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/

USC Tourism Experts Represented at the 2nd World Research Summit for Tourism and Hospitality

Dr. Fang Meng and PhD student Pei (Allison) Zhang attended the 2nd World Research Summit for Tourism and Hospitality and presented their paper.

Simon Hudson has just been appointed by Mayor Steve Benjamin to the Board of Directors for the Columbia Metropolitan Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports and Tourism. The mission of the Authority includes: directing and managing the activities and mission of the Columbia Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Columbia Regional Sports Council and the Columbia Regional Visitors Center, and overseeing the development and operation of the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Congratulations to the Center's Dr. Fang Meng!

Dr. Meng has been named as an Expert Committee Member to the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF). The distinguished honor is given to only 15 individuals who serve a 5 year term each. For more information please click on the link below: 
  http://www.hrsm.sc.edu/PressReleases/2013/meng_fang.html

Speaking at the Ministry of Truth!

On August 8th, Simon Hudson presented a paper in Senate House at the University of London. The buildings use by the Ministry of Information during the Second World War inspired George Orwell's description of the Ministry of Truth in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Dr. Hudson was speaking at the 2013 International Conference on Business Tourism and Applied Sciences, and the title of his paper was Knowledge Transfer in Tourism.

Simon Hudson presenting at the 6th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress yesterday in Las Vegas. Dr. Hudson gave two talks: one called "Health and Wellness Tourism: What Do Consumers Want?"; and the other titled "Understanding Domestic Medical Travel". The conference was attended by over 2,000 delegates from all over the world and was held in Caesars Palace.