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PROFESSOR DAVID SIMMONS David Simmons is Professor of Tourism and Director of TRREC (Tourism, Recreation Research and Education Centre) based at the Environment, Society and Design Division, Lincoln University, New Zealand. At Lincoln University, he has taught and supervised undergraduate and research students in numerous aspects of tourism since 1980. Currently he is project director for an eight year FoRST funded programme of research 'Tourism Planning in New Zealand'. He also provides support for a second FoRST funded programme examining the "limits of acceptable environmental change for the tourism sector”, and technical advice to a programme investigating 'Tourism: Itinerary Choice and Energy' focussing on strategic responses to tourism’s adaptations to global climate change. David's research has focused on tourism planning (especially those involving community approaches), social impacts of tourism development, and governmental institutions, roles and responsibilities in tourism planning and management. Key case studies have included Kaikoura, Rotorua, Westland and Christchurch. Since 1998 he has been assisting Kaikoura in its tourism planning – and was an early supporter of the Green Globe 21 benchmarking and certification process. Overseas Prof Simmons has worked in tourism planning, education and international strengthening programmes in: Mauritius, Niue, Vanuatu (WTO), Sarawak, Nepal, India and Cambodia.
It’s a small(er) world : Education, Tourism and Friendships between Malaysia and New Zealand
This paper first outlines my, and my family’s, personal friendships between our Colombo plan “guest” in the 1960s and ongoing travel by respective family members between Sarawak and New Zealand. Such were the bonds of friendship from that time that several members of both families have now travelled between our two countries; in fact we are now up to our third generation of travellers. My personal story is however only part of a much wider evolution of tourist visitation to, and between, Malaysia and New Zealand. The ongoing growth of travel for educational and recreational purposes now underscores significant flows of tourists between our two countries. These patterns of growth are explored, and market tastes and developments elaborated. My personal story serves as a reminder of the early developments of education as the original motive for the modern age of travel. In today’s world we should not lose sight of this motive and of the significant opportunities that both education and travel provide for cross-cultural friendships and understandings.
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