The prospect to promote cultural understanding, mutual respect and peace via travel and tourism is a monumental opportunity to strengthen dialogue between Turkey and Armenia whose relations have been strained by a number of historical and political issues. Travel and tourism education and research partnerships between Turkey and Armenia can facilitate the normalization of relations between the two nations. This project proposes collaboration between academic institutions and the private sector in both countries that will train, educate, and bring together resources which relate to sustainable regional tourism development for both countries. The purpose of this project is to formulate a Multilateral University Consortium to Strength Tourism Education, Research and Industry Outreach. The partnership is led by the University of Florida, U.S. along with Dokuz Eylul University, Turkey, and Armenian State University of Economics, Armenia. The following activities are proposed to accomplish four major objectives: (1) Curriculum Development; (2) Research; (3) Industry Outreach; (4) Capacity Building. The project is funded by the United States Department of State-US Embassy in Turkey. http://turkey.usembassy.gov/university_partnerships_program.html

Understanding how international travelers perceive the likelihood of a crisis occurring while traveling in the United States is of critical importance to how destinations differentiate themselves from the competition. Furthermore, given the ease of access to the Internet and social media, tourism organizations need to understand tourists’ potential use of social media to seek information about a crisis. This study will examine the influence of demographic and travel characteristics of potential international travelers to the U.S. on the likelihood to travel to the U.S., perceptions of the likelihood of a crisis occurring during an upcoming trip to the U.S., and the likelihood of social media use to seek information if a crisis were to occur within their immediate vicinity while traveling. The findings of this research will make significant contributions to the tourism industry and have practical implications that can be applied to tourism crisis management plans and practices. The data was part of a study which examined the behaviors and perceptions of international travelers from five countries to the United States. The sample size for this study was approximately 2500. This research is part of Ms. Ashley Schroeder’s Master’s thesis. The project is being funded by the Bill Sims Graduate Student Research Grant.

The purpose of this research project is to examine the factors that influence tourists’ decision making with regard to evacuation in the event of a hurricane. Particularly, the project will examine the influence of tourists’ characteristics, confirmation efforts, the content of hurricane information, and social environments on their likelihood of evacuation. Tourists are an underrepresented and an understudied group in the context of hurricanes that frequently threaten the southeastern states. Consequently, the results of this research will have a direct impact on the tourism industry and specifically on the Southeastern United States. This research is part of Mr. Ignatius Cahyanto's doctoral dissertation. The project is being funded by the Southeast States Chapter of Travel and Tourism Research Association.

Tourists are a vulnerable population in the event of a hurricane as they are often in unfamiliar surroundings and are without the habitual support systems of their home community. Therefore, the impact to the tourist in a hurricane situation may be greater than to those in the general resident population. As a consequence, it is crucial to identify types of tourists in order to craft effective hurricane risk communication messages, and to select the most effective channels in which to deliver these messages to tourists. Unfortunately, there remains a dearth of academic research in this area.  The purpose of this research project is to examine the influence of tourists’ individual characteristics, information search strategies, the content of hurricane information, and social factors on their likelihood of evacuation. This proposed project would provide significant data for policy formulation by local and state and regional policy makers, Emergency Response Services and Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) so that tourists can be better served when a hurricane landfall is threatening. This research is part of Mr. Ignatius Cahyanto's doctoral dissertation. The project is being funded by the Bill Sims Graduate Student Research Grant.

Tourists are an at-risk population in the event of a hurricane. One of the main reasons is that tourists may not speak and/or read the host language and may lack knowledge concerning the unique risks presented by hurricanes. Hence tourists may be unable to receive, interpret, and respond appropriately to messages. This proposed project will specifically examine the interplay between tourists’ personalities, risk-specific beliefs, relevant hazard experiences, current knowledge, and relevant channel beliefs with regard to tourists’ hurricane risk information strategies. The data yielded from this study will provide Visitors and Convention Bureaus with the information they require to ensure that messages they distribute to tourists regarding hurricanes can be understood and transmitted in ways that will increase the likelihood that they reach tourists. This research is part of Mr. Ignatius Cahyanto's doctoral dissertation. The project is being funded by the Holland American Line Graduate Student Research Grant.