a
survey being undertaken by a class in the University's Resource
Recreation and Tourism (RRT) program.
"The study is really the result of a debate that surfaced this past summer among a number of letters to the editor in the Prince George Citizen," says RRT professor Anne Hardy. "The debate started when a journalist from Europe described the city in a way that was not complimentary. The comment generated a lot of response from local citizens. People are very passionate about this community and we want to capture their opinions in this survey."
All this week, the ten students in the fourth-year RRT class are surveying residents and tourists at various locations around the city: Canadian Tire, City Hall, Parkwood, and the Airport. The students are planning to collect 200 completed surveys from residents and another 200 from visitors to compare visitors and residents' perceptions of Prince George as a tourism and recreation destination. The final report will be completed in early December and is the major assignment for the course.
Anne Hardy came to UNBC this year from the University of Tasmania in Australia and her main research interests relate to community and stakeholder involvement in tourism development. She also studies the motivations, behaviours, and impacts of tourists who drive their own vehicles, a group that often has experiences distinct from those who fly or who participate in organized tours.
Prince
George's attractiveness as a destination for tourism is the focus of a
survey being undertaken by a class in the University's Resource
Recreation and Tourism (RRT) program.
"The study is really the result of a debate that surfaced this past summer among a number of letters to the editor in the Prince George Citizen," says RRT professor Anne Hardy. "The debate started when a journalist from Europe described the city in a way that was not complimentary. The comment generated a lot of response from local citizens. People are very passionate about this community and we want to capture their opinions in this survey."
All this week, the ten students in the fourth-year RRT class are surveying residents and tourists at various locations around the city: Canadian Tire, City Hall, Parkwood, and the Airport. The students are planning to collect 200 completed surveys from residents and another 200 from visitors to compare visitors and residents' perceptions of Prince George as a tourism and recreation destination. The final report will be completed in early December and is the major assignment for the course.
Anne Hardy came to UNBC this year from the University of Tasmania in Australia and her main research interests relate to community and stakeholder involvement in tourism development. She also studies the motivations, behaviours, and impacts of tourists who drive their own vehicles, a group that often has experiences distinct from those who fly or who participate in organized tours.
