Sustainable Tourism Management
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| BUSI4575 | Business | 4 | 10 | Spring UK |
- Code
- BUSI4575
- School
- Business
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module is concerned with providing an understanding of the theoretical and practical issues relating to environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability in tourism. A day-long compulsory Field Trip forms an integral part of the teaching of this module. Topics covered may include:
Tourism management for natural resources; Ecotourism and nature-based tourism; Ethics; Socio-cultural sustainability; Stakeholder engagement; Community wellbeing; Economics of sustainable tourism, social impact of tourism.
Target Students
Compulsory module for MSc International Tourism Management and Marketing (N831) and Optional module for MSc Management (N20B); MSc Marketing (N506). Also available to MSc Exchange students.
Classes
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 11 weeks
- One 8-hour field studies
Independent Study of 35 hours of assessment preparation and 35 hours of independent study.
Assessment
- 80% Coursework: 2,500 word individual essay
- 20% Assignment: 1000 word field trip reflection.The reassessment of this module will be 100% coursework: 3000 word individual essay.
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
The module aims to provide a holistic overview of the past and present debates over sustainability from a management perspective. It uses case studies and a field trip to illustrate the often contested, but sometimes beneficial, relationship between tourism and the environment in the modern world. It takes an historical, geographical, social, environmental and economic approach to managing sustainable tourism.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and understanding:
• The dynamics of the global economy and international business &/or an awareness of cultural, legal/regulatory, political, and economic differences across countries &/or an appreciation of management issues from a global perspective.
• Markets - the development and operation of markets for resources, goods and services.
• Customers and stakeholders - customer expectations, service and orientation.
• The importance of sustainability issues, including an understanding of the challenges and opportunities arising from the activities of people and organisations on the economic, social and environmental conditions of the future.
Intellectual Skills:
• Being able to think critically and be creative: manage the creative processes in self and others; organise thoughts, analyse, synthesise and critically appraise.
• This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately.
• Being able to solve complex problems and make decisions: establish criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems; and the ability to create, identify and evaluate options; the ability to implement and review decisions.
• Using information and knowledge effectively in order to abstract meaning from information and to share knowledge, including the use of quantitative skills.
Professional Practical Skills:
• The ability to conduct research and enquiry into business and management issues either individually or as part of a team through research design, the collection and analysis of qualitative data, synthesis and reporting.
• Effective performance within team environments and the ability to recognise and utilise individuals' contributions in group processes and to negotiate and persuade or influence others; team selection, delegation, development and management.
• The ability to recognise and address ethical dilemmas, corporate social responsibility and sustainability issues, applying ethical and organisational values to situations and choices.
Transferable (key) Skills:
• Effective communication: networking, listening, oral and written communication of complex ideas and arguments, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports.
• High personal effectiveness: critical self-awareness, self-reflection and self-management; time management; conflict resolution, displaying commercial acumen, the ability to continue to learn through reflection on practice and experience.
• Soft skills: understanding the needs of others and empathy towards them; sensitivity to diversity in people and in different situations.