Huihang Ancient Road is one of three routes crossing the Eurasian landmass that connected China in the east and Europe in the west for many hundreds of years.
Today the scenic eastern end in Anhui Province exists as “the well-developed and most popular hiking route in Southeast China,” said the students. Today the Road sees some 1 million visitors a year, and all indications are that the Road and the Preserve in which it is located are going to see many more visitors. Is the Road ready? The students decided to analyze the strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/Challenges (S.W.O.T) facing the Road and its communities and service businesses.

Carrying their tent, sleeping bags, backpacks, food and water, and other items, the students spent two days exploring today’s Ancient Road in order to produce their case study.

The title of this case study tells the story: “From Local to National to Global: A Case Study of How a Local-Based Hotel and Communities Helped Develop HK Geopark into a World-Class Destination for Sustainable Adventure Tourism.”

Eight “geo-areas” comprise the HK Global Geopark and between them they serve as a handy introduction to geology. As the students note, the parks showcase Hong Kong’s “timeless and eerily beautiful landforms” as well its flora and fauna. Be prepared for hiking and boat tours to enjoy them all.

And the difference between a Geopark and a Global Geopark? “ A Global Geopark is an area with a particular geological heritage of international significance and also with a sustainable development strategy involving local communities.”

The Mátra is a mountainous area in northern Hungary that is part of an old volcanic zone. It is also home to the Mátra Nature Protection Area, which bans many activities, including collecting plants and geological specimens, and protects wildlife. People touring on bikes have to follow dedicated routes. No machines powered by gasoline or diesel are allowed, nor are information signs on trees. The number of visitors to the Nature Protection Area are controlled.

In spite of all the controls, the Mátra is also home to the High-Tech Sports Base at Mátrafüred. The company obtained a permit to operate in 2010. How the company uses technology to comply with the requirements of the Protected Area is the story the students report.

The students are intrigued by paragliding, a sport that is growing in popularity in Jamaica. It’s fun and sustainable since paragliding is both kind to the environment and does not consume much in the way of resources. A paragliding enthusiast needs a fabric wing and a steep hillside slope to launch from, preferably with a nice view. Jamaica has plenty of those. An added attraction, report the students, is that most of Jamaica’s competitors in the Caribbean do not offer the sport to their visitors. The students report on this niche sport and its potential to help diversify what Jamaica offers visitors.

Kakamega Tropical Rainforest is the largest Kenyan remnant of a forest that stretched across Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. It is home to 488 bird species, 46 of which are only found in the Kakamega forest; 36 snake species; 21 lizard species; 487 species of butterflies; animals ranging from the Clawless Otter to the Giant Water Shrew. There are any number of massive trees, some over 300 years old, and waterfalls. The problem facing the survival of the forest is that people need work and they need food.

“The people living around it depend on it for timber, fuel wood, herbal medicine, building materials and food,” report the students. “Kakamega Forest, being a biological system, has to remain diverse and productive indefinitely.” They explore what needs to be done.

The students started thinking how Accessible Adventure Tourism could work for people with health limitations or disabilities in their hometown, Tver. Tver is a 12th century city town with 18th and 19th century architecture, located between Moscow and St. Petersburg on the Volga river. Instead of just thinking about it the students created the Accessible Adventure Cycling Tour, an enterprise with real customers. Creating the business required initial surveys, market research, promotion, an action plan, training, creative itineraries, and activities. And then there was equipment to adapt: bicycles, tricycles and wheelchairs. Customers of course need to be trained. The students were helped by school friends, teachers and their school’s administrators. Also “we were really lucky with enthusiastic response from the city administration, travel & tourism businesses, medical and social care institutions and NGOs who were eager to help us,” the students report. They can handle 10-15 riders per tour. Their customers write rave reviews about the tour.

“There are a number of threats caused by adventure tourism activities,” say the students. “Mass tourism can have negative effects. Natural resources can be exploited. Local communities can be influenced negatively.”

The students examine Storms River Adventures, a well-established firm located in Tsitsikamma in the Eastern Cape Province, to see how it deals with the three potential threats.

They examine the ways the company achieves its environmental objectives that include protecting water sources, reducing its carbon footprint and protecting 300-year old trees. Social responsibility activities range from providing free meals for young children who need them to sponsoring veterinary clinics.

“UK adventure tourism has experienced steady growth over the past 10 years,“ report the students, “ particularly given facilities and infrastructure development, improved access arrangements, more aggressive marketing and information provision.”

The students review “how different companies contribute in making UK adventure tourism more sustainable.” The four organizations selected, say the students, “are recognized at both local and national levels for their contribution to the promotion of sustainable tourism.”

