Dr. Hudson Ignites the Audience!

In case you missed Dr. Hudson's talk at Ignite! You can access the video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnVJ-1OL3t0

Coming Soon...

The second edition of Golf Tourism written by Simon & Louise Hudson will be out very shortly. Since the first edition of this widely acclaimed text the landscape of golf tourism has changed considerably. When the first edition was published, the worldwide recession was having a major impact on golf, and golf destinations around the world were suffering. But golf holidays are on the up again, with growth particularly strong in the emerging markets of Asia and the Middle East. A focus on family holidays has emerged, with an increased emphasis on the customization of vacations. Marketers are more inventive, packaging golf with wine, cycling, food and spas. Expectations have also increased in terms of customer service and value for money, and technology and social media have revolutionized both the decision-making process and booking procedures for golf holidays. Looking forward, one major event that could have a significant impact on the growth of golf participation, and thus golf tourism, is the game’s inclusion in the Olympic Games in 2016. A new case study in the book looks ahead to this event. Just as the first edition of this book did, the second edition of Golf Tourism colorfully illustrates the key issues, opportunities and future challenges that lie ahead for those in the golf industry. It contains 40 up-to-date case studies from all over the world, covering all sectors of the golf industry, the majority of the cases developed based on personal visits and in-depth interviews conducted by the authors.

Dr. Hudson Visits the Nation's Capital

On January 21^st and 22^nd,  2014, Dr. Hudson took advantage of the Office of Research’s invitation to researchers to  fly to Washington, DC, on the university’s plane. Over the two-day trip,  Dr. Hudson had the opportunity to meet with Representative Clyburn’s office, Senator Tim Scott’s office, Representative Tom Rice’s office, dine with the representatives from the US Travel Association and meet with representatives from the USDA to discuss current projects, future projects and tourism’s impact on the SC economy.  

What is the future for tourism marketing?

A new book on tourism marketing has just been published and Simon has a chapter in it called “Challenges of Tourism Marketing in the Digital, Global Economy.”His chapter looks at the new digital era of marketing communications as it applies to tourism, a digital era dominated by social media. It begins with an introduction to today’s digital marketing environment, and is followed by an analysis of the consumer decision process in the new digital world.  The third section takes a closer look at social media, and shows how savvy marketers around the world are leveraging new digital communication channels. Organizations profiled include Vail Resorts, Queensland Tourism, Orlando Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, The Virginia Tourism Corporation, KLM, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Disney, Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and the Sukiennice National Museum in Krakow. The next part of the chapter outlines the challenges facing tourism marketers in the digital, global economy, and a final section speculates on the future of digital marketing communications, making suggestions for further research in this area. More details about the book can be found at: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415597036/