The pandas are coming back to town! Two giant pandas – Qing Bao, a 3-year-old female, and Bao Li, a 3-year-old male – left China Monday for their long journey to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. They come just under a year since the last two giant pandas left the nation’s capital. According to The Washington Post, “Their arrival will mark the continuation of a beloved animal conservation program in Washington that goes back more than a half-century.”
If would like more context on this matter, please consider Liang "Larry" Yu, a professor of hospitality management at the George Washington University School of Business. His expertise includes knowledge management, hospitality management and organizational culture as well as tourism product value chain analysis and tourist satisfaction.
In a recent interview with ABC7, Yu spoke about the pandas’ economic impact to the Washington D.C. area as well as the role these pandas play in diplomacy. He said, “From the economic standpoint, in terms of managing a tourist attraction, typically we have two things in terms of income: one is a ticket economy. In this case, the National Zoo does not charge admission. So, the purpose is to attract more visitors to come to town to spend their money into the local economy, local communities. There are some communities closeby to the zoo, and the food and beverage services, the lodging services, the transportation will all benefit. from the visitors coming in.”
To speak with Prof. Yu, please contact GW Senior Media Relations Specialist Cate Douglass Restuccio at [email protected].
-GW-