The ultimate constraint: Tourism labor force

REPORTS AND RESEARCH NOTES

T h e U l t i m a t e C o n s t r a i n t : T o u r i s m Labor F o r c e Meral Korzay

Tourism Administration Program Bogazi¢i University, Turkey A c o m m o n c o n c e r n of d e v e l o p e d a n d d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t r i e s in t h e h o s p i t a l i t y a n d t r a v e l i n d u s t r y w i t h r e f e r e n c e to t o u r i s m t r a i n i n g led t h e Adv a n c e d T o u r i s m V o c a t i o n a l S c h o o l of Bogazi¢i U n i v e r s i t y to s p o n s o r a n I n t e r n a t i o n a l T o u r i s m E d u c a t i o n C o n g r e s s ( O c t o b e r 1 6 - 1 7 , 1984). T h e a i m of t h e c o n g r e s s w a s to g a t h e r t o g e t h e r all of t h e c u r r e n t o p i n i o n s a n d d i s c u s s t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of c r e a t i n g a f e a s i b l e m o d e l of t o u r i s m e d u c a t i o n t h a t w o u l d m e e t t h e u n i q u e n e e d s of t h e t o u r i s m s e c t o r in T u r k e y . Alt h o u g h t h e c o n f e r e n c e w a s h e l d in T u r k e y , it did h a v e r e l e v a n c e for all developing and developed countries. T h e p a r t i c i p a n t s d e l i v e r e d t h e i r r e p o r t s e i t h e r in t h e g e n e r a l p l e n a r y s e s s i o n s or in t h r e e w o r k s h o p s u n d e r t h e h e a d i n g s : T o u r i s m E d u c a t i o n a t U n i v e r s i t y Level; O n t h e J o b T r a i n i n g in t h e Hotel I n d u s t r y ; a n d E d u c a t i o n a n d T r a i n i n g for t h e T r a v e l I n d u s t r y . T h e p o s s i b l e a p p l i c a t i o n of all e d u c a t i o n a n d t r a i n i n g m o d e l s to t h e n e e d s of t h e T u r k i s h t o u r i s m i n d u s t r y w a s discussed and evaluated jointly by national and international experts. T h e c o n c e n s u s of t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s w a s t h a t t h e i n s t i t u t i o n s i n v o l v e d in t o u r i s m e d u c a t i o n g e n e r a l l y l a c k c l e a r l y d e f i n e d o b j e c t i v e s a n d solid a c a demic structures complemented by practical training. Since the happiness of m i l l i o n s of t o u r i s t s r e s t s on s a t i s f i e d h o s p i t a l i t y w o r k e r s , c o o p e r a t i v e m e a s u r e s in t o u r i s m e d u c a t i o n , w h i c h w o u l d i n t e g r a t e p r a c t i c a l t r a i n i n g w i t h t h e o r e t i c a l c o u r s e s t h r o u g h t h e c o l l a b o r a t i o n of i n t e r n a t i o n a l e x t e n s i o n p r o g r a m s , w o u l d h a v e m u t u a l b e n e f i t s for all c o u n t r i e s a n d s h o u l d be promoted. T h e C o n g r e s s w a s in line w i t h i t s o b j e c t i v e s of c o m p a r i n g t o u r i s m e d u c a t i o n a n d t r a i n i n g s y s t e m s a n d t h e i r i m p a c t on d i f f e r e n t c u l t u r e s a n d s o c i a l g r o u p s . T h e i n i t i a t i o n of TUGEV, T o u r i s m D e v e l o p m e n t a n d E d u c a t i o n F o u n d a t i o n in T u r k e y , w a s o n e of t h e i m p o r t a n t o u t c o m e s of t h e c o n f e r e n c e . T h e p r o c e e d i n g s of t h e C o n g r e s s c a n b e o b t a i n e d f r o m P r o f e s s o r M e r a l K o r z a y Bogazigi U n i v e r s i t y (MYO P.O.B. 2 B e b e k - I s t a n b u l , T u r key). [] []

T o u r i s m at t h e A A G ' s A n n u a l M e e t i n g L i s l e S. M i t c h e l l

Department of Geography University of South Carolina, USA T h e A s s o c i a t i o n of A m e r i c a n G e o g r a p h e r s (AAG) h e l d i t s a n n u a l m e e t i n g in Detroit, M i c h i g a n , f r o m 21 to 24 A p r i l 1985. O n l y o n e s e s s i o n d i r e c t l y I 18

1986

ANNALS

OF

TOURISM

RESEARCH