HSE Researcher Studies Topical Problem in Tourism

Alexandra Sazhina, Lecturer at the Department of Management, HSE in Perm, took part in an international conference, Beyond the Great Beauty: Rescaling Heritage and Tourism. The event took place at the Rimini campus of the University of Bologna, Italy.

The conference focused on new trends in tourism, marketing, and studying cultural heritage. Key speakers were such globally renowned experts as Roberto Cellini, Professor of economics at the University of Catania, Mihalis Kavaratzis, Senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Leicester School of Management, and Maria Gravari Barbas, Director of IREST (Institut de Recherche et d'Études Supérieures du Tourisme) at University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. Research by 60 scholars from Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, and Russia was presented as part of 11 parallel sessions.

Alexandra Sazhina presented her paper ‘Residents’ attitudes towards place marketing: tourism marketing focus’ at a session on place marketing. Alexandra shared her impressions with us:

‘I decided to participate in the conference since my research interests were in line with its programme. I presented the topic of my doctoral thesis in my paper. It was very important for me to get some feedback at an early stage of my research. In addition to that, our session was administered by Mihalis Kavaratzis, one of the most renowned experts in place marketing.

I was happy to be heard and understood. The questions and comments touched the essence of my research problem. I clearly realized that the topic of my thesis is in line with the current international trend. Each paper was related to the problem of attracting various groups of stakeholders (residents, investors) to co-production, to the joint creation of values. And this is also what my thesis is dedicated to.

The Rimini campus of the University of Bologna generally reminded me of HSE in Perm in terms of its atmosphere. My impressions of the trip were very positive.'