Tourism and the Environment

Aims

1. Understand the environmental impacts of tourism including the effects of tourism development on host societies and cultures and on the natural and manmade physical environment.
2. Understand methods of planning and managing tourism development and of counteracting negative impacts which will be examined with reference to case studies at regional, destination, site and individual company level.

After completing the programme the students should be able to:

1. Analyse the process of tourism development and the associated impacts.
2. Describe the variety of techniques available, both micro and macro, to counteract or minimise environmental damage.
3. Develop a knowledge of tourism and conservation planning, in particular land use designations such as national parks, country parks, and nature reserves.
4. Identify issues surrounding sustainable development and sustainable tourism principles and policies, and be able to distinguish between the terms green tourism, ecotourism, and community based tourism.
5. Evaluate the techniques available to the tourism industry (hotels, airlines and tour operators) to minimise environmental impacts from their operations.
6. Identify and assess international, national and local initiatives to improve the environmental performance of the tourism sector.
7. Recognise the key concepts in the planning of tourism facilities at regional, destination and site scales and provide international cases.
8. Critically assess the role of public sector tourism and conservation agencies in the management of tourism resources.
9. Investigate the changes in destination societies and cultures which have resulted from tourism development.
10. Explore the nature of tourist-host interrelationships including the demonstration effect, moral codes, language and cultural deterioration.