This unit is designed to develop and extend the knowledge and concepts acquired in the certificate module, "Travel and Tourism." Further analyse and evaluation of principles and concepts will evolve leading to a critical examination of the role of tourism within the global context.

To enable students to:

1. Define and critically examine the nature of international tourism in contemporary societies.
2. Critically reflect on the concepts and practices of international travel and tourism.
3. Critically analyse the impacts of international tourism on the economic, social, political and physical environment.
4. Analyse and evaluate the functions, relations and contacts between the public and private sectors on tourism policy.
5. To discuss and analyse the factors influencing tourism development.
6. Evaluate the concept of sustainable tourism and its effects on the planning and development process of tourism.
7. Understand the process and application of tourism planning within a sustainable development context.

Programme Content and Learning Objectives

After completion of the programme students should be able to:

1. Idenify the nature of tourism and tourists within the perspectives of a contemporary society.

2. Explain the popularisation of tourism and the changing spatial patterns of international tourism.

3. Analyse the determinants of demand and the propensity to travel.

4. Analyse the determinants of supply and understand the interaction between supply and demand.

5. Evaluate the economic impact of tourism and the effect on policy formation.

6. Evaluate the socio - cultural impacts of tourism, including the commercialisation and authenticity of culture and the effect on tourism policy.

7. Explain the inter- relationships between the public and private sector and tourism.

8. Demonstrate a knowledge of tourism planning and the concept of sustainable development.

9. Assess the validity of the concept of eco- tourism.

10. Explore current and future trends of the tourism experience.

Indicative Learning Content

1. International Tourism in Contemporary Societies.

Students should be able to explain the various definitions and concepts associated with tourism, recreation and leisure and hence the potential difficulty in analysing and interpreting tourism activities. The different types of motivation theory should be compared and contrasted.

Graburns (1983) Inversion Theory which identifies a number of headings under which tourist behaviour may change to varying degrees.

The Push - Pull concept of motivation where tourist flows are stimulated by an attraction to leave their home environment and visit a particular destination.

Plog’s psychographic profile where the individual tourist’s characteristics are categorised to explain patterns of tourism.

Students should have the knowledge to undertake typological analysis of tourists into the four major categories : the organised mass tourist, the individual / small group mass tourist, the lone traveller and the explorer, and the drifter.

These subdivisions should be linked to contrasting patterns of tourist behaviour, actions and demands exerted on the host community and be evaluated against the total tourist experience i.e. the planning of the trip, outward journey, experience at the destination, return journey and recall of tourist experience.

Evolution of Tourism

The historic background to tourism development should be expanded, exploring the spatial, structural and social development of tourism form both a domestic and international perspective. The study should include the changes in attitudes and demands, needs and expectations of the tourist: the effects of lifestyle on the demands of mass tourism; the technological advancement in transport systems and networks; the organisational and administrative framework to enable tourism businesses to operate. Reference should be made to Butler’s conceptual model of destination/resort lifecycle in relation to tourist behaviour patterns and the spread of international tourism. Further study should enable the student to give a critical account of the growth of international tourism covering such areas as:

• the emergence of a sophisticated travel and transport industry including the functions of the tour operator, the retail travel agent, the accommodation provider; the advancement of transport and communications particularly in airline operations, international road and rail advancements, cruise liner services. Particular attention should be given to the changes in air transport operation and the consequential effects on tourism.

• the geopolitcal factors providing stability and war free regions to facilitate and encourage international travel.

• trends in fashion and media promotion has increased awareness of locations and activities.

• the increasing sophistication and confidence of international tourists and the ease of accessibility of travel services.

Finally students should understand the importance of measuring tourism statistics in order to analyse and evaluate the volume, value and impact of tourism and compare and contrast these statistics at international, national and local levels. Reasons should be forwarded for the problematic nature of tourism measurement through survey and evaluation techniques and obtain an integrated analysis of the sector.

International Tourism Impacts

The destination is the key feature within the tourism system, acting as the main motivating factor to stimulate tourism activity. The volume, value and type of tourism will depend on the quality, diversity, accessibility of the location and the attractions, accommodation and amenities offered. The destination is at the receiving end of the tourism system and consequently benefits and suffers from the impacts of tourist activity. Students should critically analyse and evaluate these impacts and be able to propose solutions through the principles of planning and development of tourism resources.

The significance and consequences of tourism are most conspicuous at the destination, especially its pervasive effect on the economic, social, cultural and physical environment. Governments have therefore had to broaden their approach to tourism by taking a longer term, more holistic view of the advantages and disadvantages of the sector.

The concept of destination development should be examined in depth including:

• The amalgamation of resource components - attractions, accessibility, access and ancillary services.
• Superstructure and infrastructure.
• Cultural appraisals.
• Multiple use of resources by both host and tourist.
• Carrying Capacity - physical, psychological biological and social.
• Sustainable developments.
• Strategic planning.

Reference should be made to Butler’s tourist area life cycle and the relationship between the destination and the market attracted, rate of development, access, public policy, market trends and competing destinations, level of investment and capacity constraints.

The Economic Impact of Tourism

Tourism is seen as a major contributor to global economic development. Students should be aware of tourism as a process of economic growth at both the macro and mirco levels of activity and be able to critically discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these impacts on the economies of the developed and developing regions of the world.

Students should understand and explain the terms "Displacement Effect" in relation to economic activity and have the ability to describe the "Multiplier Concept" and the limitations of using this technique.

