27646 Tourist Attractions Management

Subject level: Undergraduate

Handbook description

This subject examines the distinctive aspects of tourist attraction management and marketing. It examines a range of selected case studies, which in the past have included Gledswood Homestead, Manly Aquarium and the Australian Museum. It reviews the relationship between tourist attractions and inbound tour operators, coach tour operators, and local, regional and State tourist organisations and involves a number of field visits. The course is of interest to students seeking to develop knowledge and skills relevant to the pursuit of careers in the tourist attraction area, or in tourism industry sectors which interact closely with tourist attractions.

Subject objectives/outcomes

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

1. Analyse tourist attractions as entities and examine the tourist attraction process in functional, structural, operational, and interrelational terms.
2. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the range of the management and marketing functions which are integral to the successful operation of a specific tourist attraction or to the acquisition of tourists as an audience to a non-tourism-specific facility.

Contribution to graduate profile

This elective subject aims to provide students who are interested in the tourist attraction sector of the tourism industry with the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills appropriate to management positions in that sector. It is also relevant in both knowledge and skills terms to students seeking to pursue careers in any of the tourism industry sectors which interact closely with tourist attractions.

Teaching and learning strategies

Teaching strategies take the form of modified lectures, i.e. lectures which are interspersed with considerable discussion based on students' own ideas and your own experiences of phenomena associated with the tourist attraction process in industrialised tourism systems, and some workshop sessions. A considerable empirical field work study is also involved. Content for this subject will be supported by UTSOnline.

Content

• Distinctive aspects of tourist attraction management - tourists and their leisure needs; touristically significant place/feature needs capable of satisfying tourist needs; managing the systemic provision of promotional material to actual and potential tourists; establishment and management of collaborative linkages with specific tourism industry sectors; managing the on-site satisfaction of touristic leisure needs
• Case studies of tourist attraction management and marketing - eg. Gledswood Homestead, Manly Aquarium, the Neka Art Museum in Bali, etc.
• Managing the relationship between attractions and selected industry firms - inbound tour operators; coach tour operators; local, regional, state and national tourism organisations

Assessment

Assessment item 1: An executive summary of the group case study report's 'Part A' (Individual)

Assessment item 2: An executive summary of the group case study report's 'Part B' (Individual)

Assessment item 3: Group case study report (Group)