Victoria student shines in tourism scholarships

A Victoria University student’s mission to improve sustainability in New Zealand tourism has been helped along with a recent scholarship.

Master of Environmental Studies student Richard Singleton received a $15,000 grant in the Government's annual Tourism Research Scholarships. The scholarship will support his study of waste minimisation practices in New Zealand tourism, including posing the question: what are the barriers to separating organic waste in large hotels?

Mr Singleton's past environmental studies have helped him in his position as a hotel sustainability coordinator. He plans to take this experience and knowledge further with his Masters research.

"Given the importance of tourism to the present and future health of the New Zealand economy, it is heartening to see such insightful, broad and high calibre research work being undertaken by our Masters students," Associate Tourism Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman said.

The scholarships, which were established in 2004, are designed to build research capacity in tourism, increase research applicable to the industry, increase the profile of tourism research, and create stronger links between researchers, industry and the public sector.

This year applicants from non-tourism disciplines were encouraged to apply, resulting in 22, from a wide range of academic disciplines, including tourism, psychology, architecture, history, business administration, film studies, geography, environmental studies, biological science, philosophy and science communication.