Jha delivers YouTube Live presentation on Nebraska’s place branding

06 Nov 2019    

Dipra Jha, Associate Professor of Practice in Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism Management, recently delivered a YouTube Live presentation as part of “Tourism Empowers” multi-disciplinary forum organized by the University of Aveiro in Portugal. The event on October 25th was aimed at fostering a dialogue among academicians, researchers, students and the general public to determine better techniques in empowering people and transforming destinations sustainably using a collaborative approach. The forum also discussed best practices that can provide knowledge and innovative ideas to support communities. It was broadcast via YouTube Live. Livestream and video of the event were viewed by participants from 33 countries spanning Europe, Central & South Asia, Middle East & Africa, and the Far East.

Jha was invited to present on place branding; a process that communicates destination image to a target audience. Using Nebraska Tourism’s 2018 campaign “Nebraska. Honestly, It’s Not For Everyone” as a case study, Jha discussed perception issues that plagued Nebraska as a desirable destination for out-of-state visitors and the process that led to creating an inoculation-based campaign built around the core human value of “Honesty”. He highlighted research done by Nebraska Tourism which supported a different place branding strategy, and how the new campaign allowed Nebraska to position itself as a unique destination. Since the campaign debuted in October 2018, it has reached close to 900 Million people and been recognized around the world for its creative genius. Its success is evident from record lodging tax collections, a historic increase in web traffic to VisitNebraska.com, as well as spike in requests for the Nebraska Travel Guide.

Tourism is Nebraska's third largest earner of revenue from outside the state after agriculture and manufacturing; bringing in excess of $4.9 billion annually and supporting 48,360 jobs. According to the U.S. Travel Association, tax revenues generated by domestic and international travelers in Nebraska in 2016 totaled over $732 million. Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management is one of the fastest growing majors at Nebraska and resides jointly in the College of Education and Human Sciences and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Students have the opportunity to choose among several emphasis areas within the major: club management, event planning, food and beverage, human resources, lodging and tourism. Graduates of the program currently work for Nebraska Tourism Commission as well as other tourism entities such as Visit Omaha and Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“Professor Dipra Jha’s presentation captivated audience interest by highlighting the significance of core human values for rational decision-making and inoculation technique in place branding. He provided concise and practical examples. I have personally gained additional knowledge about place branding and how the topic can be linked to building sustainable, innovative and inclusive communities,” said Rogelio Flores, Jr., Research Fellow, Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering, and Tourism at University of Aveiro. “His immense knowledge, experience and eloquence made this virtual session engaging and dynamic; proven by the positive feedback we have received from participants. We are truly grateful for his invaluable contribution as our guest speaker, and in making our forum a remarkable success!”

Located in Aveiro, Portugal the University of Aveiro is a public university known for its excellence in education, research and innovation. It is recognized as a premier institution of higher learning in the field of tourism. The Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism (DEGEIT) offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. programs and enrolls a large number of international students. From its inception as a small academic unit in 1988, DEGEIT has grown on to become the University’s largest department, in terms of student numbers. The Department has strong partnerships with various companies, academic and government institutions. It also hosts numerous conferences and events; adding to the body of knowledge in a range of disciplines.