Through an extensive survey of Aruban visitors and potential visitors, the study revealed that a mobile travel guide app, with specific capabilities, would overwhelmingly be accepted by Aruban tourists.

鈥淩oughly 87% of those surveyed expressed that a smartphone app would most definitely improve their travel experience,鈥� said Dr. Manuel Rivera, who co-led the research project. 鈥淲e also found that tourists were looking for specific features that would not only make the app functional, but also practical in today鈥檚 digital age.鈥�

The Official Aruba Travel Guide app, available through iTunes and Google Play, operates offline, which allows Aruban visitors to access many of the app鈥檚 features without connecting to the internet and being subsequently charged a roaming fee by their wireless carrier. Some of the offline capabilities include: maps and navigation tools; ratings and reviews for the top attractions, restaurants, bars, hotels and shops; customized itineraries based on the user鈥檚 travel interests and trip dates; access to coupons and vouchers; and an augmented reality function, which displays pop-up factoids about a particular place or business simply by focusing the user鈥檚 mobile device camera on a specific location.

The virtual travel guide also consists of online, interactive features that allow users to share their own reviews, as well as their photos with various social networks. According to Dr. Rivera, the interactive features serve a dual purpose: helping tourists enhance their travel experience, while also promoting Aruban tourism and businesses through the app鈥檚 social networking functions.

鈥淪ocial networking acts as word-of-mouth marketing, so if a user shares their vacation photos through the app, then people within their social network, who see those photos, might be enticed to come to Aruba to have a similar experience,鈥� said Dr. Rivera. 鈥淭he flipside is that the original app user may not have otherwise discovered all of their travel experiences in Aruba if it weren鈥檛 for the app. So the app really serves a dual purpose.鈥�

According to Rayon Koolman, digital marketer for the Aruba Tourism Authority, no data has been collected yet regarding the app鈥檚 impact on Aruban tourism; however, the app has already generated nearly 10,000 downloads since its summer 2012 launch.

鈥淲e have no real figures or indicators on the impact the app has had on tourism yet, but we have received a lot of positive feedback,鈥� said Koolman. 鈥淭he research that Dr. Rivera and his team conducted proved to be very useful in the development of the app.鈥�

Dr. Rivera, Dr. Robertico Croes and Yun Ying Zhong were recognized earlier this year for their involvement in the app, as their research article Developing Mobile Tourism Services For A Destination: The Case Of Aruba won the Best Paper award at the 17th annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.

Research for the app is part of an ongoing partnership between the聽Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies and the聽Aruba Tourism Authority to strategically enhance Aruba’s tourism industry.

The report, Maintaining Relevance in a Changing World, builds on past studies of the supply perspective of Bok Tower Gardens by adding a detailed exploration of the visitors鈥� standpoint, which has never before been analyzed at the garden attraction. The study explored the impact of the visitors鈥� experience on post behavioral intentions to return to the garden or to talk favorably about the attraction.

鈥淭his study is a major contribution to the garden attraction market, as it offers a dynamic approach that has never before been examined,鈥� said Croes. 鈥淲e analyzed the intangibles of the visitor experience, and learned that nature isn鈥檛 the core of their experience, but rather the medium that helps facilitate it.鈥�

Through a variety of quantitative and qualitative techniques, the report reveals that employee performance, atmosphere, promotion and social activities, ambiance, and amenities are the five main factors that shape a visitor鈥檚 experience at the Bok Tower Gardens.

Bok Tower Gardens鈥� management will use the report to develop strategies to raise awareness and increase visitation for their attraction.

鈥淲e identified relevant variables and trends that influence the business, and proposed strategic and tactical planning to Bok Tower Gardens,鈥� said Ph.D. candidate 鈥淛enna鈥� Seung Hyun Lee.

The unique study began as a five-stage assignment in a doctoral-level course taught by Croes, but evolved into a research partnership between the Bok Tower Gardens and the Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies 鈥� the college鈥檚 research arm for public and private enterprises.

鈥淭he report was originally part of my Foundations in Hospitality and Tourism Research class, but the students and I quickly realized the potential of this unique study, and we decided to take it beyond the scope of the course,鈥� said Croes. 鈥淲e presented a research proposal to the Bok Tower Gardens鈥� management team, and after it was accepted, the students worked as a team to complete the study.鈥�

Bok Tower Gardens is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.聽Its mission is to share Edward Bok鈥檚 gift of a beautiful and serene garden with music, architecture, and nature, so that all who visit will be inspired by his vision: 鈥淢ake you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.鈥�

The DPI was commissioned by Aruba鈥檚 Minister of Tourism, Mr. Otmar Oduber, to formulate a ten-year tourism strategic plan for the island.

