Beth Wright is a current graduate student from the sustainable tourism concentration of the MTA program. She is originally from New Mexico and has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder in International Affairs. She has extensive experience in remote team management, industry research, nonprofit and project operations,cross-cultural communications and community engagement. Also, she has lived and worked abroad throughout the Americas and the Carribean. Beth is currently a consultant for a range of sustainable tourism and economic development projects in Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, and Indigenous communities in the United States. She will graduate from GW spring 2021. Congratulations Beth!
What projects have you been working on that you want to share with the readers?
I have been a part of some exciting projects lately. In April, I co-presented two webinars resulting from a group project through the summer consulting course taught by Seleni Matus. In partnership with the Caribbean Tourism Organization, we developed two products: a Destination Dashboard for Long-Term Recovery and a Digital Toolkit for Tourism Businesses, which we presented to over 250 businesses and destination organizations in the Caribbean. (The tools can be found here)
Additionally, for the past two years, through the International Institute of Tourism Studies, I have had the honor of managing a project with the nine Tribal Nations in South Dakota. Through this project we have supported the creation of an ad-hoc volunteer network - the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance (SDNTA) - assessed the potential for Indigenous tourism, developed a five year strategic tourism management and development plan, and are currently implementing five priority initiatives. (Links to the plan can be found here)
What career plan do you have after you complete the MTA Program?
While at GW I started a sustainable tourism consulting company - Regenerative Resource Partners LLC. I have a handful of unique projects currently and am looking forward to continuing to work with destinations and businesses seeking creative solutions to rebuild sustainably post COVID-19.
What is an unusual talent that you have?
I don't think it has much to do with talent, but I love meeting new people and exploring new places. I am very lucky to have friends in all corners of the world who I've shared some hilarious, interesting and meaningful adventures with - including here at GW! I hope to continue to make new memories with the amazing people I've met during my time here.
