| CODE | TTC3210 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Special Interest Tourism | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Tourism Management | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The special interest tourism industry fundamentally addresses the transition from 'old tourism' to 'new tourism' and extends beyond the traditional view of requiring physical activity to embrace the non-physical dimensions of intellectual, emotional and spiritual tourism. The industry is made up of a number of sub-categories but with a number of core characteristics that differentiate it from 'mass' tourism. These include uncertainty of outcomes, challenge, danger and risk, stimulation and excitement, exploration and discovery, novelty, etc. The study-unit will provide students with an understanding of the range of special interest tourism products and the various characteristics that make up the global special interest tourism market. While exploring special interest tourism from a number of different aspects, the study unit will also provide students with an understanding of the development and some of the key issues affecting special interest tourism. Student will evaluate recent developments in special interest products, such as technology, space tourism and ethical tourism, assessing the alignment of such practices to broad concepts such as sustainability. Study-unit Aims: The study-unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of the key characteristics of special interest tourism. It will do this by considering aspects of special interest tourism: definitions, terminology, concepts and developments. The study-unit explores both the supply and demand aspects of the special interest tourism market through: statistics [market size, revenue], tour operators [provisioning and challenges], the supply chain [complexity of various stakeholders providing services], consumers [balancing 'relaxed' and 'escape' concepts with sustainable ideals], ethics and morals, risk and risk management. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Evaluate key concepts relating to the phenomenon of special interest tourism; - Examine the many niches that make up the global special interest tourism; - Assess the historical development of special interest tourism with specific reference to developments in recent decades; - Evaluate participants in special interest tourism, the barriers to participation, and how social and political change can effect special interest tourism. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe characteristics of a specific special interest tourism product; - Analyse literature and data to articulate an informed opinion about special interest tourism; - Design and write further research and identify potential market options; - Apply learned knowledge and understanding directly to a related work environment. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts - Agarwal, S., Busby, G., & Huang, R. (2018) Special Interest Tourism. Concepts, Contexts and Cases: CABI. - Novelli, M. (2005) Niche Tourism. Contemporary issues, trends and cases: Butterworth-Heinemann Publications - Robinson, P., Heitmann, S. and Dieke, P. (2011) Research Themes for Tourism: CABI. Additional Texts - Schackley, M. (2001) Managing Sacred Sites London: Thomson. - Benton, S. (2005) Film Induced Tourism: Channel View Publications. - George, E.W., Mair, H. and Reid, D.G. (2005) Rural Tourism Development. Localism and Cultural Change: Channel View Publications. - Hall, C.M., Sharples, L., Mitchell, R. and Macionis, N. (2005) Food Tourism Around The World. Development, Management and Markets: Elsevier. - Sharpley, R., and Stone, P. (2009) The Darker Side of Travel. The Theory and Practice of Dark Tourism: Channel View Publications. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Marie Avellino Noel Buttigieg James Cassar Viana Hassan Dane Munro |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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