Module Information

Reflecting the growing recognition that all forms of tourism need to be carefully managed so that they become increasingly more sustainable over time, this module will provide a critical perspective on the application of the principles of sustainable development to the context of the tourism industry. A particular focus will be on candidate forms of sustainable tourism, such as green tourism and ecotourism. The module will adopt a practical focus to examine how management techniques can be applied in an attempt to make different forms of tourism more sustainable, including the use of international case studies and at least one local site visit.

Designing and implementing effective management strategies and policies for sustainable tourism requires a sound knowlege of the concept of sustainable development and how it applies to the context of tourism. This module will identify the core principles of sustainable development approach and examine how they can be put into practice with the aim of making various tourism types and destinations more sustainable. This will involve an in-depth evaluation of good practice on the part of the tourism industry, governments and host communities, non-government organisations and tourists. Environmental, economic and cultural aspects of sustainability will be considered. A practical focus will be adopted through the use of international case studies and classroom-based exerci9ses. There will also be two field visits to observe sustainable tourism in action.