Examined are: “Go Ape,” one of the UK’s fastest-growing outdoor adventure tourist parks, with 54 sites nationwide; “Wilderness Scotland, winners of two awards; “Nevis Range,” a government-run organization, and “ Haggis Adventures,” a family-run organization.

The students explored Pure Life Paddle Boards, a business in Chilliwack, British Columbia, to see how its owner, Ken Larsen, works to achieve social, environmental and economic sustainability, also known as The 3 Pillars of Sustainability. He works hard.

As one of the students reports, “Through this project I have learned how complex it is to run a business, how hard it is to pursue the true meaning of the existence of the business, and how much Canada is blessed with nature.”

This is a classic example of looking at big goals through the lens of a small company that practices what others preach.

Olímpia, population 54,000 is home to a gigantic waterpark. On a typical day, so many visitors arrive that the town’s population almost doubles. However, the region faces a severe drought. Fortunately, waterparks recycle water. One challenge is to reduce visitor water consumption in the town’s hotels, most of which are small or B&Bs. “The use of simple and very cheap technology can help small hotels save water and reduce energy consumption,” the team reported. ”Simple actions can generate great changes.” The team shows how.

The Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve is a150, 000 hectares (almost 600 square miles) preserve adjacent to the Province of Ontario’s Thousand Islands region. Designated a Biosphere in 2002 by UNESCO, the preserve uses its surroundings as a living laboratory to test and demonstrate the management of land, water and biodiversity. It has three goals: first, provide support for research; secondly, contribute to conservation; third, foster sustainable economic and human development. It is a complicated and challenging task. The team shows why.

The team, one member of which had had vacation job with a famous hotel chain, investigated the application of digital and other technology to achieve sustainability goals at hotels in Hangzhou and Qingdao. One hotel is China’s first “smart hotel.” The technology used touches architectural design and local culture; the guest experience; staff efficiency; food and beverage management; water and energy conservation; solid waste management; expense management, and competitive advantage.

Ocean Park Hong Kong combines an amusement park and its 80 or attractions with a marine animal park, a theme park with animals, and an oceanarium. In 2013 more than 7 million people poured into the park’s 226 acres (91.5 hectares). The students examine technology that improves the visitor experience and improves the way the park manages energy consumption. They also offer suggestions.

Visitors come to Sárvár, a pleasant town of about 16,000 people, to visit its spa, castle, churches, arboretum, park and lake. The student team decided to research how smart phones and QR codes are used to market Sárvár’s attractions. Among other things, the team provides a comprehensive briefing on how QR codes work and how useful they are. The team determined that Sárvár and its visitors would benefit from greater use of this technology.

Travelers today, report the team, can “take a tour of a city without a tour guide, book a flight with a booking desk, and tell tales of exotic locations without opening their mouths.” This is Ireland in the Age of the App, the mobile digital applications that make smart phones and other mobile devices smart. The team takes us on a tour of Ireland, show us how apps are changing travel and tourism.

The team explored the operations of Chukka Caribbean Adventures, which offers “natural adventures and excursions” ranging from riding horses along the beach to tubing and zip-line rides. Five hundred of the company’s 700 or so employees are in Jamaica. The team reported that the company uses technology to manage water conservation, energy use and waste control. The team noted that the company invests in employee training, hires locally and works with local suppliers.

“Transformative technology” is an overused term, but it fits very precisely Kenya’s M-Pesa money transfer service that makes it possible for people without bank accounts or easy access to banks to transfer money and pay for goods and services. It is operated by Safaricom, a mobile phone service provider. Almost half the population of Kenya uses M-Pesa. The students tells us about the impact M-Pesa has had on Kenya’s economy. The “M” in M-Pesa , by the way, stands for “Mobile” and “Pesa” means “money” in Swahili.

The students came up with the idea of creating a “mash up” or linking together the capabilities of a tablet computer and a Google Glass wearable computer. Tourists could use the mash up to plan their day, including where to visit and where to eat, then use the Google Glass as a personal tour guide as the explore wherever they are. Their case study comes complete with a Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (S.W.O.T) analysis and a discussion of how to finance the development of their idea.

The cliffs of South Africa’s Mossel Bay are home to caves containing stone age technology dating back 170,000 years and human remains from 100,000 years. At the top of the cliffs and stretching back inland is technology dating 8 years: this is where Pinnacle Point Beach and Golf Resort, opened in 2006, is located. The students examine how modern technology can help preserve the stone age technology for scholars and allow the resort to co-exist with this important archaeological site.

“Our research was focused on exploring the relationship between sustainable tourism and how technology supports it,” wrote the team. The team also wanted to understand how the how the visitor experience was improved. Four local businesses were examined. They ranged from a hotel to a maker of sea salt. One conclusion reached: technology today moves so quickly it outstrips some businesses’ ability to understand how new developments can help them survive.