The summit, held in Aruba Dec. 8 and 9, featured keynote speaker Dr. Robertico Croes, the Interim Chair of Rosen College鈥檚 Tourism Events and Attractions department and the Associate Dean of the DPI.聽 Dr. Croes shared the initial results from a year-long study entitled, 鈥淪trategic Plan for the Development of Tourism in Aruba in the 21st Century.鈥�

The research team included Rosen College Dean Dr. Abraham Pizam, Dr. Manuel Rivera, and Ph.D. students Jenna Lee and Eric Olson. In addition to the paper presentation, Drs. Croes and Rivera lead break-out sessions.

Additional speakers at the event included: Otmar Oduber, Minister of Tourism, Transport & Labor; Carlos Vogler, Regional Director for the Americas of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); Greg Richards, Professor of Leisure Studies at Tilburg University; and John Checkett, Director of Route Planning for JetBlue.

The event planning students will soon conclude what turned out to be a semester of service.

After receiving a visit from two of the Akilah Institute’s hospitality students, Rivera’s class felt inspired to give back.

“These women have been through tragedies; they’re survivors of genocide,” event management student Zachary Warman said. “Most of them don’t have family, but they have taken that tragedy and turned it into something beautiful.鈥�

Rivera proposed a class project to his students with the purpose of raising funds and collecting school supplies for the institute which aims to equip women with an education that leads to meaningful careers in Rwanda’s fastest growing economic sector — tourism.

“Rwanda is definitely growing. A lot of the major hotel chains are moving into Rwanda right now,” Warman said. “These women will be the leaders of Rwandan hospitality.”

Rivera, who holds a Ph.D. in hospitality education, has conducted research on employing tourism as a catalyst for development in Latin American countries like Nicaragua and Ecuador.

“I’m very interested in things that we can do to alleviate poverty,” Rivera said. “Poverty is not just a monetary issue; it’s about focusing on the capabilities of people.”

Rivera said the fundraising initiative was an excellent opportunity for his students to get involved in a project that is both relevant to their studies and that showcases the importance of social responsibility.

“The hospitality industry goes far beyond the boundaries of Orlando,” Rivera said. “You could see that these people, just like our students, have a great entrepreneurial spirit.”

“When Dr. Rivera presented this idea to the class, we were all so drawn to it because the hospitality community is very international,” Warman said.

“We attend one of the best hospitality schools in the nation, so it’s our social responsibility to help those in need gain from the experiences we’ve been given,” he said.

The event planning students immediately went to work constructing collection bins for donors to deposit supplies into at a local grocery store and hospital.

They went from class to class informing their fellow students of the Akilah Institute’s purpose and needs.

They set up a table with displays on campus to raise awareness for their cause and sell t-shirts which they designed.

Donations included everything from textbooks to calculators, DVDs to secondhand cell phones and vast amounts of school supplies.

In less than a month, Rivera’s students raised nearly $1,600 in monetary donations and collected numerous boxes of supplies valued at $1,000.

Jordan O’Daniel is a senior majoring in event management. The 22-year-old Melbourne native assisted with the project’s marketing efforts.

O’Daniel said one of the greatest challenges her class faced was persuading people to give.

“It was hard getting people to donate to something they had never heard of, especially since it is across the world,” she said. “But eventually they came around.”

“It’s rewarding; you gain something out of it,” O’Daniel said. “You’re not just making money and doing business; it’s deep.”

Anna Cheng is double majoring in hospitality and event management. The 22-year-old was born in Hong Kong, but was raised in Venezuela.

“I understand it’s hard to give with the economy, but one dollar doesn’t hurt anyone,” she said. “It makes a big difference for them.”

Cheng, who is bilingual, said the project has inspired her to pursue other avenues of service.

She said she hopes to one day teach English and Spanish to people in India and all throughout Africa.

Event management and marketing student Jennifer Bacca helped market and promote the fundraising efforts.

The 21-year-old said she learned that raising awareness about an event is key.

“You can put on an event, but if you haven’t promoted it, you’re not going to have a great turn out,” she said. “We did our best to reach the most people and we did a great job.”

“Even though these are rough times, we all still have a little to give to people that don’t have anything,” Bacca said. “Giving is very rewarding.”

