Visioning Meeting #1:
Occurred in November 2010 in Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A.
This initial meeting built relationships among the team and also with diverse stakeholders who were involved in several productive meetings and activities. Existing curriculums and updates for each institution were reviewed; funding opportunities for Turkish and Armenian faculty were discussed; creative public and private sector and academy collaborations were identified; research needs for further action and subsequent plans were defined. The trip was sealed with a great level of cross-cultural understanding, and outcomes of the activities exceeded expectations for all institutional partners.
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Visioning Meeting #2:
Occurred in March 2011 in Istanbul and Izmir, Turkey.
Several meetings and presentations were conducted during this meeting as well. All domains of the project goals were reviewed and several outcomes were achieved. The trip was very productive, featuring meetings and site visits to various attractions. Project partners not only familiarized themselves with the Turkish tourism industry but also built mutually beneficial relationships with diverse stakeholders. Educational needs for the tourism workforce as it relates to culturally and environmentally sustainable regional tourism development were identified. All external participants, including tourism practitioners, and Armenian and Turkish community members were involved in and supportive of the overall project's objectives. The warm and friendly connections built among team members were further nurtured into true fellowship.
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Visioning Meeting #3:
Occurred in September 2011 in Yerevan and Gyumri, Armenia.
Similar to the first and second visioning meetings in the U.S.A. and Turkey, several meetings were conducted during the visit, and several presentations were also delivered by the team members and guests. Through productive discussions, all domains of the project objectives and goals were visited and several outcomes were achieved. ASUE team's effective organization of meetings and site visits enabled the team to have a first-hand experience with diverse aspects of tourism as well as build contacts and network with the industry stakeholders. Academic faculty, tourism practitioners, as well as students and other relevant members of the community were involved in and supportive of the project. The visit to Armenia, which was a first for all Turkish and American team members, proved that normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia through tourism, particularly with a focus on the youth segment, is already underway. Encouraged by the outcomes of this visit, ATA Fellows are geared towards effective implementation of the educational activities planned for the next 12 months.
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Online Education & Capacity Building : Ongoing
The education and capacity building activities took place during the Spring and Summer of 2012. Students selected by each institution were provided the online Cultural Tourism course on the Moodle platform. Students were prepared in terms of cultural tourism aspects and cross-cultural interaction prior to the trip to Kars. Also a BlogSpot was prepared and maintained by the students as a term-long activity to increase their awareness about Kars and the region. Subsequently, those students who successfully completed the Cultural Tourism Class were taken on a cross-cultural Peace trip to Kars. Currently, another online course named Destination Management and Marketing is being delivered to Armenian and Turkish students who will be travelling to Gainesville, FL in December 2012.
Student Mobility & Exchange:
These activities are designed to increase the value and educational outcomes of the new courses, in addition to enhancement of language and communication skills.
A reconnaissance visit to Kars was conducted between June 26-29, 2011 to set details for the student trip to Ani in 2012. Meetings and discussions with the local officials and public will be used for effective and efficient organization of the student filed trip.
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Feildtrip to Ani, Turkey, July 2012
Students from each University (10 from UF, 10 from ASUE, 15 from DEU) took a cross-cultural peace trip to Kars. Through several sightseeing and educational activities, students gained awareness about the tourism potential along with the obstacles and potential solutions for the region. Furthermore, the formal and informal activities between student enabled interactions generated unexpected cross-cultural understanding and interest among students as well locals involved in the activities. With the outcomes of the online course and Kars trip, ATA Fellows and their new student fellows look forward to enhancing their friendships during the next activity, which is the visit to Gainesville in the Fall 2012. Student Feedback Photo Gallery
Service learning experience trip to Florida, U.S.A., Fall 2012
Similar to the Spring and Summer of 2012, both education and capacity building activities took place during the Fall of 2012. Students selected by each institution were provided the online Destination Marketing and Management Course on the UF SAKAI platform. Students were prepared in terms of several destination management and marketing issues prior to the trip to Florida, U.S.A.. Subsequently, those students who successfully completed the Destination Marketing and Management Course were taken on a cross-cultural Peace trip to Florida. Several sightseeing activities were carried in cultural, natural, heritage and event destinations with educational, experiential and social dimensions. Formal and informal activities between students enabled building onto the relationships established during the previous cross-cultural trip to Kars, Turkey. With the outcomes of the online course and Florida trip, ATA Fellows and their new student fellows enhanced their awareness and understanding of the critical social and cultural issue to focus on while organizing similar activities in the future, such as the one for the Conference in Armenia in June 2013. Student Feedback Photo Gallery
Research : Ongoing
Based on the discussions of the visioning meetings, a few areas of research have been identified for immediate attention to improve the cross-border travel between Turkey and Armenia. Focus group studies have been conducted on students at DEU and ASUE to understand the potential issues regarding image, cultural distance and tourism between Armenia and Turkey. Results indicated perceptions that are on the spectrum of lack of any perception to somewhat biased perception. Additional future studies on both supply and demand side of tourism were identified to pursue as well.
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Outreach & Service : Ongoing
ATAF aims serving tourism industry in each country by developing new relationships as well as strengthening old relationships with several industry stakeholders including, public and private businesses, attractions, DMOs and associations. Besides, ATAF facilitated revitalization of the existing Sister City Programs between US and Turkey (Tampa-Izmir) while initiating new programs between three countries. Members from Tampa Sister Cities Committee, Turkish Community Center and Tampa City Council were involved in meetings organized during the 1st Visioning Meeting in Gainesville, US. Likewise, Deputy Mayor of Izmir was also involved in the meetings organized during the 2nd Visioning Meeting in Izmir, Turkey. Plaques and Gifts were exchanged for dedicated friendship during these meetings.
Besides, during the 2nd Visioning Meeting in Turkey, the team visited Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul and met with Archbishop Aram Atesyan, the Deputy General of the Patriarch. Archbishop Atesyan provided his comments, suggestions and blessings for the team in this meaningful endeavor.
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Conference of Tourism & Hospitality: The Highway to Sustainable Regional Development : June 28-30,2013, Yerevan, Armenia
The conference is planned to focus on issues concerned with achieving environmental, social and economic sustainability of tourism for regional development. A multi-disciplinary approach will be promoted to foster greater understanding and collaboration between social science experts, tourism scholars, practitioners, government officials, policy makers, relevant international and local organizations, NGOs, SCOs, institutions, experts, authorities, local communities and other stakeholders from the U.S., Turkey, Armenia, and other countries in the Caucasus region. The meeting is intended to provide attendees with a platform to discuss and address the issues related to education, research, and industry outreach within the general framework of sustainable tourism for regional development in the cross-border region.
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