WHAT WE DO
We make sure your your tourism and destination growth plans are headed in the right direction by combining sound principles and best practices.
The Pacific Tourism Institute (PTI) collaborates with a wide range of public and private organizations to support their mutual growth ambitions in sustainable tourism.
We work with tourism ministries, destination resorts, tour operators, private investors, community governments, local residents, attractions, parks and recreation entities, universities, destination marketers, and economic development groups.
But most importantly, we help all these diverse stakeholders collaborate together toward common, sustainable tourism growth interests. Bringing principled, practical solutions to these initiative is the core of the Pacific Tourism Institute's expertise.
Here are a few examples of our projects and assignments:
Tourism Attraction Development:
Fiji -- The Pacific Tourism Institute has consulted with the Lautoka, Fiji Chamber of Commerce to plan an interactive new visitor attraction that will tell the fascinating story of sugar cane agriculture in the islands. This agri-tourism experience blends the history of sugar plantations in Fiji with the unique legacy of 19th Century Indian immigration and the cultural impact on Fiji and its indigenous peoples.
Iowa, USA -- Chicago-based Go The Distance Baseball purchased the iconic Field of Dreams movie site in rural Dyersville, Iowa with ambitions to create America's premiere week-long youth baseball and softball tournament venue. In addition to providing strategic counsel and customer experience management advice, PTI principals conducted two important surveys among key target groups to inform feasibility analysis, product development, marketing strategy, and local stakeholder relations.
Community Destination Marketing: PTI principals were key players in an initiative to brand and promote the small beachside community of Laie, Hawaii as a new tourism destination. This Destination Laie campaign was designed to take full advantage of a newly-built hotel and product development investments at the neighboring Polynesian Cultural Center.
Professional Tourism Learning:
Indonesia -- At the invitation of the Asian Productivity Organization in Tokyo, a PTI principal was engaged as a resource expert, workshop instructor, and project consultant for a seminar in Bandung, Indonesia focused on the development of rural tourism. Participants were representatives of government and private firms from across Asia and the Pacific.
Hawaii, USA -- PTI organized and implemented a week-long Hawaii Rural Tourism Study Mission for the Asian Productivity Organization. Seventeen participants from Cambodia, Fiji, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam attended intensive learning workshops, made small-group presentations, and visited 12 successful rural tourism sites on Oahu's Windward Coast and North Shore. All participants gained invaluable insights about best practices in rural tourism development, operations and marketing.
OUR PRINCIPALS
LAURIE R. PREECE
Laurie is an experienced business leader and community coach with unique skills in collaborative planning and collective impact. Laurie is certified as a facilitator by the Institute of Cultural Affairs and is frequently requested to speak at professional and educational conferences about her successes in bringing together diverse stakeholders to develop common goals and effectively collaborate on implementation of community projects. Laurie founded the community collaborative Alignment Rockford in an affiliation with Nashville-based Alignment USA which focuses on high-profile collective impact initiatives around the country. She has traveled across North America, Asia, the Pacific and Europe, and these experiences have established familiarity with a wide range of global destinations and cultures. View Laurie's LinkedIn profile here.
DAVID K. PREECE
David has over 35 years of leadership experience as a corporate executive and university professor. He recently retired as the Academic Director of the Center for Hospitality & Tourism at Brigham Young University-Hawaii, and as a professor of marketing in the Faculty of Business and Government. David's previous professional roles include CEO of the Rockford (Illinois) Convention & Visitors Bureau, VP of Marketing at Classic Vacations (Expedia), President of The Travel Institute, VP-North America for the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, and VP of Marketing and Sales at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii. David is a frequent consultant and speaker on subjects such as branding, marketing communications, tourism trends, visitor attractions, destination management/marketing, cultural tourism, and rural/eco/agri-tourism. View David's LinkedIn profile here.
