Professor Tom Baum (Human Resource Management) was invited to deliver the keynote speech to an international seminar on Tourism Seasonality, organised by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in Torremolinos, Spain. Professor Baum spoke on the employment consequences of seasonality in the tourism sector and actions to reduce the impact.
He has been asked by UNWTO and the ILO to advise Tourism ministers of the G20 countries on the employment benefits of the tourism sector. The policy advice he will prepare will be presented to Ministers at a G20 meeting in Turkey later this year.
Professor Baum was also invited to deliver the keynote to the EU's event on Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Coastal and Island Tourism in Brussels. The focus of his presentation was on creating sustainable employment within coastal and island tourism which is often highly seasonal in their operations. Tourism is an area that lies within member states' jurisdiction (and, therefore, outwith that of the EU) and the purpose of the coastal and island tourism programme is to explore how the EU can support actions in this area. Economic development and employment are clearly areas where tourism can benefit from innovative thinking and support.