From Campus to Community: Prof. Bryan Lavin on How Students are Shaping the Future of Tourism

If you think tourism education still lives in dusty textbooks and lecture halls, Professor Bryan Lavin is here to prove you wildly wrong. As an advisor to Learn Tourism the nonprofit academy and faculty member at Johnson & Wales University, Lavin is redefining what learning looks like—and it’s as much about TikTok as it is about tourism.

🎙️ PVD POV: Students as Storytellers

Forget the crawl-walk-run metaphor. Bryan’s students are sprinting into the tourism media landscape with PVD POV, a student-run podcast that highlights the vibrant personalities and culinary stories behind Providence, Rhode Island. In just a few weeks, these students went from zero editing knowledge to producing podcast episodes and branded social clips using tools like Opus Clip and DaVinci Resolve.

"They didn’t even know what audio production was," Lavin laughed. “Now they’re editing reels, building brands, and producing stories for an actual audience.”

This hands-on media project isn’t just a cool class—it’s workforce development in action.

💡 AI Tools + Experiential Learning = Game-Changer

Lavin and Ekstrom geeked out over a range of AI tools that make tourism marketing and education more dynamic:

• Opus Pro: Instantly breaks long video into digestible, branded social media clips.

• Napkin: Creates smart infographics from bullet points.

• Notebook LM (by Google): Turns documents into podcast-style audio summaries.

• Synthesia: Builds multilingual videos using avatars and custom voices—perfect for Learn Tourism’s customized training modules.

"The lecture is dead," Lavin declared. “These tools allow us to focus on application, critical thinking, and human connection—the stuff that really matters in education.”

🧠 Data Meets Destination Marketing

Lavin shared exciting research he’s presenting at TTRA Northeast in Ireland. His work identifies local residents who are most likely to become tourism advocates through user-generated content. Working with data from 9,000+ Quebecers, his cluster analysis is revealing the psychographic and demographic traits of natural promoters—basically, finding your hometown hype squad.

This research aligns beautifully with Learn Tourism’s vision: using training programs to educate and uncover and empower local tourism champions.

🎓 A Career Compass, Not a Map

Both Lavin and Ekstrom are passionate about helping students and young professionals navigate the nonlinear paths of tourism careers. A podcast series is in the works that follows a real student through job hunting, mentorship, resume writing, and eventual placement, giving listeners an authentic look into career exploration.

"So many students say, ‘I’m interested in this field, but what’s the path?’ This shows them the human, imperfect, inspiring journey," Lavin said.

🤝 Mentorship Gets a Makeover

Ekstrom also teased a new mentorship program in collaboration with SKÅL. In this program, students choose mentors based on personal goals and career interests, empowering young adults to chart their own futures.

Final Word: Let’s Grow

As Lavin so aptly put it: “These tools aren’t threats. They’re ladders. They help us rise above the mundane and focus on what makes us better human beings.”

With new media, smart data, human-centered tech, and good old-fashioned curiosity, the future of tourism training is brighter—and more fun—than ever.

About Learn Tourism the nonprofit academy...
Learn Tourism is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the tourism industry through innovative educational practices and professional development initiatives. Our mission is to harness the power of science, business psychology, and adult education to build sustainable economies and enrich the tourism landscape.