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Contemporary Tourism Industry

Module description

Tourism is a dynamic phenomenon requiring urgent and just transformational changes. The tourism industry is currently beyond planetary boundaries, contributing to 8% of global green gas house emissions, biodiversity loss and wildlife exploitation, social conflict, over-crowding, among others. Within this module you will examine the traditional mass tourism model and its consequences to the environment and communities.

You will explore a new model to design and operate tourism based on sustainability and regenerative principles. This module combines state-of-the-art research with real case examples to equip you with the knowledge and skillset to facilitate and accelerate the required tourism transition. 

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module seeks to provide you with a clear understanding of the different paradigms in which tourism can be developed and managed. During this module you will have the opportunity to critically reflect on the environmental and social justice related questions within the field of tourism.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to identify injustice and start making initial steps to transition from a traditional to a sustainable and regenerative form of tourism.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Explain and evaluate the different paradigms in tourism development and management
• 2. Advance knowledge and understanding of critical current issues of the tourism industry

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Use an enquiry-based learning approach to assess the realities of issues and opportunities in the tourism sector
• 4. Synthesise tourism transition opportunities

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Recognise appropriate skills required to communicate effectively in academic and professional situations
• 6. Deploy a range of interpersonal skills including active listening, presentation and group dynamic management

Syllabus plan

The module will cover, but not be limited to, the following themes:

• The historical evolution of tourism activity, including the development of mass development in the twentieth century as a story of continuity and change
• The traditional growth model of tourism
• The tourism industry from a system thinking approach
• Analysis of tourism impacts and measurement and monitoring tools
• Tourismphobia and overtourism – how to ensure democracy in tourism
• Tourism business models and innovation strategies towards sustainable tourism business models
• Transition management in tourism
• From intensive to low carbon forms of tourism – what are the implications?
• Integrating the tourism industry with other sectors (e.g. , wildlife conservation, gastronomy, culture and heritage, etc.)– implications for a just transition
• Embedding regenerative principles in the tourism industry
• Sustainability marketing in tourism
• Stakeholder engagement in tourism: towards collective actions
• The political dimensions and policy implications of managing the tourism industry

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you have been deferred for any assessment you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to sit a further examination. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will count for 100% of the final mark and will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

There is no recommended textbook. Books, articles and reports that cover substantial parts of the syllabus are:

• Becken, S., & Kaur, J. (2021). Anchoring “tourism value” within a regenerative tourism paradigm–a government perspective. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1-17.
• Cave, J., & Dredge, D. (2020). Regenerative tourism needs diverse economic practices. Tourism Geographies, 22(3), 503-513.
• Everingham, P., & Chassagne, N. (2020): Post COVID-19 ecological and social reset: moving away from capitalist growth models towards tourism as Buen Vivir, Tourism Geographies
• Gössling, S., Balas, M., Mayer, M., & Sun, Y.-Y. (2023). A review of tourism and climate change mitigation: The scales, scopes, stakeholders and strategies of carbon management. Tourism Management, 95.
• Peeters, P., Papp, B., 2023. Envisioning Tourism in 2030 and Beyond. The changing shape of tourism in a decarbonising world. The Travel Foundation.
• Ellis A., Park E., Kim S., Yeoman I. What is food tourism? Tourism Management. 2018;68:250–263.
• Bertella, G. (2020). Re-thinking sustainability and food in tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 84, 103005.
• Gössling S., Garrod B., Aall C., Hille J., Peeters P. Food management in tourism: Reducing tourism’s carbon “foodprint” Tourism Management. 2011;32(3):534–543.
• Dolnicar, S. (2020). Designing for more environmentally friendly tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 84, 102933. 
• Group NAO (2023). White Paper on DMOcracy. Group NAO, Copenhagen. Published January 2023. 
• Milano, C., Novelli, M., & Cheer, J. M. (2019). Overtourism and tourismphobia: A journey through four decades of tourism development, planning and local concerns. Tourism Planning & Development, 16(4), 353-357.
• Page, S. J., & Connell, J. (2020). Tourism: A modern synthesis. Routledge.

Key words search

Tourism; tourism management; visitor economy; transitions in tourism, sustainable and regenerative tourism.