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A MEDA CASE MAP, Development of M.A. in
pilgrimage, tourism and cultural heritage
Tempus Information Day Finland CIMO 28.10.2005
Arvo Peltonen Finnish University Network for
Tourism Studies arvo.peltonen_at_joensuu.fi
MATKAILUALAN VERKOSTOYLIOPISTO
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• OBJECTIVE OF THE PRESENTATION
• Elucidate some collaborative challenges and
• practical problems of a Tempus III MEDA project
  in
• Pre-action
• Implementation and Action
• Post-action
• Special note politically sensitive and unrest
• target area (Palestine, PA), higher risk to
• proper completion of the project

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FINNISH UNIVERSITY NETWORK FOR TOURISM STUDIES
(FUNTS) Expertise in TEMPUS collaboration

• FUNTS Joint programme of 17 Finnish universities
  in
• multidisiplinary tourism studies coordinated by
• the University of Joensuu, Savonlinna
• Campus (a national cluster of tourism studies)
• Under-graduate post-graduate education (230
  students,
• 25-30 professors, 40-60 entrepreneurs)
• Research and development projects
• Library (WTO Depository Library)
• Expertice in Tempus III JEPs on-going projects
• 1) Tempus Tacis an individual expert in the
  Sustainable forest
• management in the Povolgie (Russia) 2003-2005
• Grand holder and Coordinator Palmenia (Univ. Of
  Helsinki),
• target partner Mari State Technical University,
  others Greece, Austria
• -2) Tempus MEDA a partner in MAP, Development
  of M.A.
• Pilgrimage,Tourism and Cultural Heritage,
  2004-2006

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GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF TEMPUS III JEP MEDA from
the point of MAP Supporting transition and
reform processes of the target society through
mechanisms of upgrading the academic performance
and dissemination of its outcomes 1) -gt
Preparedness of Palestinian higher educational
institutions to widely support the tourism
administration and industry, and pilgrimage
services (also souvenir handicrafts) to gain
higher level of performance when the normal
times return, 2) -gt Activation of partnerships
within the academic community and beyond tourism
business, policy makers and actors of
multi-cultural civil society tourism as an
economical impetus of regional and social
development of Palestine 3) -gt Upgrading the
managerial skills and competences in
international tourism business, pilgrimage
behaviour and preservation of cultural heritage

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MAP CASE IN A NUTSHELL

• Share of the Palestinian Authority of Tempus III
  2 M in 2003
• (of 20 M in total)
• MAP accepted 2003, started October 2004.
• Target government Palestinian Authority (West
  Bank Gaza)
• Grand holder and coordinator the London
  Metropolitan
• University (Thomas Selwyn)
• -Benefiting partner the Bethlehem University
  (PA)
• -Partners
• the Centre for Heritage Preservation
  (Bethlehem)
• Finnish University Network for Tourism
  Studies
• (University of Joensuu)
• -Individual Experts from the Netherlands, the UK,
  Malta,
• Mallorca (Spain)
• -Grant total 250 000 (for two years, for FUNTS
  about 50 000)

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MAP PRE-ACTION

• Finding partners for the consortium (from 2000
  on)
• Initiative jointly with Thomas Selwyn and Arvo
  Peltonen
• Period of aggravating conflict (2000-)
• Thomas Selwyn expert in the Mediterranean
  tourism
• (e.g. MEDA III project MED HERITAGE II, and
  CARD
• M.A. in tourism in Bosnia) extensive linkages
  with the Israeli
• and Palestinian authorities, and EU and WTO
• -Arvo Peltonen studies in Palestine (1997) (and
  Syria 1998)
• e.g. on the Millennium 2000 project linkages
  with the Palestinian
• tourist authorities and municipalities Bethlehem
  and Beit Jala
• Preliminary negotiations Bethlehem University
  (e.g. Department
• of Hospitality and Tourism, undergraduate
  programme),
• Ministry of Culture (Ramallah) and Tourism
  (Bethlehem),
• Centre for Heritage Preservation (former
  Millennium 2000 project)
• EU (Brussels and Turin) WTO and UNESCO
• Palestinian and Israeli tourism enterprises and
  promotion
• organisations
• (e.g.) Finnish Near-East Institute
  (Jerusalem-gtBeit Jala)

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Challenges for better performance of tourism
development in Palestine
1) Politically and socio-culturally sensitive
area for tourism development after unrest period
measures for negotiations in Palestine and across
the wall -gt leadership skills 2) Leakage
extending the stay of visitors and increasing
of local tourism consumption -gt innovativeness,
business management 3) Training the Palestinian
tour operators and guides -gt management of
customer behaviour, 4) Understanding the
international trends in cultural tourism and
pilgrimage stone tourism or living stone
tourism (alternative tourism practices and
strengthening the national identity) -gt
management of customer behaviour, marketing
(e.g. e-marketing and e-business) 5) Managerial
skills and competences for maintenance of
heritage sites and objects

