These amazing people have some pretty interesting jobs, so we’re bringing you a fun peek into their work world along with some of their personal facets. This series will be ongoing, so if you have anyone you’d like to nominate as a potential Spotlight feature, send us an email at [email protected]. Enjoy!
Spotlight on Xinyi Qian
For almost four years, Xinyi Qian has been the director and statewide specialist at the University of Minnesota’s Tourism Center. Recently, our office has been collaborating with Xinyi to develop a simplified mini-report for communities seeking to estimate the economic impact of local festivals and events. The goal is to make tourism data and impact analysis more approachable and useful for communities of all sizes across Minnesota. We asked Xinyi to share a bit about her work, what she enjoys most, and the insights she’s gained along the way.
What does a typical day look like in your job?
This is not an easy question to answer, because I don’t really have a typical day! There are days when most meetings are administrative; there are days focused on applied research projects or educational offerings; there are days devoted to community outreach or industry engagement; and there are also days that I travel for work.
What do you like best about your current job?
I like the wide cross section of partners and collaborators in the department, the college of Extension, the University of Minnesota system, communities, and industry sectors; they are creative, supportive, and engaging! I also want to give a special shout-out to the Tourism Center Advisory Committee members. You all are our advisers, supporters, and ambassadors!
What about your current job do you find most challenging?
Most challenging is the lack of capacity. There is demand for our services, but it is challenging to fully meet the demand as a short-staffed center.
If you could snap your fingers and solve any problem facing our community, what would it be?
By snapping my fingers, communities would take on the mentality of destination management, not just marketing. Marketing is an important piece in the work of community tourism development. However, sustaining a healthy tourism economy in a community calls for a more wholistic approach.
What is the most recent thing you’ve read (besides email)?
I read Thomas Heatherwick’s book, Humanize: A Maker’s Guide to Designing Our Cities. As you can tell from the title, it is a design-centric book, but it is very layperson-friendly and highly visual. Our cityscapes certainly contribute to a city’s identity and desirability as a place to live, work, and yes, visit.
What is something (knowledge or a skill) you would like to learn?
I would love to learn how to do archival research, like a historian. As I age, I’ve found myself increasingly fascinated by history.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received that has helped you in your career?
Solutions do not typically lie in the black or the white; they are often somewhere in between.