Faculty of Business: Leisure, Sport and Tourism
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level: Undergraduate

Result Type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 27327 Tourism and Sustainability
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are also course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Handbook description

Students are given the opportunity to apply the knowledge they gained in earlier tourism studies to an understanding of contemporary, critical and global issues in tourism. They examine the local and international relevance of the issues, the ethical implications and the ways in which they, as tourism professionals, might respond. Students also reflect and project on how such issues might affect the development of tourism. The subject assists students to relate critical tourism issues to a wider understanding of society.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of selected, current, critical issues in tourism, appreciate the significance of such issues within their particular geographical contexts and within the wider global context.
2. Discuss the associated ethical considerations of the selected, critical issues.
3. Creatively consider and discuss the implications of selected critical issues affecting the future development of global tourism.

Contribution to graduate profile

Critical Issues in Global Tourism is a final year capstone subject in the Bachelor of Management in Tourism program, which requires students to reflect on previous subjects in the course and focus on a series of current critical issues associated with tourism at a global level. Students will examine the ethical aspects of a range of selected issues, as well as considering how a number of significant issues might affect the future development of tourism in Australia and international tourism settings.

Teaching and learning strategies

The lecture/workshop format will incorporate a range of teaching and experiential learning strategies including videos, debates and case studies. Guest lectures will be a component of the program. Content for this subject will be supported by UTSOnline.

Content

Each year, a series of critical issues that reflect contemporary concerns and affect global tourism will be selected for examination. The selected issues will fall into two broad categories: those where there are significant ethical considerations or debates; and those which represent future challenges for tourism management. The issues will be chosen to reflect concerns which are both global and those which are specific to particular regions of the globe. These issues also include:

• Ethical issues in tourism
• Future issues/challenges

Assessment

Essay 1 (Individual)	40%
This addresses objectives 1 and 2.
Essay 2 (Group)	30%
This addresses objective 3.
Final Examination (Individual)	30%
This addresses objectives 1-3.

Examinations will be conducted under University examination conditions. The content of the subject necessitates extensive research, and has to be conducted outside invigilated conditions, but the topics of the individual and group essays will vary according to what are topical and current issues; their evaluation will also look for the latest writings and strategies that deal with the issues explored. Hence there is no likelihood of essay topics being repeated from year to year.

Recommended text(s)

Student Reader with key articles.

Indicative references

Beirman, D. (2003). Restoring Tourism Destinations in Crisis. Sydney: Allen and Unwin.

Faulkner, B., Moscardo, G. & Laws, E. (2000). Tourism in the 21st Century. London: Continuum.

Lennon, J. & Foley, M. (2000). Dark Tourism. London: Continuum.

Ryan, C. & Hall, M. (2001). Sex Tourism: Marginal People and Liminalities. London: Routledge.

Shaw, G. & Williams, A.M. (2002). Critical Issues in Tourism: a Geographical Perspective. Oxford: Blackwell.