A Tourism Society lecture will remember the “grand old man” of hospitality and tourism studies, Rik Medlik.

A lecture exploring the development of tourism and its study has been organised by The Tourism Society on 16 September at Central Hall Westminster, London, in memory of its first Chair and tourism, Rik Medlik.

As a key founder and the first Chair of The Tourism Society (1977-80), Rik Medlik sadly passed away on 30 June 2007 at the age of 70. In his memory, “The Development of Tourism: Past, Present & Future” will feature presentations on his contribution to tourism education and the industry, and their evolution over the past 50 years since his career began. Bernard Donoghue, Head of Government & Public Affairs at VisitBritain, will also provide a ‘look to the future’ for the British tourism industry.

Medlik was born in 1928 in Czechoslovakia, but after receiving a tip-off that as a student leader his activities were being noticed by the Communist authorities, he left in September 1948. Leaving illegally on foot, with nothing but a backpack and a sufficiently large supply of cigarettes to use as bribes, Medlik found himself in a displaced person’s camp in Germany. 

From there he came to the UK, and ended up in the Yorkshire textile mills, yet as an immigrant looking from the outside in, he saw as early as the 1950s that Britain’s future lay in the service sector – more specifically in hospitality and tourism.

Throughout his life, Medlik either led, or was involved with, nearly all the initiatives to create a field of serious scholarly study of tourism and hospitality in the UK. He was responsible for the first degree programmes, the first research degrees, the first scholarly books and journals, and for the creation of the tourism professional body (The Tourism Society), as well as launching the careers of many of the leaders in hospitality and tourism.

This event will be of significant interest to anyone working in the British tourism industry or in tourism education. For more information, visit www.tourismsociety.org, or for a booking form,click here.