Surrounding the town of Itu are many traditional coffee plantations whose owners have ignored the temptation to sell their properties for housing developments or other urban necessities. These plantations are attractive destinations, and the students set out to find out “Why do the historic farms receive so few tourists?” This is their report.

The Upper Columbia Valley of British Columbia has all the ingredients needed to create a culinary destination for visitors. Nevertheless “there is a void of culinary tourism opportunities.” The students report on what needs to be done to fix the problem and better serve the area’s already sizeable tourist industry.

In Hangzhou, famous for its cuisine, people like to go out into the countryside and blend together a relaxing mix of activities that includes visits to tea plantations, villages and their tea houses, local farm food, ceremonial tea preparation and nature walks. The students explore this “tea culture” and its appeal to both domestic and international visitors.

There are more than 200 vegetarian restaurants in Hong Kong, and the students report on the wide variety of menu choices now available to visitors. The team believes that interest in vegetarian cuisine is growing rapidly and that this interest could be harnessed to attract more visitors to Hong Kong.

The students want to help their hometown of Mor attract more visitors during the periods when the pretty little wine center attracts fewer tourists. They decided to create useful websites in Hungarian and English to let people know about their community, its food, its vineyards, and its culture. If you want to know about where to eat, stay, shop, check it out at http://cast-about-mor.webnode.hu/

Kenya’s traditional cuisine includes such dishes as ugali, githeri, seveve, mursik , matumba, and nyama choma. These are some of the dishes enjoyed by Kenya 42 ethnic groups. “When one tours Kenya a sumptuous culinary experience is always there,” report the students. They describe the dishes, include recipes and recommend places to sample them.

In 2008 two determined ladies of Kolomna, Natalia Nikitina and Elena Dmitrieva, set out to restore the authentic manufacture of the apple-based delicacy called pastila for which the town was once known. With recipes dating back to the 14th century, pastila takes two days to make by hand. The team examines how the resurrection was accomplished, its associated activities, its impact and its future.

The San people of the Kalahari have lived in Southern Africa for some 20,000 years. They are hunter-gatherers and one of their favorite foods is !Nabas or Teresa pfeilii in Latin, a distant relative of that gourmet’s delight, the French black truffle. The students tell us about !Nabas, how they are found and cooked and how they are used as a treat for visitors.

Kenya relies on its scenery and abundant and varied wildlife to attract visitors. The students believe Kenyan tourism would benefit by expanding opportunities for home stays so visitors can experience Kenyan cultures more directly. They examine the positives and negatives of home stays in the Masai and Luo communities and suggest how to improve and expand the home stay experience.

The team believes that Moscow is ready for and innovative boutique hotel, and they have a historic building in mind to rescue for the role, as well as a proposal for history-based room and food themes, starting with a cave room and ending with “the bedroom of the future.” The study comes complete with surveys and a SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) analysis.

The students want to create jobs in their district. They suggest offering tours of a closed gold mine and visits to a Tswana village; rehabilitating a riverside recreation area next door to the mine, and adding a wild game farm and conference center. The combination of new activities and facilities should create a new destination for visitors, and jobs.

“People with disabilities have the same needs as other tourists, including the need to feel in control of their travel experience,” report the students. Based on their research at two London hotels and a fast-food restaurant, the students have recommendations about training staff in order to improve that travel experience. They also have plans to help make their recommendations a reality.

In Sao Paulo, the student team’s hometown, the festival of Carnaval revolves around 95 Samba “Schools” or teams which between them enter over 400,000 dancers, flag carriers, drummers, float riders to perform in the event. Then there are the hundreds of thousands volunteers who help each School with their time, effort and money. The Schools also function as self-help organizations, reported the students, and offer after-school activities and classes, all of which help maintain volunteers’ involvement in their School.

The Province of Manitoba is home to more than 200 festivals each year. The festivals are made possible by the efforts of some 30,000 volunteers from the province’s population of 1.2 million. One, called Folklorama, lasts two weeks, occupies venues across the city of Winnipeg and needs 20,000 volunteers to make it work. The students examined the challenges facing festival organizers and have assembled an excellent and practical checklist for recruiting volunteers and keeping them involved. They also have recommendations for working around “toxic volunteers” who are impediments to a festival’s success.

The research team examined China’s experience of festival tourism by exploring local versions of the Dragon Boat Festival, a nationwide holiday. Interest in local versions of the festival – and others – is accelerating in China as more Chinese citizens go on vacation and explore their country and its cultures. This interest is leading local governments to take steps to encourage festival-based tourism in their areas with more advertising and improved facilities to accommodate the growing numbers of visitors.

