Tourism courses developed to empower our students and challenge the status quo

Lisa’s paper “Changing courses: First steps on the long journey towards a transformative curriculum” discussed the challenges and opportunities of her team’s undergraduate tourism curriculum redesign project here at the School of Events, Tourism & Hospitality Management. 

The new course design aims to create a learning environment that empowers students to challenge the tourism status quo rather than simply conforming to traditional practices or accepting existing knowledge. It also offers students the chance to develop knowledge and skills from a wide range of disciplines that are embraced naturally within the field of tourism studies such as the social sciences, humanities, business, and technology. The curriculum is uniquely structured to promote interdisciplinarity and inclusivity and structured around real-world issues. It has been developed with compassion and care for students, with a keen eye on industry needs, and to reflect the school’s strategy to inspire and educate the events, tourism and hospitality leaders of tomorrow so that they make a positive difference in the world. 

The course philosophy emphasizes the development of a critical and nuanced understanding of the multi-faceted and interdependent nature of the global tourism industry and its diverse stakeholders. The course invites students to engage with the global tourism industry critically and creatively. It adopts a student-centred, problem-based learning (PBL) approach, which uses open-ended, real-world problems as the catalyst for learning. Students will work both individually and in small collaborative groups to investigate and propose solutions for challenges related to the environmental sustainability, social responsibility, economic viability, and cultural diversity of the tourism sector. 

The development of interdisciplinary skills such as creative idea generation, communication, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and collaboration will be encouraged as students analyse and evaluate the complexities and contradictions of tourism development and management. They will propose innovative and sustainable solutions to dynamic and ever-evolving challenges that balance the needs of the industry, host communities, and the natural environment.

The ethos and design of the course both make space for students to rethink and reimagine the tourism world for the better. Students will be able to not only critically evaluate the social and ethical implications of tourism practices, but also develop strategies for promoting sustainable tourism development that creates positive change in the world. 

The course structure has been designed to support and scaffold the student experience: Students learn through a series of four, six-week inter-related projects that show tourism through an unfiltered lens. They will also have protected time in their first year to reflect, consider concepts more deeply and learn new skills without fear of not making the grade. This unique design makes a positive contribution to the wellbeing of our students; It helps students to move away from siloed learning and to make easier connections between areas of learning; skills development is embedded in every part of the student journey, improving outcomes for all.

Sound interesting? Visit our website to find out more about our International Tourism Management courses.