“This is the first year that I’ve taught this class,” Rivera said. “It really exceeded my expectations.”

“The efforts they put forth, the ideas that came forward and the way they executed it was remarkable,” he said. “I’m extremely proud of them.”

Source: Orlando Sentinel, Dec. 2, 2011, 麻豆原创 hospitality students empower Rwanda’s future women leaders, by Jason Kelly, special to the Sentinel, 麻豆原创 student:聽 http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/ucf/orl-rosen-akilah-fundraiser-12111,0,5876656.story?page=1.

The class collaborated with the Vitamin Water Zero Uncapped: Fashion Competition and Show held at the Orange County Regional History Center in downtown Orlando.聽 With the cooperation of Rosen students, Neiza Court, Samantha Glock, Mary Starkey and Mallory Todd, students collected donated items and developed school supply bags for purchase from fashion show attendees. Each bag included a variety of school supplies such as notebooks, pens, pencils and tote bags.

鈥淧articipating at the fashion show was not only a good experience for developing future events, but raising $550 was a tremendous success,鈥� said Rivera.聽 鈥淭he commitment from our students to help others through their experiential learning activities is a testament of their character and commitment to the industry. I am very proud of Naiza, Mallory, Mary and Samantha for their passion to help others.鈥�

In addition to 麻豆原创 representation, Akilah Development Associate, Jen DiSimone, was present at the event to provide information material and answer questions.

Most of the young women studying at the Akilah Institute were impacted by the 1994 Rwandan genocide that resulted in the murder of an estimated 1 million people in 100 days.聽 The young women of the Akilah Institute are pursuing degrees in hospitality management, as it is the fastest growing sector of the Rwandan economy.

Rivera shares, 鈥淭he opportunity to meet and share experiences with the students from Akilah has given our students a different perspective on planning events, especially for socially responsible and philanthropic causes.鈥�

His class isn鈥檛 stopping with just one fundraising event.聽 Upcoming events are planned at both the Rosen and main campuses during the week of November 7-10.聽 In addition to the sale of Akilah t-shirts, his students are planning a Technology and Book Drive to collect donations, books and technology equipment while providing an opportunity to the 麻豆原创 community to get involved and learn about Akilah.

鈥淎kilah鈥� means 鈥渨isdom鈥� in Swahili and the Institute empowers young women in East Africa to transform their lives by equipping them with the skills, knowledge and confidence to become leaders and entrepreneurs. For more, please visit .

鈥淎kilah鈥� means 鈥渨isdom鈥� in Swahili and the Institute empowers young women in East Africa to transform their lives by equipping them with the skills, knowledge and confidence to become leaders and entrepreneurs.聽 The young women of the Akilah Institute are pursuing degrees in hospitality management, as it is the fastest growing sector of the Rwandan economy.

Elizabeth Dearborn Davis, co-founder and CEO of the Akilah Institute, hoped that her education experience could turn these survivors into community leaders and role models for the next generation.聽 鈥淲hen you teach a woman, you empower a nation,鈥� said Davis.聽 By 2020, Akilah plans to graduate 1,780 young women who are working and serving as leaders in their communities.

The Rosen College of Hospitality Management became connected with the Akilah Institute through Dr. Kimberly Severt.聽 When she learned of the school, she was inspired to immediately get involved with this valuable cause.聽 She attended Akilah鈥檚 annual fundraiser in Tampa and created an assignment that involved her students designing hospitality and guest service-themed webinars to donate to the young women attending the Akilah Institute.聽 She explains, 鈥淚 hope that we realize how fortunate and blessed we are, and I hope that Allen and Noella鈥檚 stories empower us to make a difference.鈥�

Dr. Severt helped coordinate the recent visit by Allen, Noella and Jen DiSimone, Development Associate with the Akilah Institute.聽 The day included a tour of Rosen College, a meet and greet with students in Dr. Manuel Rivera鈥檚 Event Management class, a tour of Disney鈥檚 Contemporary Resort and an afternoon at Walt Disney World鈥檚 Magic Kingdom.

