TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY - 2025/6

Module Overview

Tourism can only exist in the long term upon a resource base which is maintained for the future. Yet the industry also faces short term demands for profits in a dynamic and challenging market. Further, the tourism industry has a potentially strong contribution to make towards the sustainable development of destinations. Managing the development of a company, a destination and an industry sustainably presents a range of conflicts and contestations that must be addressed. This can be described as the management of sustainable tourism development.

Particular emphasis needs to be placed on the impacts that an unsustainable form of development has on tourist destinations, which are developed as the result of the interplay of public policy and private development. This module further explores the relationship between the public dimensions and the private dimensions of tourism. In doing so it considers the nature of public policy, planning and development; it reviews the roles of the various stakeholders and it considers the outcomes of tourism development and management in a variety of contexts.

Module provider

Surrey Hospitality & Tourism Management

Module Leader

FONT Xavier (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

NONE

Module content

The thematic areas that the module focuses on include:
• Sustainable Development as the objective of the tourism industry
• Links between sustainable tourism development and sustainable development
• Theoretical approaches to sustainable tourism and tourism development
• Implementing sustainable tourism management
• Impact assessment, monitoring and indicators in sustainable tourism management and development
• Tourism planning and the government perspective
• Social conflict and the management of host-guest interactions
• Sustainable production and consumption: the interface between industry and consumer
• Stakeholder management and collaboration for sustainable tourism
• Practical examples of current sustainable tourism management and tourism development initiatives using case-study examples.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

In the event that a group project will not be suitable for re-assessment, an individual essay (2500 words) will be assigned.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge of the context of responsible tourism and the extent to which they have been able to evaluate the considerable challenges faced.

The assessment methods include:

1) Individual essay (2000 words) to examine the theoretical considerations of the link between sustainable tourism and sustainable development

2) Group project (5000 words): students will work in groups of 4-5 to provide an analysis of the sustainability of a destination. As a group, you will be required to produce a 5000-word report by the assessment deadline.

The coursework is designed to test your ability to apply theory to a practical situation and develop appropriate solutions to problems identified. The assessment methods are designed to encourage students to apply and further develop knowledge and skills by researching a practical topic through first-hand experience through an industry fieldtrip.

Assessments will evaluate students’ knowledge and critical understanding of travel and transport for sustainable tourism. Furthermore, their ability to interpret academic and other secondary sources and apply theory to practice, as well as to report their findings in a creative and business-like manner will be tested.

The assessment for this module consists of: a) an individual essay b) a group project. Unmarked formative feedback will be provided to students through a range of approaches, including question and answer sessions in class and discussions using SurreyLearn.

Module aims

• • To provide an in depth understanding of tourism development and the various theories that help to understand the development process in tourism and how sustainable this development is
• • To evaluate the role and relevance of the various stakeholders involved in the development of the tourism destination.
• • To assess critically the implications and impacts of tourism development for the environment, economies and societies

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to introduce students to the numerous issues and challenges facing sustainable tourism development at destinations and provide the opportunity to explore both the theoretical and empirical application of concepts of sustainability in the context of tourism planning, development and management.

The teaching and learning methods include conceptual lectures, designed to provide a framework of knowledge. Interactive classroom-based and virtual learning through a series of in-class and SurreyLearn exercises, case-study analysis, debates, discussion and a field trip.

These will be designed to encourage students to challenge conceptualisations of sustainable tourism development and the practical application of such issues through case study examples. Visiting speakers will ensure students appreciate the relevance of the material to the current industry

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: MANM441

Other information

NONE

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.