April 12, 1995
Ms. Elizabeth Beetschen
Assoc. of American Geographers
1710 16th St., NW
Washington, DC 20009-3198

Dear Ms. Beetschen--

The following represents my effort at a 1994-95 report.  Sorry  for the delay, but I was working on the old May 31 timeframe. 

I.  RECREATION, TOURISM, & SPORT:  To provide a forum and to encourage  research and teaching of applied and academic aspects of recreation,  tourism, and sport geography.  Dues $3 (student $1).  Alan A. Lew, Department of Geography &  Public Planning, Northern Arizona University, Box 15016, Flagstaff, AZ  86011-5016.....ph 928/523-6567, FAX 928/523-4230 e-mail: alew@nau.edu

[please verify the area code before publishing; I believe the old  area code of 601 has been phased out or is being phased out] 

II.  Officers (terms of office:  1995-1997)

		CHAIR 
Alan Lew, Northern Arizona University

		SECRETARY-TREASURER 
Lisle Mitchell, University of South Carolina

		BOARD MEMBERS (FULL MEMBERS)
Rob Bristow, Westfield State College
Barbara Carmichael, Central Connecticut State University
Neil Heywood, Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Mark Okrant, Plymouth State College

		STUDENT BOARD MEMBER 
[vacant]

		RTS NEWSLETTER EDITOR 
Bob Janiskee, University of South Carolina

III.  Last year's accomplishments.

The major accomplishments of 1994-95 transpired at the 1995 AAG  meetings in Chicago:

1. Student Awards
The 1995 RTS student paper competition was quite successful as  ten students from across North America competed for 3 prizes.  Based upon  the written papers, wh
ich followed the format of the Professional Geographer, three prizes for  awarded as follows:

1. ($150) T.C. Chang, Ph.D. student, Dept. of Geography, McGill  University, for his paper "The United Colours of Heritage Tourism:  Local  Uniqueness in a Global Village"

2. ($100) Michael Hawkins, Ph.D. student, Dept. of Geography &  Anthropology, Louisiana State University, for his paper "Guides to  Paradise:  Tourist Images of Jamaica from Victoria to Posttourism"

3. ($50)	Jennifer B. Beltz, Masters student, Dept. of Geography &  Planning, Northern Arizona, for her paper "Ecotourism in Brazil" 

Due to the success of the student paper competition, incoming  chair Alan Lew will actively promote the event for the 1996 Charlotte  meetings.

2. IGU interaction
	Just as the AAG in general has been encouraging links with the  IGU, the RTS group has been in touch with the IGU Study Group on the  Geography of Sustainable To
urism, specifically its chair Dr. Fred Helleiner.  Although  communications thus far were mostly by e-mail (especially while I was on  sabbatical in Yucat  agreed to share info in our respective newsletters  and attempt to attend each others' meetings.  Alan Lew is very supportive  of continuing these efforts d
uring his term as chair.

3. AAG highlights
	The Chicago meetings were quite productive.  RTS sponsored ten  sessions, including 1 panel session, in which 45 papers were presented.   We co-sponsored a field trip to an Indian casino (with the Native American specialty group),  although various snafus led to only the leader and back-up leader  actually participating.  Our one casino gambling session received national press coverage.   (Also, as a result of last year's casino gambling sessions, an edited  book on the subject is being submitted to the University of Pennsylvania Press for review this  month!)  Dr. Jerzy Jemiolo organized a "Polish meeting" at the Polish  consulate in the which the Polish minister of tourism participated as well as several RTS  members. 

IV.  Activities scheduled for the coming year.

	A.  To organize several paper, poster, and panel sessions, as  well as a field trip to the Grand Strand, for the '96 Charlotte meetings  (see copy of attached business meeting agenda)

	B.  Bob Janiskee, who resurrected the RTS Newletter to augment  RTS news that appears in the AAG Newsletter, has nearly completed a  database of all RTS members.  This database will list proficiencies and E-mail addresses inter alia  and will assist the AAG in its push to make geography more visible in  public affairs.  Bob has also set up an electronic discussion group listserv called  RTSNET-L.  While minor kinks still need to be worked out, the RTS  infobahn is virtually reality!

	C.  Other goals include to actively promote the increase of  student membership and participation in the RTS specialty group, as well  as to work closely with the IGU study group as previously mentioned.

V. Roy Wolfe Award
	The 1995 Roy I. Wolfe Award is given to Dr. Charles A.  Stansfield, Rowan College (New Jersey), for his outstanding contributions  to the field of recreation/tourism geography.  Dr. Stansfield has an outstanding record of publication  centered upon cultural, economic, and urban aspects of recreation and  tourism, particularly in seaside resorts.  In the 1960s, he delineated "recreational  business districts" (RBDs) in New Jersey resorts, and this land-use  category has endured to the present day in tourism geography.   He has conducted research in  areas including resort cycle analyses, urban recreation, wilderness land  use, Caribbean cruiseship patterns, historic preservation, and socio-economic impacts of  casino gambling.   Dr. Stanfield has served as co-editor of book and  media reviews for the Annals of Tourism Research since 1978, and he is author (or co-author)  of various topical and regional geography textbooks in which recreation  and tourism are strongly emphasized.  

	  Charles A. Stansfield thus becomes the eighth honored recipient  of the Roy Wolfe Award, following the distinguished Lisle Mitchell  (1988), John Rooney (1989), Dick Smith (1990), Geoff Wall (1991), Peter Murphy (1992), and Carlton  S. Van Doren (1993), and Richard W. Butler (1994).

VI.  see IV.

VII. Although membership is about 247 (at last count), only about 10% are  "hard-core" members.  (Because of the successful Chicago meetings, we had  about 40 in attendence at the annual business meeting--close to the record set in SF  in 1994!)  Even though the RTS interests of this core group are quite  diverse, there is a strong sense of cohesiveness and enthusiasm.  As usual, we would like  to increase the numbers of active participants--especially students!   

VIII. Financial Report

A. 	Columbia (SC) Teachers Federal Credit Union
	3122 Millwood Ave.
	PO Box 5846
	Columbia, SC 29250-5846
	Acct #: 6030205
	Routing #: 253978617

B. 	1994 Income: $173.29 (prior to March 15) + $546 (?) deposited by  the AAG on March 31 (or does the $546 include the $173 figure that  secretary Lisle Mitchell gave me earlier?)
C. 	Expenses: $633.89

D. 	Dues:  $3 regular, $1 student

E. 	Estimated income, 1995:  $600
	Estimated expenses, 1995:  $900
		i. $300 RTS Newsletter
		ii. $300 STudent Awards
		iii. $300 RTS Directory (one-time expense)

F. 	Estimated income, 1996:  $600
	Estimated expenses, 1996:  $600
		i. $300 RTS Newsletter
		ii. $300 Student Awards

Hope this helps.  Business meeting agenda coming separately. 
Klaus