Travel Stories, History and Sustainability

Travel Stories, History and Sustainability

Lifelong Learning | Available (Membership Required)

9000 Babcock Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15237 United States

PSC 101

7/9/2024-8/6/2024

11:00 AM-12:30 PM EDT on Tue

Travel stories have long been a part of our culture and myths, especially the personal life stories of tours, vacations and trips both real and imagined. From our nomadic beginnings as humans,  travel history and the tourism industry has evolved with the increasing mobility from walking, ships and railroads of the European grand tours, cars, Jetliners and 10,000 passenger cruise ships of today. Making the tourism industry arguably the largest industry in the US and the World. We will explore individual travel stories and events, structure of the travel and packaged tour industry, evolution of destinations, impacts including the shock of climate change and the travelers’ evaluation of  sustainable travel.

Bill Obenour, PhD is a retired professor whose research focused on the meanings of the journey to long-term traveler, destination image, and sustainable tourism strategies. He taught at East Carolina University, Bowling Green University, and the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He earned his PhD in Parks Recreation and Tourism Management from Clemson University and his Med from Bowling Green State University. In his free time, he has traveled to approximately 45 countries and 47 of the 50 states.