GIS & the Revival of the Okinawan Tourism Industry

In addition to inspiring students in his classes, 2021 saw GIS Professor Mark Birtles working with two companies in Okinawa and a Tokyo-based digital creative agency to help promote travel to Okinawa. The prefecture, which relies heavily on the tourism industry, has been struggling with the pandemic, and is actively trying to stimulate tourism demand. Utilising his extensive experience in digital media and copywriting, Professor Birtles assisted with their marketing campaign, which the prefecture hopes will help to attract tourists again.

Available at the website below, the successful execution of this project is part of the practical skills and industry experiences that GIS professors build on to support and instruct our students, preparing them for real-world experiences and jobs after graduation. In a world that increasingly relies on digital communication, learning how to effectively express oneself online is an important ability that students must understand is now a crucial professional skill.

https://visitokinawajapan.com/

If you are interested in learning about such professional skills and their real-world application, Professor Birtles teaches some of the following classes:

Digital Writing and Publication: https://tinyurl.com/58az7rby
Language, Social Media and Society: https://tinyurl.com/y6b2h9mk
Professional Communication: https://tinyurl.com/3vk9d67w
Presentation and Public Speaking: https://tinyurl.com/bddmvd3u