Dr. Rivera was honored to assign his students the task of event planning from a service angle. His students pitched fundraising event ideas to Allen and Noella including a technology drive, a women鈥檚 empowerment weekend seminar, a fun run at Lake Eola, a book drive and a school supply drive.聽 Allen thanked the students for their ideas and said, 鈥淲e have very much to learn from you and we hope you have a bit to learn from us.鈥�

Noella shared with the class how she wakes up at 5 a.m. most mornings and walks 45 minutes to the bus, and then another 15 minutes from the bus to her school.聽 After classes, she works in a restaurant until late at night, often getting only three hours of sleep. She then told the class, 鈥淭oday, I鈥檝e come to learn many things to take back to school.聽 I am committed to studying and finishing school because life is so hard.聽 We would like for you to give us advice to improve our skills.鈥�

After the presentations, Dr. Rivera鈥檚 students treated Noella, Allen and Jen to a reception in the Hall of Fame lobby where they were able to interact one-on-one.聽 Allen shared about the experience, 鈥淵our students have so much heart.聽 I am deeply touched.鈥�

After enjoying a traditional American lunch of chicken fingers and hamburgers at T.G.I. Friday鈥檚, the guests journeyed to Disney and received a behind-the-scenes tour of Disney鈥檚 Contemporary Resort.聽 The visit focused on the convention and conference industry and included guest rooms, ballrooms, The Wave Restaurant and the California Grill.聽 The executive chef even provided Allen and Noella with their first taste of lobster.

Dr. Severt and Rosen College Coordinator of Academic Relations, Mr. Joshua Johnson, accompanied the Akilah Institute guests during the Disney portion of their visit.聽 鈥淚t was such a joyful experience to see the excitement in the young ladies鈥� eyes,鈥� shares Johnson.

Noella and Allen rode their first attractions including Pirates of Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion and It鈥檚 A Small World.聽 They additionally enjoyed a parade, the nighttime Wishes show and fireworks. No trip to Disney would be complete without personalized mouse ears 鈥� Allen and Noella chose the princess ones.

Allen and Noella are remarkable women with an immense amount of strength and promise.聽 They are in pursuit for a better future for their friends, family and country.聽 Rosen College was fortunate enough to be part of their journey.聽 For more, please visit .

About Noella and Allen

Noella is a survivor of the 1994 genocide.聽 After Hutu neighbors killed her father, her family went into hiding for several months, safeguarded by a sympathetic Hutu.聽 Noella and her family later returned to their community and found the path to the future was through reconciliation.聽 Overcoming incredible adversity, she studied primary school in the Southern Province and attended Mukingi secondary school.聽 She was honored to be selected by MTV Africa to interview President Kagame and, after receiving a scholarship from an Akilah donor, to travel to Hong Kong for an internship as part of her studies.聽 鈥淪ince I have joined Akilah, my life has totally changed in a very positive way.聽 I have started to have dreams for my future.聽 In 10 years, my goal is to own and operate my own hotel.鈥�

Allen was born in Uganda to Hutu and Tutsi parents but orphaned at an early age when her family returned to Rwanda in 1994.聽 Allen diligently studied at FAWE Girls鈥� primary school and Kiziguro secondary school, where she excelled at physics, math, chemistry and history.聽 Since enrolling at Akilah, Allen has become the secretary of her political youth group in Kigali and is one of many Akilah students employed in the emerging hospitality industry in Rwanda.聽 鈥淚 have no siblings or parents, but I have hope for my future. I want to become an independent woman and start my own business. Akilah is giving me the skills to reach my goals.鈥�

麻豆原创 researchers in the areas of hospitality management, economics, sociology and civil/environmental engineering connected and were encouraged to collaborate on new research initiatives.

The luncheon promoted faculty scholarship while ideas of mutual interest that could lead to the development of competitive research proposals were discussed.

Rosen College faculty in attendance included: Dr. Po-Ju Chen; Dr. Robertico Croes; Dr. Duncan Dickson; Mr. Ron Logan; Dr. Kevin Murphy; Dr. Kal Nusair; Dr. Fevzi Okumus; Dr. H.G. Parsa; Dr. Manuel Rivera; Dr. Cheyenne Ro; Dr. Paul Rompf; Dr. Dipendra Singh and Mr. Scott Smith.

In addition to Rosen College faculty, other researchers included: Dr. Sarah Barber, Anthropology Department; Dr. James Wright, Sociology Department; Dr. Dingbao Wang, Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering Department; Dr. David M. Nickerson, Statistics Department; Dr. Jose Maunez-Cuadra, Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies; Dr. Tom O鈥橬eal, ORC; Dr. Amit Joshi, Marketing Department; Dr. Patrick Bohlen, Biology Department.

The purpose of the ORC is to foster new research activities among 麻豆原创 faculty. For more, please . The DPI is dedicated to increasing the benefits of tourism through research, public awareness and education. For more information, please visit the or e-mail dpi@ucf.edu.