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Gold Coast
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Lismore
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Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Intermediate

Former School/College

Former School of Business and Tourism

Unit aim

Introduces students to the concepts of 'sustainability' and 'sustainable development' and their application to planning and management of tourism. Examines the history and development of ecotourism and sustainable tourism and their relation to mass forms of tourism. The unit draws on critical reflection and critical thinking as key tools for the examination and evaluation of theory and practice.

Unit content

Topic 1: Thinking critically about sustainability and tourism 
Topic 2: The modern environmental movement and sustainable development 
Topic 3: Sustainable systems 
Topic 4: Sustainable tourism versus doing tourism sustainably 
Topic 5: Business models for sustainability 
Topic 6: Tourism impacts: socio-cultural
Topic 7: Tourism impacts: environmental and economic 
Topic 8: Accreditation and ecocertification 
Topic 9: Managing tourism sustainably in natural and protected areas
Topic 10: Tourism and climate change
Topic 11: A future with sustainable tourism?

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 analyse the concept of sustainable development, and how it applies to tourism
2 critically assess the impacts of tourism: locally, nationally and globally
3 recognise the core elements central to nature-based tourism and ecotourism
4 define best-practice principles for a sustainable tourism industry
5 practise being critical and reflective thinkers, who can examine their values, beliefs and assumptions.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. analyse the concept of sustainable development, and how it applies to tourism
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
  2. critically assess the impacts of tourism: locally, nationally and globally
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
  3. recognise the core elements central to nature-based tourism and ecotourism
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
  4. define best-practice principles for a sustainable tourism industry
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
  5. practise being critical and reflective thinkers, who can examine their values, beliefs and assumptions.
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA5:

Prescribed texts

  • No prescribed texts.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.