Yield Measures for Special-Interest Australian Inbound Tourism Markets

Different tourism stakeholders mean different things by ‘yield’ and this presents a barrier to communication and policy discussion. Primarily, this paper provides an overview of different concepts of yield. It also operationalizes several of these measures using inbound tourism expenditure data for Australia so that the origin markets and market segments identified as generating high yields under the various measures can be compared. The paper further identifies the manner in which the concept of yield can be broadened to embrace sustainable yield by incorporating measures of environmental and social impact. It concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of the study

Development of a physically-based method for delineation of hydrologically homogeneous regions and flood quantile estimation in ungauged basins via the index flood method

Regional flood frequency techniques are commonly used to estimate flood quantiles when flood data is unavailable or the record length at an individual gauging station is insufficient for reliable analyses. These methods compensate for limited or unavailable data by pooling data from nearby gauged sites. This requires the delineation of hydrologically homogeneous regions in which the flood regime is sufficiently similar to allow the spatial transfer of information. It is generally accepted that hydrologic similarity results from similar physiographic characteristics, and thus these characteristics can be used to delineate regions and classify ungauged sites. However, as currently practiced, the delineation is highly subjective and dependent on the similarity measures and classification techniques employed. A standardized procedure for delineation of hydrologically homogeneous regions is presented herein. Key aspects are a new statistical metric to identify physically discordant sites, and the identification of an appropriate set of physically based measures of extreme hydrological similarity. A combination of multivariate statistical techniques applied to multiple flood statistics and basin characteristics for gauging stations in the Southeastern U.S. revealed that basin slope, elevation, and soil drainage largely determine the extreme hydrological behavior of a watershed. Use of these characteristics as similarity measures in the standardized approach for region delineation yields regions which are more homogeneous and more efficient for quantile estimation at ungauged sites than those delineated using alternative physically-based procedures typically employed in practice. The proposed methods and key physical characteristics are also shown to be efficient for region delineation and quantile development in alternative areas composed of watersheds with statistically different physical composition. In addition, the use of aggregated values of key watershed characteristics was found to be sufficient for the regionalization of flood data; the added time and computational effort required to derive spatially distributed watershed variables does not increase the accuracy of quantile estimators for ungauged sites. This dissertation also presents a methodology by which flood quantile estimates in Haiti can be derived using relationships developed for data rich regions of the U.S. As currently practiced, regional flood frequency techniques can only be applied within the predefined area used for model development. However, results presented herein demonstrate that the regional flood distribution can successfully be extrapolated to areas of similar physical composition located beyond the extent of that used for model development provided differences in precipitation are accounted for and the site in question can be appropriately classified within a delineated region

Using the Car in a Fragile Rural Tourist Destination: A Social Representations Perspective

The visitor experience of place is inextricably linked to our ability to travel around an area at will, yet this mobility creates many problems especially in scenic rural areas of the UK. The study presented here attempts to unravel visitors’ experiences of mobility using Moscovici’s social representations approach. Travel diaries were employed to explore visitors’ transport choices and mobility patterns during the peak season in Purbeck, Dorset, UK. Analysis focuses on how such patterns reflect a social representation of mobility and the implications this has for visitor travel at destinations

DIPL 6105 AA/NA International Political Economy

‘IPE at its most fundamental, in short, is about the complex interrelationship of economic and political activity at the level of international affairs’ (Cohen, 2008, p. 16). Globalization, or economic, political and cultural integration between countries, was growing at a rapid pace until the 2007-2009 global financial crisis. The crisis has raised questions about the capacity of a market economy to deliver prosperity and to do in an equitable way. Since then, and more so following Brexit and the recent election cycles in Western democracies, there has been a call for more insular policies. What explains this reversal? What forces drive globalization, and what forces slow it down? Who is for globalization, and who is against it? DIPL 6105 is a graduate course in international political economy (IPE) addressing these questions, with a focus on the challenges that international markets pose for individual governments. The course will focus on the push and pull between the demands of market and the demands of citizens from the 19 th century to the present. Deeper international economic integration has led to more frequent economic exchanges across the globe on a daily basis, involving nation-states, multinational entities, individuals and non-governmental organisations. IPE scholars study the interplay of political and economic interests between various state and non-state actors pertaining to these crossborder flows. The economic, political and social relations between individuals, states and firms have evolved in response to changes in tastes, technology, ideology and political power. The distribution of political power itself changes in response to the distribution of economic power. In this course, we will explore how domestic interests drive policy preferences at the state level, and how similarities or differences in interests in various issues across countries lead to cooperation or conflict in global governance and international relations. We will further see how the lack of a global government with enforceable laws has shaped institutions of global governance such as the WTO, and the tension between these supranational rule- or norm-setting mechanisms and national sovereignty. The course is divided into two parts. In the first part, we will map the various theoretical frameworks that inform IPE, starting with economic liberalism, followed by a critique of this paradigm from the perspectives of realism/mercantilism, Marxism and Keynesianism. We will then apply these theories to key IPE issues in areas that include (1) international trade, (2) international finance, (3) regional economic integration, and (4) development. The course will expose you to both methodologies and their applications to current issues at the same time. Thus we will use both academic articles and the case method, bridging the gap between theory and practice

