Geographies of Tourism and Development - GEOG6002

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Module delivery information

Location Term Level1 Credits (ECTS)2 Current Convenor3 2024 to 2025
Canterbury
Autumn Term 6 15 (7.5) Mahesh Poudyal checkmark-circle

Overview

Tourism is one of the world's largest and most dynamic industries contributing to GDP in many counties and is a key source of employment, income generation and government revenue. This module examines how tourism places have been created and are maintained. It discusses the rise and spatial diffusion of the modern tourism industry (or group of industries) and the geographies of this development. The recent history of international tourism is introduced with a particular focus on the role of scale from the largest tourism transnational corporations operating at a global level through
to small-scale tourism such as family-run guest houses or backpacker hostels. The module links to key geographical issues such as globalisation, mobility, production and consumption and changing physical landscapes. It also discusses the major role played by tourism in the less developed world where it is often seen an engine for economic development.

Details

Contact hours

Contact Hours: 22

Private Study Hours: 128

Total Contact Hours: 150

Availability

BSc Human Geography (compulsory)

BSc Wildlife Conservation (optional)

BA Environmental Social Science (optional)

Also available as an elective module

Method of assessment

Essay: 2,000 words (30%)
Presentation: 10 minutes (10%)
Exam: 2 hours (60%)

Reassessment Method:
Like-for-Like

*Exams will be in-person*

Indicative reading

Cooper. C. et al. (5th Edition) (2013) Tourism Principles and Practice. Pearson, London.

Mowforth, M. and Munt, I. (2016) (4th edition) Tourism and Sustainability: Development, Globalisation and New Tourism in the Third World. Routledge, London.

Williams, S. and Lew, A. (2014) (3rd edition) Tourism Geography: Critical Understandings of Place, Space and Experience. Routledge, London.

Plus selected articles from leading international academic journals such as Annals of Tourism Research; Tourism Management; Tourism Geographies; Annals of the Association of American Geographers; World Development; Journal of Development Studies; Progress in Development Studies

See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)

Learning outcomes

On successfully completing the module students will be able to:

8.1 Critically engage with theoretical questions and practical challenges posed by the conceptual, ethical and practical issues of tourism and sustainability

8.2 Demonstrate familiarity with the environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism

8.3 Understand the concepts underlying tourism development and sustainability and how they can be critically evaluated

8.4 Understand how tourism environments and landscapes are the result of human activity and their spatial variations over time

Notes

  1. Credit level 6. Higher level module usually taken in Stage 3 of an undergraduate degree.
  2. ECTS credits are recognised throughout the EU and allow you to transfer credit easily from one university to another.
  3. The named convenor is the convenor for the current academic session.
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