Hong Kong celebrates its own special festivals; it also celebrates festivals that it shares with the rest of China, as well as festivals imported from Britain when Hong Kong was a British colony. Team members reviewed all three varieties and then focused on the Good Luck Festival as it is celebrated in Sha Tin, their neighborhood, and its Che Kung Temple. The team made suggestions to make visiting the Temple and the Festival easier and more rewarding for visitors.

The Nadasdy Historical Festival in Sarvar was established in 2009 by a group of friends who made up for their lack of experience with hard work and lots of enthusiasm. The Festival has been successful but is still a work in progress, according to the team, one of whose members helped start the Festival. The team tells the story of how the Festival was created, and how it is evolving with new events, new supporters, new ideas, and how the organizers are dealing with the inevitable challenges.

The team reviewed a sampling of 19 festivals that range from ones that started as national in scope but have become international celebrations (think St. Patrick’s Day) or are very local such The Puck Fair, which celebrates an historical event. While providing a useful guide to anyone planning a trip to the island, the team also shows us how festivals have become a mighty engine of growth for Irish tourism, and describe the strategic steps being taken to encourage the festival industry.

Jamaica’s Calabash Literary Festival was an ornament of the country’s cultural scene for 10 years, bringing in writers from around the world until it ran out of funding. The team used SWOT analysis (“Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats”) to examine the Festival and its demise. The team recommended charging at least a minimal fee to help resolve the funding problem and using social media to publicize the event. Threats to reviving Calabash, which may or may not return, include a new literary festival in Jamaica.

The team focused on ceremonies that help define the lives of the Kikuyu, one of Kenya’s 42 ethnic groups. The team would like to see efforts made to educate people on the need to preserve festivals as an important part of Africa’s heritage and culture. The team suggested more efforts be made to publicize festivals locally so local residents can appreciate them and also to attract visitors. The team also recommends that infrastructure be improved in order to make festivals more accessible to visitors.

The annual Spasskaya Tower Festival is a rapidly evolving five-day international musical festival held in Moscow’s Red Square and named after a massive Kremlin entry way, the Spasskaya Tower. The initial format was established in 2007, before the festival was expanded and moved to Red Square in 2009. It has attracted military bands from 15 countries, including the U.S, Britain, France, and Australia. Musical offerings include military, classical, pop, and jazz. Performers range from singers to a Swiss drummers corps to dancers from Mexico. The team interviewed attendees, analyzed the festival’s potential and offered suggestions.

Limpopo Province’s Marula tree fruit, a cousin of the cashew nut, is used to make cooking oil, skin conditioner, fruit juice, jelly condiments, relishes, snacks, beer and even an after-dinner drink. Marula fruit is the traditional centerpiece of some of the celebrations and festivals of the Tsonga, Venda, Northern Sotho and Zulu peoples. The versatile fruit is now the star of the Province’s Marula Festival, which offers golf, youth rugby and soccer, ethnic games and dances, music, a marathon, cooking competitions, and a fashion show. The team tells us how it all works.

The Canada team examines environmentally friendly activities available to visitors around Kingston, a lakeside city in Ontario Province, where green tourism is a marginal component of the area’s tourism industry. The team explored how its share can be increased. The team met with local political leaders and business people to examine not only the benefits of green tourism, but also its negatives, the challenges the industry faces, and what the future may hold.

The students chose 6 scenic locations in densely populated, economically developed coastal areas in China – Ningbo, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Liaoning, and explored how Green Tourism is being practiced in these popular tourist destinations. The students report on the practices they saw, and surveyed tourists to understand how visitors perceived green tourism. They also interviewed administrators and business people in the industry, and suggest how environmentally friendly measures could be taken.

Tai Po is a densely populated industrial and suburban community. The students explored it to see if the area could be a green tourism destination appealing to our five senses: vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch. The students conducted interviews with both visitors and local people, and also made recommendations ranging from encouraging preservation of traditional life styles to more accommodations for visitors.

Music festivals in Hungary can attract 400,000 people and the students were intrigued to find that festival organizers now take seriously the environmental impact of their events, and plan accordingly to minimize it. In addition to interviewing festival organizers, the 10-person student team organized a mini-conference focused on green topics and added an environmental theme to their grammar school’s annual “Student Day.”

The River Barrow has been many things: a source of food for riverside Stone Age villages, a highway for missionaries 1,400 years ago, and more recently part of a commercial transportation system. Modern freight trucks killed the old barge freight business. Now the river has been embraced by people seeking the green delights the Barrow offers: walking, flora, fauna, fishing, boating.