Tourism & Heritage Topical Interest Group (THTIG)

Lawrence Ramirez

In this edition of the Tourism and Heritage Topical Interest Group (THTIG) column, we are highlighting our activities for the 83 Annual Meeting, scheduled for March 28 to April 01, 2023, in Cincinnati, OH. We invite members to contact us with ideas and activities to promote and cultivate our community interests. If you plan on being at the Annual Meeting, please feel welcome to join us in preparing for this exciting event. Alternatively, just stop by to say hello and enjoy the panels, posters, and conversation. And remember, volunteers are always greatly appreciated.

The Tourism and Heritage Topical Interest Group (THTIG) is a sub-group of the Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA) that plans events at the annual SfAA Meetings, organizes student awards, and shares tourism and heritage related information and announcements with members through social media and our list-serve. Check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TourismHeritageTIG.  If anyone would like to join us, please contact Lawrence Ramirez at lrami070@ucr.edu. 

THTIG’s Schedule for the Annual Meeting

At the Annual Meeting in Cincinnati, OH, the THTIG has a robust set of panels planned, both virtually and in person. Here is a preliminary schedule of events:

On Demand Sessions (Whova):
Meeting at the Crossroad: National Park Service and Co-stewardship; CHAIR: TALKEN-SPAULDING, Jennifer (NPS)

(T-103) TUESDAY 3:45-5:30; Salon F&G
Cultural Heritage Studies: A New Concentration at University of Kentucky’s Department of Anthropology; CHAIR: UDVARDY, Monica (UKY)

(W-47) WEDNESDAY 11:15-1:00; Rookwood
​​​​​​​Reexamining Heritage: Perspectives on a Shifting Landscape in Museum and Heritage Work; CHAIR: UDVARDY, Monica (UKY)

(TH-62) THURSDAY 1:30-3:15; Mayflower II​​​​​​​
Heritage and Social Action: Addressing Social Inequity in Touristic Discourse and Applied Practice; CHAIR: STUMPF-CAROME, Jeanne Marie (KSU-Geauga)

(TH-96) THURSDAY 3:45-5:30; Hall of Mirrors, Rookwood​​​​​​​
Poster Session

THURSDAY 5:30-6:45; Salon A​​​​​​​
Tourism & Heritage TIG Business Meeting

(F-07) FRIDAY 9:00-10:45; Julep​​​​​​​
Activist Archaeology: Engaging the Past and Present at Sites of Enslavement; CHAIR: STOTTMAN, M. Jay (KY Archaeological Survey & WKU)
(F-73)

FRIDAY 1:30-3:15; Salon F&G​​​​​​​
Gazing at the Crossroads: Navigating Tourism, Place-Making, and Heritage in the 21st Century; CHAIR: RAMIREZ, Lawrence (UCR)

Additionally, we also have a need for volunteers in the operations of THTIG events at the meeting. For example, the Valene Smith Tourism Poster Contest will require judges to review the student posters. If you would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities at the 2023 meeting, please email Lawrence Ramirez (lrami070@ucr.edu). Thank you.

Reminder regarding the “Erve Chambers Tourism and Heritage Student Paper Award”

The “Erve Chambers Tourism and Heritage Student Paper Award” was established to honor the legacy of Dr. Erve Chambers and recognize his contributions to the anthropology of tourism and heritage, as well as encourage new and innovative avenues of inquiry within the field through an annual student paper competition. As a prize awarding competition, this competition is currently on hold as the THTIG raises funds to build an endowment of $10,000 as a sustainable source of funding for the competition's annual cash award. Those interested in contributing to the endowment fund can make a donation online through the SfAA’s secure website at www.appliedanthro.org/donate and choosing "Chambers Tourism & Heritage Student Paper Award'' from the Funds drop-down list to ensure that your donation goes towards helping to build up the endowment for this great honor. All contributions are greatly appreciated!

Until this wonderful endowment is sufficiently funded, the THTIG will work to find creative alternatives for non-financial prizes for the Annual Erve Chambers Tourism and Heritage Student Paper Award.

Call for Newsletter Volunteers and Submissions

As the THTIG newsletter column grows, we would like to develop our editorial staff. Currently, we are looking for volunteers to serve as assistant newsletter editors overseeing important departments for this newsletter column. The three departments that we are building are: essays, news, and book/film reviews. If you are interested in learning more about these editorial opportunities, please contact Lawrence Ramirez (lrami070@ucr.edu).

For upcoming newsletters, we are accepting abstracts for short essays (1000-2500 words) to be published in this column. We are especially interested in submissions that relate emergent forms of tourism and heritage celebration in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. However, we are interested in other tourism or heritage related topics as well. Submissions may include editorials, accounts of personal experiences in the field or in the classroom, reviews of a recent book or film on tourism, arguments for or against a certain view on a tourism-related matter, etc. Abstracts should be no more than 200 words and may be submitted to Lawrence Ramirez (lrami070@ucr.edu). Submissions are currently being accepted for the May 2023 newsletter. We look forward to hearing from our members. Thank you.