Institute enjoys Lancaster Away Day

Staff from the Institute of Transport and Tourism (ITT) recently enjoyed an Away Day in Lancaster.

The group were given a tour of Lancaster Castle, recently opened to the public, by Ruth Jenkins from Global Link. The charity is completing a project, ‘Documenting Dissent’, about the various prisoners of conscience (such as Quakers, Catholics, homosexuals, Luddites, Chartists) held and sometimes executed at the Castle.

Ruth also explained some of the connections between transport and Lancaster’s development, from Roman times to the Millennium cycle and foot bridge.

The day continued with a walk along some of the old railway line to Glasson Dock which took freight away from the Lancaster Canal, but has now been converted into a pedestrian and cycle track.

After lunch on The Quay, a reminder of Lancaster’s heyday as a port even larger than Liverpool, the group visited the monument commemorating the many slaves transported to America by ships based at Lancaster. The landlady explained how their local-produce policy works and how developments at the Castle are helping attract more staying visitors.

The afternoon's discussions covered the research projects, papers and teaching undertaken by the Institute in the previous year and plans for the current academic year. They were followed by a walk along the towpath to a popular canal-side pub, a stopping place for the canal waterbus.

There was just time to visit the Fairfield project, where a local Residents' Association has used a grant to create a new nature reserve, board walk and community orchard, before returning to UCLan.

Adventure travel in Oman: Sailing

Sailors
are well catered for in Oman:
little surprise, as the country’s ancient capital Sohar was the birthplace of Sinbad
the Sailor. West of Muscat, the Millennium Resort Mussanah (www.millenniumhotels.com) offers a private 54-berth marina
managed by reputable local firm Oman
Sail (www.omansail.com). Boat rentals, sailing instruction and yacht
charter are all available. At the nearby Wave (

Experts shine a light on Dark Tourism

Dr Philip Stone, Executive Director of Institute for Dark Tourism Research (iDTR) at UCLan, invited experts from around the world to Preston for an international conference to consider the many issues surrounding this growing industry.

Places such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, Ground Zero and the Killing Fields of Cambodia are amongst the most popular places of dark tourism, also known as thanatourism, which relates to the act of traveling to sites, attractions and exhibitions of death, disaster or the seemingly macabre.

Dr Philip Stone said: "Dark Tourism raises complex moral and ethical dilemmas, not least those that focus on how to incorporate sites of death and tragedy into the mainstream visitor economy. There is a very fine line between commercialisation and commemoration.

"Through the research conducted by iDTR and our partners we aim to put Dark Tourism activities under the microscope and consider the consequences of people visiting these sites.

"Issues such as how the money they make should be used, the appropriateness of tourism photography and interestingly, how dark tourism can be used as a mediating tool for peace by critically examining the claim that ‘tourism is the greatest peace industry ever'."

The iDTR has partnerships from around the world and this particular symposium, held at the Harris Museum in Preston, featured Dr Rudi Hartmann from the University of Colorado Denver, USA, who discussed how the study of the management of Holocaust sites has changed over the last 40 years.

Emeritus Professor Tony Seaton from the University of Bedfordshire was also in attendance to look at how tourism and war are interrelated, delving into the idea of tourism as an institution for peace.

Dr Stone added: "While media interest in the concept of dark tourism continues to grow, to date, academic literature on the subject has been eclectic and theoretically fragile.

"The iDTR continues to make great strides to address this and academic and industry partners of iDTR are crucial in helping identify and examine the diverse research issues inherent within dark tourism, heritage, and memorialisation studies."

Bringing the Arabian Sea to life

Oman’s waters are brought to life by coral, crabs and colourful fish bringing the Arabian Sea to life. Whether it’s deep-sea diving or paddling pool depths, there is an underwater world waiting to be explored that can be appreciated from both above and below the water.





In sharp contrast to the arid environment that lies above, there is a multicoloured scene laid out below. The intricate

Adventure travel in Oman: Snorkelling and Scuba Diving

The
waters surrounding Oman
are rich in wildlife and natural beauty. From dhow cruises and scuba diving to
sailing and snorkelling, there’s plenty to keep lovers of the sea active all
year round.








