This module is not currently running in 2023 to 2024.
The module will introduce the importance of the growing tourism industry to biodiversity conservation, and equip students with the analytical skills and methodologies required to effectively manage ecotourism to natural areas, whether in protected areas, or on private or communal land. The module will cover how to limit environmental damage in the face of increasing numbers of visitors to natural areas and heritage sites. Environmental impacts of nature tourism will be discussed, and students will gain a theoretical and critical understanding of different management tools. Tourism also has major implications for conservation and the economy and this module will explore how to understand tourism from an economics perspective using appropriate logical and empirical analysis. The module will also provide grounding in theoretical and practical issues relevant to community-based nature tourism, by exploring relationships between hosts and guests from cultural and socio-economic perspectives. Students will become familiar with practical tools for successful management of community-based tourism, and will analyse the strengths and weaknesses of community-based tourism as a tool for both conservation and rural development. The emphasis throughout will be on implementing the principles and practice of ecotourism.
Total contact hours: 23
Private study hours: 127
Total study hours: 150
MSc Conservation and cognate pathways
Assignment (2000 words) (80%)
Class Test (20%).
Reassessment Instrument: 100% coursework.
Cooper. C. et al. (Fifth Edition) (2013) Tourism Principles and Practice. Pearson, London.
Fennel, D (Fourth Edition) (2014) Ecotourism: an introduction. Routledge, London
Harrison, D (Revised Edition) (2001) Tourism and the Less Developed World. CABI Wallingford
Honey, M (Second Edition) (2008) Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? Island Press.
Mowforth, M., and Munt, I. Fourth Edition (2015) Tourism and Sustainability: Development, Globalisation and New Tourism in the Third World. Routledge, London.
Weaver, D. (Second Edition) (2008) Ecotourism. Wiley Australia Tourism.
See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
8.1 Understand the growth, ecological, social and economic impacts of the tourism industry
8.2 Discuss the role that nature-based tourism and ecotourism play in this industry
8.3 Appreciate the environmental impacts of nature-based tourism on protected areas
8.4 Analyse the economic impacts of the tourism industry on national and local economies
8.5 Understand current debates on strengths and weaknesses of community-based tourism
8.6 Appraise management techniques to minimise environmental, social and economic impacts of nature-based tourism, so it moves closer to the principles and practises of ecotourism and better benefits biodiversity conservation.
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