A new partnership between the Junior Research Institute for Tourism and tourism provider for the town Destination Milton Keynes will see students look at how the town’s tourism potential and infrastructure can be enhanced to help entice more visitors.
Speaking at a workshop held at the University of Bedfordshire’s Luton campus, guest speaker Jason Freezer, partnership manager for tourism body VisitEngland, outlined the economic benefits of promoting and developing tourism across the country through use of Destination Management Plans – a shared statement of intent involving businesses, local residents and public bodies to manage, develop and promote a destination over a stated period of time.
Mr Freezer cited success stories in County Durham and Manchester where DMPs led to greater economic benefits in local tourism through improved visitor satisfaction rates and inceased re-visitor rates at some attractions.
The workshop was also attended by DMK director and general manager Jackie Inskipp, senior academics from the university’s business school and the ten undergraduate, masters, PhD Tourism students and alumni who are working on the project.
jRIT director Dr Petia Petrova said: “Mr Freezer’s presentation showed our students the strategic approach to tourism coordination and planning, and the potential economic benefits they can present to everyone in the locality."
The students are expected to report their findings and
The Milton Keynes project is the latest in a series that the university’s tourism students has been involved with over the past three years and follows a successful project carried out for English Heritage managed Wrest Park in 2012.