Snorkelling and Scuba Diving



With
3,165km of coastline coupled with warm waters and shallow reefs, Oman’s shores provide both snorkelers and scuba divers the chance to savour life under the

Graduate secures second award for excellence

UCLan Tourism graduate Adam Smith has won a much-coveted award for excellence in Tourism studies.

The Association for Tourism in Higher Education have chosen Adam to receive their Prize for Best Undergraduate Student of Tourism 2014.

Adam graduated with First Class Honours this year and he adds this new award to the Merlin Entertainments Prize he received earlier this summer.

He will formally receive his award at the Association's Annual Conference held at Edinburgh Napier University in December. UCLan Tourism would like to congratulate Adam on this well-deserved achievement.

Top 6 Destinations for Spa & Wellness in Oman

AlBustan Beach


What is your aim when traveling? Do you look for get healthy and stay healthy besides enjoying your spare time?



If you are looking for a place with wellness purpose, that's a noble goal - one that many people make when traveling to Oman. 



When visiting Oman, there is plenty to see and do. Perfect for everyone from nature lovers and active travelers, to foodies and those

Age no barrier to personal development

Age doesn't have to be a problem if you're thinking about tackling a Degree.

Jonty Hickson worked in the Travel and Tourism industry for 20 years as a tour operator, sales executive and in customer support, but noticed most of his colleagues were gaining degrees and he knew he could and should rise to the challenge too.

After successfully completing the UCLan Foundation Degree in Tourism & Events Management at Runshaw College, Jonty progressed onto our Tourism Management programme at Preston campus.

He said: "The course at Runshaw reignited my passion for the industry and gave me the enthusiasm to acquire my dream job as Senior Reservations Consultant at the luxury travel company, Destinology.

"My tutor encouraged the use of the UCLan facilities available to me and I completed a WISER workshop at UCLan, which resulted in me increasing my average results from 50% to 75%."

Jonty, who sadly lost his wife in 2009, added: "The compact and flexible study time offered by Runshaw gave me the ability to work and study at the same time, as well as bring up my three young children (6,8 and 10) as a single parent."

Jonty is keen for others to see what he has achieved in his circumstances and be motivated by his experience, and is very much looking forward to continuing his personal development within our programme.

Adventure travel in Oman: Super Spelunking and Creative Caving

Wadi
Bani Jabir, located in Oman’s
Al Sharqiyah region, is home to the second largest cave
chamber in the world. The Majlis
al Jinn (“Home of the Genie”) is estimated to measure around 60,000m2 – the
size of seven aircraft hangars – and is accessed via plunging abseils. The cave
also boasts two massive drops (160m and 120m)
plus magnificent cave formations coloured in delicate shades of pink,

Adventure travel in Oman: Towering Mountains

Oman is a sublime destination for serious climbers. More than
160 ascents – from beginner’s grades to technical ascents – have been established
throughout the country.



The
highest mountain range in Oman, Jabal Akhdar
(“Green Mountain”) takes its name from the year-round vegetation that covers
its slopes. The range’s tallest peak, Jabal
Shams (“Mountain of the Sun”), stands at 3,009 metres,

Adventure travel in Oman: Desert Safairs

Oman fascinates lovers of the great outdoors. Adventure seekers
will revel in skyscraping mountains, subterranean caves and hundreds of
kilometres of desert dunes.



Desert Safaris



Oman is home to a breath-taking expanse of sandy desert. At
650,000km2, the Empty Quarter spills
over the country’s borders into Saudia Arabia, UAE and Yemen to make up one of the largest
deserts in the world.

Why We Love Oman (And You Should, Too!)

Oman’s story began over 10,000 years ago where people began to settle in the Muscat Governate during the Stone Age.  A
traditional craft that has developed through many generations since then is one
that is considered an ancient industry. Omani’s proudly display their pottery
pieces as a distinct testimony to the extent to which civilisation has
advanced. Although it is often thought of as

Institute conducts Lakes travel survey

Our Institute of Transport and Tourism (ITT) are supervising a travel survey in the Lake District. Commissioned by Cumbria Tourism, day visitors to the Lakes are being asked to fill in a simple travel diary about their experience.

Five surveyors were out and about on August Bank Holiday weekend and last week, with two more sessions planned for next week.

The results will be compared to a baseline study ITT conducted in 2011 and will give insights into how the GoLakes Travel Project has impacted on how visitors travel around the area.