Hi!
For those of you have simply stumbled across this blog and my not know us personally, I bet you have a few questions. Who are Megan and Ashley? Why are they writing this blog? What does it have to do with Monaco?
To answer you're questions, we are writing an...online diary if you will, of our process of putting together a case study for the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership conference this November in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Confused? Let's just go back to the beginning of the story, I'll bring you up to speed.
My name is Megan MacDonald, I'm high school senior from British Columbia, Canada. Two months ago, my Lodging Management teacher, Mrs. Tourand, approached my class with a challenge. The Canadian Academy of Travel and Tourism was looking for a pair of students to represent Canada in the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership annual Research Competition. All you had to do was pair up and put together a case study proposal. How hard could that be, right?
My partner, Ashley Fisher and I soon found out, it was much harder than we thought. For nearly 3 weeks, we worked on our case study in every spare moment we had. We used every free block, lunch break and even stayed hours after school to get much needed help from our amazingly brilliant teacher advisor. I can honestly say, I have never checked my e-mail as often as I did in those 3 weeks.
Our topic? Innovation in Tourism; specifically Innovation in British Columbian Tourism. The innovation we chose to focus on was a local initiative known as Hand Picked in the Valley. The initiative brings together three communities from the Fraser Valley - Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Langely - to offer a unique tourism experience.
The initiative offers both "hand picked" trip itineraries for every demographic - from a day with the kids to a night with the girls - and a create your own itinerary feature for those who feel a little more creative. This one of a kind program seems to be a true innovation in tourism, bringing together three communities to set aside municipal boundaries and work for a common good, but is it really that effective?
Well, seeing as Ashley and I finally received the news today (after nearly a month of slowly going mad with anticipation) that we were chosen to represent Canada and the Canadian Academy of Travel & Tourism at the Global Travel & Tourism Partnership Research Competition in Monte Carlo, Monaco in November, it seems like we're not the only ones who want to know.
From now until November, that's exactly what we'll strive to find out. If you're interested to, why not keep reading. But for now, I'm going to go celebrate, so you'll just have to hit that follow button and wait to see where this adventure takes us...well other than Monaco.
Ciao for now!
-Megan