Institutions of Post-Conflict Governance

The course will explore the theory and practice of rebuilding institutions to strengthen societies that have undergone conflict and assess strengths and shortcomings of varied interventions. It focuses on the integral role that institutions play in ensuring the day-today stability of post-conflict societies, while not forgetting that it is humans who make up institutions. The aim is to understand not only how a contentious past impacts the ways in which post-conflict societies function, but also to look into various social practices and initiatives of counteracting the negative effects of conflict through justice, economic development, good governance, education and art. The course will also focus on learning how post-conflict reconstruction can contribute to building more equitable and just societies

DIPL 6004WB Peacemaking and Peacekeeping

This course examines theories and research concerning the nature and causes of conflict at both the domestic and international levels as well as practice for preventing, managing or resolving such conflicts. Students will learn the basic concepts of conflict resolution and skills of diagnosing social conflict. We will focus on the practice of conflict resolution with emphasis on peacemaking and peacekeeping and the connection between conflict analysis and intervention. This course will include a blend of lectures, reflective blogs, class discussions and exercises

Modelling welsh cultural events

This paper describes the development of a best practice managerial model for Welsh cultural events. A theoretical model, comprising four stages: decision; planning; implementation; evaluation, was synthesized from an extensive review of the literature. The theoretical model was then used as a projective instrument for in-depth interviews with managers of three Welsh cultural events: Llangollen International Music Festival, the May Fair at the Museum of Welsh Life, and the Urdd Eisteddfod. From the interviews, three reasonably similar practical models were developed. These late models were then unified in a single best practice model, through the use of Delphi technique. The initial decision phase for the first year of each event differed markedly between events. However, the event managers were able to achieve consensus on a best practice annual managerial model for cultural events

DIPL 6251 Justice, Truth, and Reconciliation in Post-Conflict Societies School of Diplomacy and International Relations

This course seeks to address the choices and decisions that post-conflict states and the international community make in attempts to address past human rights abuses, concerns over reconciliation, and the socio-political challenges regarding justice, as well as more subjective issues like truth. How, and when, in light of weak national institutions do post-conflict states address past human rights abuses? Is there a tradeoff between states and societies that pursue justice over truth, or vice versa? Is there a “window of opportunity” to pursue reconciliation? Can justice truly be achieved in light of the enormous challenges that post-conflict states and societies face? This course will examine these questions and many others and seek to provide some answers to serious and very difficult real-world challenges that many states and societies face. This class is intended to prepare students for advanced course work in the field. As such, there will be a lot of reading, writing, and thinking required. All times listed in the syllabus reflect Eastern Time

DIPL 6004 WB Peacemaking and Peacekeeping

This course examines theories and research concerning the nature and causes of conflict at both the domestic and international levels as well as practice for preventing, managing or resolving such conflicts. Students will learn the basic concepts of conflict resolution and skills of diagnosing social conflict. We will focus on the practice of conflict resolution with emphasis on peacemaking and peacekeeping and the connection between conflict analysis and intervention. This course will include a blend of lectures, reflective blogs, class discussions and exercises

DIPL 6704 NA Economic Development of Africa

Of the four major less developed regions in the world (East and South Asia, Latin America and Africa), Sub-Saharan Africa has performed the worst economically since 1975. Explaining this poor economic development has occupied development theorists, aid agencies, international institutions and African governments and people alike. The purpose of this course is to examine the reasons advanced to explain the underdevelopment of Africa through a primarily political economy framework, as the African continent is testament to the fact that economic development is affected by political contexts. We will explore explanations that include history (the legacy of a colonial past); internal factors (neo-patrimonialism, poor leadership) and external factors (international assistance, neo-colonialism). In addition, given that Africa is a continent made up of specific countries, with different experiences, the course will also aim to make known some of these differences and variations across different regions and countries