Social Impacts

Tourism exerts both positive and negative impacts on the social and cultural characteristics of an area, although these, until recently were not as well appreciated as the economic and environmental impacts which are more easily evaluated and recognised. Students should understand the inevitability that the invasion of tourists from varying, and often opposing social and cultural backgrounds will have on a host community. Students should be familiar with and have the ability to expand on the tourist host interrelationships The study should include reference to and application of Doxey’s Irritation Index framework, the Demonstration Effect, the relationship between foreign ownership and employment andthe view that tourism can be considered as a form of neo-colonialism.

Students should be able to debate the role that tourism plays in imaging and recreating culture, ethnicity and symbolism for commercial or political reasons, resulting in a artificial stereotyping of cultures . In addition reference should be made to the impacts of sex tourism in relation to the exploitation and infringements of human rights.

Students should acquire the knowledge to discuss the benefits and drawbacks to these socio –culturalimpacts. They should understand the argument that socio economic change cannot be identified to one specific sector but generated by a number of social and technical changes, primarily that of telecommunications and satellite television which provoke as much change, if not more than tourism. The argument is advanced by the fact that the majority of tourists are still organised mass tourists who have little contact with the host community.

Therefore socio –cultural and economic policies should be based on the knowledge of these impacts and development controls incorporated into tourism plans to encourage the positive aspects of tourism while mitigating the negative ones. Growth should be appropriate to the socio-cultural environment to allow time for adaptation and participation.

Physical Impacts

Students must understand the close relationship between tourism and the physical environment which has been based on a market-led approach, providing tourists with the facilities and services required to attract and stimulate supply. This approach can lead to short term economic benefits but can have long lasting social and environmental consequences. A product led approach should be adopted which identifies the types of attractions, facilities and services which are best suited for balanced local development minimising the negative economic, social and environmental impacts. Students should understand the significance of adopting a more sustainable approach to tourism development and identify the three main features which characterise the tourist environment inter relationship. i.e.:

• The physical environment
• Facilities and infrastructure
• The development and the use of facilities

The link between and the extent of the environmental impacts and the socio-economic impacts should be made as being directly related to the type and intensity of tourism. Therefore students should be able to explain the positive and negative impacts exerted on the environment and understand the need for controlled development and management. Reference should be made to the following issues:

• Conservation of natural resources, and historic and archaeological sites.
• Improvement and enhancement of environment.
• Improvement of infrastructure.
• Increasing environmental awareness.

Emphasis should be made to the fact that tourism depends on a quality environment which is becoming increasingly more important with the increasing sophistication of the tourist. This can only be achieved through appropriate policies and planned development.

Tourism Policy Formulation

A policy framework has to be formulated from which informed decision can be made by both public and private sectors at the international, national and local levels. Although policy formulation will vary from one country to another it is usually based on a number of common factors:

• Defining the objectives of tourism development.
• Setting growth targets for tourism.
• Determining the type of tourism to be attracted.
• Defining public and private responsibilities.

These policies are often set within the sustainable development context ie development that meets the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland Report 1987).

Students should have the knowledge to give reasons for government involvement in tourism, the requirement for a national tourism organisation and articulate the impact of public sector activity through demand and revenue management and supply and cost management. In addition the influence exerted by transnational organisations should be examined where often these organisations have more economic and political influence over tourism development due to the significance of globalisation.

Tourism Planning and Sustainable Development

The rapid growth of tourism and the negative effects of development, particularly at local level, is giving rise to the increased demand for integrated planning intervention. Students should understand that planning involves anticipating and controlling change in order to maximise the economic, social and environmental benefits of tourism. There is general agreement that the way to minimise tourism’s negative impacts is to adopt a working partnership approach between the public and private sectors focused on the requirement for integrated, sustainable planning and development policies. Student should be conversant with the terms "partnership" and "sustainable development" in the importance of tourism planning. The principles of sustainable development should be stressed as the underpinning factors for successful planning tourism. (Reference should be made to the Principles for Sustainable Tourism Development from World Travel and Tourism Council (1995) Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry, WTTC, London) The relevance of sustainable development to tourism, given that the environment is the basic source of attraction, should be examined. However, sustainable tourism is often considered as shifting from mass tourism to small scale tourism based on individual needs and organised by an independent operator whose product is controlled by the host community in order to complement the economic, social and environmental features of the destination. Students should have the knowledge to critically evaluate the arguments for and against the concept of sustainable tourism. They should also be aware of the pressures which promote sustainable tourism: consumer pressure, planning and development guidelines, environmental impact assessments. Students should also understand the relationship between tourist segmentation and tourism product; tourist and business behaviour; and the role of public and private partnerships in working towards sustainable tourism.

Ecotourism

Students should understand the growing interest being focused on conservation and ecotourism and the potential social and the environmental benefits this type of nature orientated tourism can bring to a country while also addressing national economic development. The theory behind ecotourism, sustainable development and community planning should be examined and the complementarity between each concept understood. Students should be able to appreciate the different characteristics of ecotourism compared to other tourism products but should also be able to critically evaluate the key issues, both positive and negative, associated with ecotourism, visitor management and the protection of natural resources.

Future of Tourism

Students should formulate argued predictions on the future of tourism. The ever increasing tourist

demand and the efficiency of the travel industry to meet this demand would give reasonable grounds to assume the continuing growth in tourism, the number of people employed in the industry and the earning power which can be gained from the activity. An assessment should be made of the political and economic stability of the world and any changes within the demographic characteristics of the global population. Consideration should be given to information technology and the effects of this as a marketing tool to stimulate demand or as a means of experiencing a virtual holiday. Therefore, based on reasoned argument, the student should be critical of the influence and the manner in which change will be confronted and managed.

Method of Assessment

By written examination. The pass mark is 40%. Time allowed 3 hours.

The question paper will contain:

Eight questions from which five must be answered. All questions carry 20 marks.