Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/77272
Natural Soundscapes and Tourism Jonathon Day When it comes to sustainability in tourism, Australia-born Jonathon Day says it's about the triple bottom line. "In the past, we talked about the benefits of tourism just in terms of money," says Day, an assistant professor in the School of Hospital- ity and Tourism Management. Increasingly, he says, officials also are focusing on preserving their natural surroundings while also strength- ening the local community and its culture. "In Queensland, we have a beautiful natural environment — the Environment Natural Great Barrier Reef, the rainforest," he says. "Because we've got a lot of people wanting to see them, we've had to be really thoughtful about how to manage that. Tourists can have this tendency to love places to death. But the fact is, we really have a lot of information on how to manage these places in the long term, and we can share that information in ways that can practi- cally help. As a senior destination marketing executive, he has created award-winning marketing and public relations campaigns for such venues as the Great Bar- rier Reef and New Zealand. After years of jet-setting between Los Angeles and his home country, Day decided to pursue a career in academia, ulti- mately landing at Purdue because of its land grant-philosophy of practical research. Since joining the Purdue faculty, Day has leveraged his international Day comes to these conclusions by way of 20 years of industry experience. " Jonathon Day Sustainability Economic Vitality Communities Healthy industry experiences to study, for example, how Hoosier cities such as West Lafayette, Carmel and Columbus promote sustainability through green practices. These small-scale projects are part of the grand challenge of global sustainability, says Day, who is collaborating with the Purdue Climate Change Research Center to study the impact of unusual weather on hotel profits. As Day says, "It is important that we address these issues systemati- cally — looking at the roles of individuals, tourism-related companies and the managers of destinations — both big and small. cultural heritage through judicious practices. "Tourism is the largest industry in the world by a lot of different measures, and it can have really negative impacts on culture and environment if not managed well, Conversely, he also studies how destinations can help preserve natural and " lines: economic, social and environmental. Applying the principles of sustain- ability to tourism will achieve a win-win-win, he says: Small Indiana towns can learn ways to preserve their heritage while contributing to economic development. Hotels can save money through energy-conserving measures such as smart room controls, and consumers can be confident they are doing Ultimately, says Day, he wants to contribute to all three of tourism's bottom " he says. the right thing. Writer: Angie Roberts is a writer/designer with the Office of the Vice President for Research. Summer 2012 7