Introduction to ecotourism and management, environmentalism,
sustainable development and planning, the politics and
sociology of ecotourism, economic development, and
globalization. Ecotourism and examples of sustainable
development, both in the public and private sectors, will also
be examined at the local, national, and international level.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Each graduate student group will do a 20-minute presentation
and produce a five-page text report (APA, Times New Roman 12
point font, stapled, cover page, title, author names, with
appendices) on an approved tourism and sustainable development
issue. Grade will be Pass/Fail.
The quality of the presentations, written exam material, and
project assignments are expected to be of a higher quality than
at the undergraduate level. Accordingly, written material,
debates, and assignments will receive more rigorous grading.
Athena Title
Ecotourism and Sustainable Dev
Prerequisite
FANR 3400-3400D or PRTM 3310
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to define sustainable tourism and debate how different tourism development decisions will have different environmental, social, and economic impacts.
By the end of this course, students will be able to list, define, and apply the 10 key principles of sustainable tourism development to identify ways to help make the destination more sustainable.
By the end of this course, students will be able to critique a tourism destination using the 10 key principles of sustainable tourism and formulate suggestions for making the destination more sustainable.
By the end of this course, students will understand the cultural commodification that occurs in tourism and develop strategies that are sensitive to the socio-cultural impacts of tourism on communities.
Topical Outline
Introduction to course and syllabus
What is ecotourism?
Ecotourism components, key themes, and words
History of ecotourism
Factors influencing demand for ecotourism
Economics of ecotourism
The politics of ecotourism
Social and cultural aspects of ecotourism
Ecotourism and globalization
Globalization and sustainability
Ecotourism as domination
Mass ecotourism
The role of government
NGO’s
Environmentalism
Principles of sustainability
Issues of power
A new class of tourist (ecotourists)
The ecotourism industry
Marketing
Local participation and community development
Visitor and host attitudes
Selling the 3rd world
Trends and issues in ecotourism
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
