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Location Domestic International
Gold Coast Session 2 Session 2
Online Session 2 Session 2

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 & tourism 
Topic 2 The modern environmental movement & sustainable development 
Topic 3 The emergence of sustainable tourism 
Topic 4 Tourism impacts: socio-cultural 
Topic 5 Tourism impacts: environmental & economic 
Topic 6 Accreditation and eco-certification
Topic 7 Tourism & climate change 
Topic 8 Managing tourism sustainably in natural and protected areas 
Topic 9 A critique of ecotourism & other niches
Topic 10 Millennium Development Goals & sustainable tourism in less developed countries
Topic 11 Case studies of best-practice

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.