UC Davis experts: Tourism and travel

The University of California, Davis, has campus experts available to provide commentary related to travel and tourism. If you are looking for sources on any additional tourism- and travel-related topics, please contact Claudia Morain (530) 752-9841, cmmorain@ucdavis.edu; Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu; or Julia Ann Easley, (530) 752-8248, jaeasley@ucdavis.edu of the UC Davis News Service.

The travel and leisure industry

Assistant Professor Eyal Biyalogorsky of the Graduate School of Management concentrates his work on marketing strategy, pricing, new product development and managerial decision making. He is an ad hoc reviewer for several top journals, including Marketing Science, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Letters, and Psychology & Marketing. He has studied the effects of online activities on offline sales and how firms should pay affiliate partners for referring potential customers to their Web sites. Biyalogorsky is researching consumers' price expectations for frequently purchased products as well as how businesses such as airlines, train operators and performing arts houses that offer different service classes can best maximize profits from selling upgraded tickets. Contact: Eyal Biyalogorsky, Graduate School of Management, (530) 752-9919, eyalog@ucdavis.edu.

The role of the tourist

Internationally recognized as the founder of tourism studies with his 1976 book, "The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class," (re-issued this spring by the University of California Press), Dean MacCannell can discuss domestic and foreign travel and tourism. MacCannell, a professor in UC Davis' environmental design department, was featured in 1997 on the BBC Television mini-series "The Tourist," loosely based on his book. Contact: Dean MacCannell, (530) 752-3907 or (415) 753-2845, edmaccannell@ucdavis.edu.

Pets on the move

If your traveling companion has four legs, you'll want to plan ahead before you hit the road, suggests Dr. Cathy Dyer, a veterinarian at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Pet owners should contact their local veterinarians to see if preventive medication is needed to protect against health threats peculiar to the region they'll be visiting. Medication might also be recommended for a carsick or overly nervous dog or cat. Dyer urges pet owners to take along their pets' vaccination records, lists of medication and health history in case they need veterinary care while away. Pets also should be protected against temperature extremes, conditioned for long hikes and always provided with plenty of water. Contact: Cathy Dyer, Vet. Med. Teaching Hospital, (530) 752-1393 (Ask to have her paged), cbdyer@vmth.ucdavis.edu.

"Are we there yet?"

Dr. Marcy Ahrons, a UC Davis Medical Group pediatrician and a seasoned mother, offers tips for traveling with young children. She recommends travelers carry specific types of snacks and toys as well as a medical kit. She also offers advice for traveling with greater comfort and safety on an airplane, dealing with motion sickness and pacing children's activities. Contact: Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu

University Research Expeditions Program

For the adventurous traveler, and for those who have an interest in research discovery as well as a concern for the planet, the University of California's Research Expeditions Program offers a different model for travel. Every year, the program invites the public to join university researchers and help them with their research in the field, be it excavating ancient fortresses in Ecuador, studying carnival and costumes in Bolivia, or taking a month-long course in environmental field studies in Australian outback. These volunteers tourists provide support for the research by paying their own expenses, and their contributions may qualify as tax-deductible charitable donations. Contact: Dennis Dutschke, University Outreach and International Programs, (530) 752-0860 (office) 757-3529 (UREP office), djdutschke@ucdavis.edu.

Community efforts

Karen Slakey Hull, director of campus events and visitor services at UC Davis, recently chaired the city of Davis' committee working to promote Davis as a tourism destination. Davis hoteliers formed a business improvement district to raise money for tourism and marketing efforts, with the city and university contributing. This past year significant amount of work was completed, including development of a visitor Web site , completion of promotional materials for visitors and event planners, creation of tourist activities by category (e.g. family activity, the arts, entertainment, agriculture, etc.). "A coordinated effort to promote tourism makes good use of a community's existing resources and can result in a whole greater than the sum of the parts," she says. Contact: Karen Slakey Hull, (530) 752-8033, kshull@ucdavis.edu.

Web wisdom

Passport for Healthy Travel on the Web site for the UC Davis Health System's Wellness Center, offers practical advice for traveling across country or around the globe. Tips range from scheduling immunizations to packing necessities in carry-on baggage. The site also offers a handy form for recording medical information to carry with you. Also, you can get advice about how to plan for the unexpected when traveling and traveling to developing countries.

Media contacts:

Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Julia Ann Easley, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-8248, jaeasley@ucdavis.edu
Claudia Morain (530) 752-9841, cmmorain@ucdavis.edu

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Last updated Jan. 6, 2005