Calendar Description
Students examine the social, environmental, economic, and political aspects of planning, developing, and sustaining tourism destinations. The major focus is on the benefits and impacts associated with tourism activities, and the importance of planning at the regional and community level.
Detailed Description
The course combines historical and theoretical approaches to sustainable tourism with in-depth case studies of tourism destinations and businesses. You will be provided with a solid foundation in sustainability theory and practice, and become familiar with current tools related to sustainable destination development and business planning.
This course includes perspectives on the ongoing development of a responsible tourism sector, one which maximizes positive benefits and minimizes negative impacts on local communities, ecosystems, the labour force, cultures, the environment, and the broader economy. The issue of sustainability has never been more relevant than it is today, and there is an enormous volume of information and tools available to help you perform your duties as a tourism manager to advance sustainability in the workplace.
Contemporary ethical issues in sustainable tourism development will be explored in detail, such as transportation and climate change, biodiversity and wildlife viewing, the commodification of culture, labour mobility, foreign involvement, and local ownership, as well as other factors. These issues will be examined from the consumer (demand) side, as well as the destination (supply) side across a selection of specific sectoral experiences (adventure/eco-tourism, accommodations, transportation, etc.).
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this course students should:
1. Demonstrate understanding of the concept of sustainable development.
2. Review a comprehensive body of literature relevant to understanding issues and
trends in planning for sustainable tourism development.
3. Develop a model to reflect the complex political, economic, and social dynamics of
tourism planning in the context of sustainable development.
4. Conduct research in preparation of a tourism case study presentation.
- Teacher: Brouder Patrick