VSO is the world’s leading independent international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries. VSO’s high-impact approach involves bringing people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action and change lives to make the world a fairer place for all.

We currently have 5 different opportunities in a variety of tourism roles, based in Tajikistan. These roles require particular specialist skills and experience in tourism and a 24 month commitment. I have attached a one page summary of the roles.

Our package includes salary, return flight, accommodation, medical and travel insurance cover, national insurance contributions, pension contributions, visas and work permits grants and guaranteed holidays.

Please see below for details of the roles:

Each requires tourism specialist with at least 2 years of professional experience and I have attached a short summary of the roles.

Hospitality advisor, Tajikistan, 12 months

You’ll provide your expertise to help develop an improved understanding of contemporary standards in hospitality and service (hotel and restaurant businesses), ensuring the next generation of tourism professionals will be better equipped to take up jobs and provide jobs for others throughout the tourism value chain.
You’ll have a degree in tourism or a related field to hospitality management paired with a least 3 years experience of managing a reputable hotel or restaurant – ideally with experience of attracting international clientele. You’ll have experience of managing and advising staff and providing on-the-job training at all levels of the hospitality business. You’ll need strong marketing expertise and experience.

New business advisor for tourism, Tajikistan, 12 months

You’ll use your vast experience of tourism business develop and marketing to develop skills with in Tajikistan tourism industry and deliver recommendations to realise Tajikistan’s tourism potential. You’ll have a degree in tourism or a related business field paired with extensive practical experience of the tourism and hospitality sector. You’ll need to demonstrate your experience of developing high-level tourism plans as well as skills in small business development, ideally in hospitality or tourism. You’ll have strong communication and facilitation skills to pass on your extensive marketing experience.

Tourism strategy advisor, Tajikistan, 12 months

We are now looking for a very experienced tourism specialist to help the Free Economic Zone to pioneer responsible tourism and hospitality development in the historic city of Khojand to enable to generation of more business and employment opportunities in to Central Asia’s poorest countries. Working with staff at the FEZ, you’ll provide technical tourism business development support to develop a realistic strategy for tourism and hospitality development.

You’ll have a degree in business development, tourism development or a related field and at least 3 years experience of working at a senior level in the tourism sector. You’ll have an excellent understanding of business management and organisational development paired with experience of raising investment or funding for tourism development.

Tourism Marketing and PR advisor, Tajikistan, 12 months

We are looking for an experienced tourism specialist with marketing and PR expertise to build the capacity of the Tajikistan government to realise Tajikistan’s tourism potential. You’ll have a degree in tourism or a related business field paired with extensive practical experience of the tourism and hospitality sector. You’ll need to demonstrate your experience of developing high-level tourism plans as well as skills in small business development, ideally in hospitality or tourism. You’ll have strong communication and facilitation skills to pass on your extensive marketing experience.

Tourism board development advisor, Tajikistan, 24 months

You will use your extensive experience of tourism business development to support the Zerafshan Tourism Board (ZTB)to develop a viable and sustainable membership body for the promotion of regional tourism and representation of tourism development interests. You will support ZTB staff to develop an independent and financially sustainable organisation. You’ll have a degree in Tourism or business. You will need extensive experience of managing small businesses in the tourism or hospitality sector as well as experience of membership bodies and the development of membership services and financial stability.

www.vso.org.uk/volunteer/current-roles

We have launched a new research service – Ethnography where we carry out ethnographic research to engage with a range of different consumers and hard to reach audiences.

Our sister company Planning Solutions Limited is looking for a full time Accounts Assistant to run the Purchase Ledger, needs to be experienced in purchase ledger, bank reconcilations and Sage line 50. It is a very busy office with a small team so must be a team player. Please contact Val (val @ pslplan.co.uk) for more details. Based in Havant, Hampshire.

South Downs National Park Authority appoints Planning Solutions Consulting and Hi-Clarity Communications to audit interpretation within the recently designated National Park’s boundaries.

Behave: New services to change travel behaviours from Lucy Kimbell on Vimeo.

Are you looking to understand the needs, motivations and behaviour of customers? Have a look at Ethnography.

Our advert from summer 2011 (prices have changed).

Interesting report from the Nordic Innovation Centre. “One of the great economic hopes for the Nordic region is tourism. Regions a bit in the periphery see tourism as fuelling their economical growth, increasing the employment and enhancing the quality of life.” Read the article.

Definitely worth looking at: “Ask a Curator brings together passionate experts from museums and galleries around the world to answer your questions on art, history and science.”

A place where we carry out design research, social research and consumer ethnography.

I

First announcement and call for papers
The 6th International Conference on Monitoring and Management of Visitors in Recreational and Protected Areas
Stockholm, Sweden, August 21-24, 2012
Conference theme: Outdoor Recreation in Change – Current Knowledge and Future Challenges
Conference web-site: www.mmv2012.se

Key dates
January 1, 2012: Deadline for session proposals
March 15, 2012: Deadline for abstracts for oral and poster presentations

Conference Co-chairs
Professor Peter Fredman, Mid-Sweden University
Professor Marie Stenseke, University of Gothenburg

For further information, visit www.mmv2012.se or e-mail info@mmv2012.se
Welcome to Stockholm in 2012!

The MMV conference provides a forum for presentations and other exchanges of ideas and experiences related to the monitoring and management of visitors in recreation and protected areas. The emphasis is on policies, problems, practices and innovative solutions, and will therefore be of equal relevance to managers and researchers. The conference welcomes researchers, public sector and industry managers, consultants, planners and members of NGO’s dealing with visitor management in recreational and protected areas. The MMV conference covers a broad range of topics, including:

Developments in visitor monitoring – Social patterns in outdoor recreation participation – Children and nature: experiences, learning and health – Outdoor recreation in urban proximate nature – Spatial planning, resolving conflicts and safeguarding access – Integrating outdoor recreation and nature conservation – Education, outdoor learning and communicating nature – Nature experiences and environmental awareness – Environmental values and attitudes in outdoor recreation – Commercialization of nature – The economics of outdoor recreation – Managing tourism impacts on destination communities – Methodological and theoretical developments in outdoor recreation research

Heritage Meets Social Media

Brockholes – a new visitor experience managed by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust has recently open.   We prepared the original feasibility study and business plan.

We have worked on a number of projects  where stakeholder and community engagement has been an important component element of our work. This is a continuing trend and as such we have recently launched Community Engagement Projects.

Scarborough Borough Council has been award £1,022,500 for planning, managing and adaptation to coastal change at Knipe Point community. The cliffs at Knipe Point have had significant landslips as a result of coastal erosion and underlying instability. A landslide in 2008 has resulted in the loss of private land the demolition of 3 properties. In the next five year further properties and part of the old A165 are at risk.

The project will involve community engagement – consultations with the affected community, the development of an adaptation plan and adaptive solutions – purchasing nearby land that is not at risk, for property owners who lose their home as a result of erosion can be given the opportunity to rebuild.

Bournemouth has set up its own weather service to thwart unpredictable and confusing forecasts. They have launched this service after they claim that an inaccurate Met Office predication put off thousands of potential visitors over a bank holiday. Showers were predicted and led a potential 25,000 visitors to stay at home, event though the beach was bathed in sunshine. It is estimated there was a loss of £1m to local revenue. This service is the first of its kind in the country.

The Social Impact Assessment service will be launching soon!

Brockholes a new visitor experience which is being developed by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust will be on Countryfile at 7pm Sunday 9th of January.   We worked with the Lancashire Wildlife Trust and prepared the business plan for this visitor attraction.

We have just launched our new heritage consulting service.  Come and visit our website – Heritage Consultant.