In order for the master's and doctoral students of the faculty to broaden their research vision, experience, and to better understand the development of island tourism, on March 30-31, the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management of the Macau University of Science and Technology went to Dangan Town, which is located in Zhuhai Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone. This experiential learning activity with a theme of “high-quality development of island tourism destinations" was led by Program Director Dr. Zhang Yang, and 16 master and doctoral students participated.
With the assistance of Mr. Chen Jianhao, Deputy Mayor of Dangan Town Government, Mr. Rong Yuejun, Director of Township Economic Development Office, and Dangan Village Committee, the group first visited Dangan Island in Lingdingyang after arriving at the town government located at Wailingding Island. The group overcame difficulties, such as wet and cold weather, as well as strong sea waves, on the way to Dangan Island by speedboat. And under the leadership of the staff of the village committee on the island, the group inspected the wharf of Dangan Island, the residential area, the coastline and the provincial-level macaque reserve that covered a large area of the island.
A group photo taken on the top of Dangan Island
On the morning of the 31st March, the group had a discussion with the Dangan town government, the local tourism authority, and the person in charge of the neighboring island tourist destinations at the Wailingding Island. The meeting was hosted by Mr. Wang Chuanwang, Director of Dangan Town Social Affairs Service Center. The person in charge of the meeting gave a detailed introduction to the group on the tourism and social development of the Wanshan islands marine development related townships and its subordinating administrative villages. The students conducted in-depth discussions with the meeting participants on issues such as the development of the Wanshan islands tourism products, ecological environment protection, rural community development, and primary-level governance based on their field trip experience. At the end of the meeting, Dr. Zhang Yang made a brief summary of the discussions and gave some suggestions for the development of local island tourism.
Meeting with local government
The experiential learning activity was rich in content, and the postgraduate students gained practical understanding of the development of island tourism. At the same time, this experiential learning also provides an opportunity for students to practice social science research methods such as participant observation and expert interview. The students who attended the event said that through this experiential learning, they had the opportunity to learn more about the provincial macaque nature reserve on Dangan Island. While broadening their knowledge, they also deeply understood the complex relationship between the tourism development and ecological environment protection through the briefing of local officials and forest rangers. It strengthened their specific understanding of the sustainable development of tourism mentioned in textbooks.