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MAP Administrative directives for M.A Programme
by the Palestinian Authority, Ministry of Higher
Education 1. Administrative conditions of
application procedure of application 2.
Preliminary conditions of application
-Bases on valid B.A. Programme (in the BU,
Hospitality management and tourism)
-Possiblity to recruit students graduated from
valid B.A. -M.A. should include a research
component 3. Standards and requirements
-Mission and general objective comparable with
the academic and professional standards of
international M.As. -Theme according to the
strategic priority of the PA -Improve the
scientific research and qualifications of
specialists -Structure and content of
programme (paradigm) requirements
matching with objectives (general and courses)
chronological structure of courses/modules
graduation plan (compulsory and elective
courses, thesis)
(cont.)

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MAP Administrative directives for M.A Programme
by the Palestinian Authority, Ministry of Higher
Education 4. Faculty members -
availability of 4 full-time faculty members with
PhD (or 2 professors) with research
experience shown by scientific
publications - faculty members load
teaching 50, supervising 25, research 25
(administration?, community involvement?),
- full-time equivalent 1/6 students - at
least 3 years of teaching experience 5. Premises
- ITC Labs, teaching lab, teaching
equipment 6. Library - academic text-books,
references, international (electronic) journals
7. Acceptance criteria - applicants first
B.A. from a Palestinian university (8) or
accredited by the PA 8. Requirements to
confer a Master Degree -completion of 36
credit hours (passing more than 70 of courses)
-6-12 credit hours / semester -succesful
defending of thesis -pass of foreign
language requirements

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MAP IMPLEMENTATION ACTION

• - Pilot programme for the curriculum development
  with
• Palestinian tourism professionals as recruited
  students,
• who might, after passing the first round of
  programme,
• will be qualified as faculty members of the
  successive
• MAP M.A. programmes at the Bethlehem University
• (-Equivalent to former Finnish Professional
  Development
• programmes)
• Planning workshop of the partners and individual
  experts
• on October 28-29, 2004
• decision of the final structure, time table
  and responsibilities
• budgetary meeting
• -Recruitment of the pilot students by application
  and interviews
• by Thomas Selwyn and the responsible staff of
  the
• Bethlehem University and members of tourism
  sector
• in December 2004 -gt 10 students at the
  mid-career level
• accepted

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Conceptual structure (Paradigm) of M.A. in
pilgrimage tourism
Demand -global needs and motives for
religious heritage, -pilgrimage -intercultural
scope
Supply -religious attractions -maintenance of
heritage monuments -tourism services
Encountering
Destination Palestine/Israel management,
co-operation, responsible tourism Impacts
sustainable regional development Promotion
regulation policy, planning, legislation
competences, training
under- standing, marketing
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Paradigm of the MAP

• Defined in the first workshop in Bethlehem (Oct.
  28-29, 2004)
• - Modular structure with revised scope of
• Problem-Based Learning
• - 6 thematic modules with 10 approaches
  enhancing
• competences, running throughout the modules (10
  days
• each)
• - students individual assignments between the
  modules
• MODULES APPROACHES
• Introduction to 1. Tourism and regional
  development
• core concepts (Bethlehem) 2.
  International networking
• Cultural and natural 3.
  Tourism and civil society
• heritage in the Mediterranean 4.
  Alternative tourism
• (Bethlehem)
  5. ITC e-commerce, e-learning
• 3. Socio-cultural dimensions 6.
  Sustainable management
• of tourism and pilgrimage (London) of
  cultural natural heritage
• 4. Tourism attractions an imagery (Be.) 7.
  Attractions and imagery
• 5. Tourism policy and planning 8.
  Post-conflict reconstruction

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• Realising the first module Testing the
• MAP paradigm, environment and
• collaboration, Bethlehem, June 16-21,2005
• - Accessibility to Bethlehem
  ok
• - Teaching facilities and supporting
• services at the Bethlehem University
  ok
• Recruitment of students (versatile
• backgrounds in the private and public
• sectors and NGOs) ok
• Good command at English, studies abroad ok
• The contents and approaches of the first
• module should be lightly customized
  (ok)
• according the students expectations and
• needs anticipated
• -Housekeeping matters of the partners slight
• revision of the budget and the division of
  labour

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CONCLUDING REMARKS POST ACTION

• Success factors of Tempus MEDA from the point of
• FUNTS as a minor, not so experienced actor
• Find yourself a capable, experienced grant holder
  
• and coordinator,
• Get to know most of the partners beforehand
• easier to construct trust and social capital in
• the consortium,
• easier to decide about the division of
• labour, teaching obligations, and budget share,
• 3) Be rich enough for realising the Tempus
  project
• (not a big business for a small organisation),
• 4) Take controllable risks learn more.

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MATKAILUALAN VERKOSTOYLIOPISTO