My Semester in PRT 5610

This semester I had the opportunity of participating in the 'Contemporary Issues in International Tourism' course at the University of Utah with Dr. Linda Ralston. I will be the first to admit when I say that I had no idea what to expect with this course, but am very pleased to say I enjoyed all that it taught me. Throughout the duration of the course, we discussed several prominent issues relating to international tourism around the globe, as well as the endangerment many people, animals and environments are facing. The goals required throughout the course, to maintain and publish a blog about a specific topic helped me focus my attention and efforts to be a more effective communicator. Beforehand, I had the belief that using a larger quantity of words would lead to more effective communication in presenting my ideas, but I quickly learned that the quality as well as the help of support materials such as images that inspire, alternative fonts and reliable sources serve as the recipe for successful communication.

I chose to cover the topic of the Orangutan's in Sumatra, and the constant threat of existence they are currently facing. On my own accord, this is not an area I would have chosen to cover and research, but due to the awareness Dr. Ralston provoked in each of us, it helped me to appreciate a topic that I would have overlooked otherwise.

 Baby Orangutan's are often orphaned due to illegal poaching.
 Deforestation and loss of habitat are a great threat to the Orangutan's.
These precious creatures have an
extremely low population remaining on the island of Sumatra, and because of their slow reproductive cycles, are being killed off faster than they can reproduce. Palm oil corporations, and illegal poaching lead the way for the threats that they face; if allowed to continue, experts predict the Orangutan's could be the first great ape to face extinction.



Along with the awareness campaigns we developed over the semester, we explored common practices that can benefit unique tourist attractions around the world to promote their merchandise while keeping their identity. A few of these principles were discussed in my blog post, Fair Trade Demonstrated by EcoTravel Bukit Lawang, which states that through promoting principles of sustainable tourism we can not only appreciate all of the beautiful destinations our world has to offer, but build up and give back to the commonly poverty stricken communities that puts it together. Enjoying, and not altering the destinations we come to is a tight rope and something that should always be kept in mind, that is why familiarizing ourselves with different cultures and ecosystems, we can lessen the impact we would otherwise have in these areas. Lessons in consumerism, diminishing resources and climate change were all means of emphasizing the importance of these ideals.

 Campers along a river in the Ganung-Laseur National Park in Sumatra.

Utilizing popular forms of social media, community rallies, and ethical marketing campaigns we can make this information more widely known. During the semester we were given the chance to use many of these tools to promote the knowledge we have accumulated through our Pinterest accounts, designing info-graphics and collaborating with fellow students with similar topics. Knowing how to utilize these effectively will surely be worth while in future endeavors.

Posts on Pinterest can be viewed at http://pinterest.com/lancefalcon/

I really feel I am walking away with a lot of new found knowledge that I look forward to putting to good use. Promoting authenticity, collaboration, and awareness are three things I will strive to do more soundly, and help others do the same. I'm glad all students are required to participate in an upper division writing course because communicating clearly is growing more and more important as our interactions with each other are growing through our technological advances. Without this simple skill, opportunities of any kind, will be much harder to come by. 

We all need to look at the world around us, and find what it is we need to do to preserve the culture and uniqueness we all possess.

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