TOURISM POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT - 2025/6

Module Overview

The successful development of tourism depends on the relationship between the public and private sectors. A key element in this is the development of policies for tourism that can meet the needs of the stakeholders and establish planning goals and instruments. This module explores these policies, considers their formulation and their role in tourism development.

Module provider

Surrey Hospitality & Tourism Management

Module Leader

KNOX Dan (SII DUFE)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None.

Module content

• 
  Development models and power relations in tourism 
  


• 
  Tourism policies and policymaking 
  


• 
  The stakeholders in tourism 
  


• 
  Approaches to tourism planning 
  


• 
  Tourism and Sustainable Development Goals 
  


• 
  Overtourism and tourism degrowth  
  


• 
  Sustainable tourism indicators 
  


• 
  Sustainability and regenerative tourism 
  


• 
  Smart tourism systems in destination development  
  

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

The alternative to the group project for students presenting for summer re-assessment will be an individual report (max. 1500-2000 words) on aspects of tourism policy and development.

Assessment Strategy

Assessment Criteria:

In order to achieve the threshold standard for the award of credits for this module, the student must meet the following criteria related to the learning outcomes described above:

• be able to critically evaluate the main approaches to tourism development


• be able to explain the key factors in the policy environment for tourism development


• be aware of the literature relating to this topic

To pass this module, students must demonstrate a familiarity with the subjects of tourism policy and tourism development, and be able to research, organise and examine relevant material in a critical and constructive manner. 

The Summative assessment of this module consists of:

a) a group project designed to encourage students to analyse aspects of tourism policy and development through working with their peers. Each student group will submit a written report. ;

b) a closed book online exam aimed at assessing individual student’s understanding of key theories, issues and challenges in tourism policy and development.

Formative assessment and feedback

Assignment briefing and formative feedback are provided dedicated to guiding the preparation of the assignments.

Module aims

• The aims of the module are to examine the development of tourism destinations and the position and priorities of the stakeholders in tourism; to outline tourism policy-making as a background to analysing tourism policies; and to examine planning processes. As a part of this students will be expected to critically analyse tourism development outcomes in different situations.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is to provide students with key information and background knowledge in the fields of tourism policy and development and to encourage them to explore and critically evaluate theoretical perspectives as well as practical examples in those areas.

The teaching and learning methods include lectures designed to provide a framework of knowledge; exercises to provide opportunities for students to gather and interpret their own material; and classroom-based discussions and tasks to challenge their thinking. There will be a two hour lecture and one hour seminar each week.

The assessment methods are designed to allow students to demonstrate their insight into the policy and planning processes and the extent to which they are able to draw upon this knowledge in analysing and addressing tourism policy and development problems.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN2101

Other information

This is a second-year capstone-style module where students will be able to complement prior learning from a range of topics and understand the effects of policy and planning strategies in tourism development. Students who have studied Tourism Management in Level 4 will be able to apply and add depth to their existing knowledge on destination management to tourism policy and planning strategies and their roles in developing tourism destinations.   

This module adopts the university curriculum framework, which aims to develop learners with strong capabilities in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module contributes to the development of the following capabilities:

Global and Cultural Capabilities: The module revolves around the roles of policy and planning in developing tourism destinations from a global perspective. Students develop an understanding of the influence of policies and planning on tourism development, including different models of development, stakeholders in tourism development and power relations in tourism. Since students are from different countries with diverse cultural backgrounds, class discussions and seminar exercises will be used to reinforce students’ global and cultural capabilities. 

Digital Capabilities: Teaching and learning materials are provided in several formats, and students are encouraged to use discussion boards for communication. Students will be provided instruction on digital literature review searches that support their development of independent learning and successful assessment preparation. Students will use the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), SurreyLearn, video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and data analytics software to facilitate learning. These include accessing teaching and learning materials and engaging with their instructors and peers. 

Employability: Guest lecturers will present up-to-date insight from the tourism industry on relevant topics and provide an opportunity for students to learn directly from tourism stakeholders. Students will gain knowledge on current developments of tourism policy and planning and be taught to critically evaluate these policies and planning strategies on tourism development. They will also learn how to develop strategies to manage these developments. All these skills can be transferred to various situations at the workplace, including problem-solving tasks.  

Sustainability: This module motivates students to critically evaluate the impacts of the tourism industry on society, environment and economy through a case study analysis and class discussion. Students will be guided in developing policy recommendations for minimising negative impacts of tourism development in the local communities, environment and/or economy based on their knowledge of sustainability, sustainable tourism indicators, sustainable development goals (SDGs) and regenerative tourism.  

Resourcefulness and Resilience: The assessment strategy which comprises two stages: formative assessment and summative assessment. Through this strategy, this module empowers students to build self-evaluation into assessment processes and create spaces for students to reflect on their own performance whilst reviewing feedback. The structured schedule of the two-stage assessment will also support students in developing time management skills. Also, students are motivated to make informed decisions from a range of options as to which aspect of their work they would like to request feedback. The critical nature of the in-class discussion will help foster openness by encouraging students to understand and discuss contrasting perspectives. 

 

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.