Sustainable Destination Planning and Development

In this course, students will learn about essential aspects of destination management, i.e. the sustainable development and planning of it. Students will be introduced to the principles of destination development and planning and the role of tourism as an agent of sustainable development. Development is examined from various perspectives to reveal the merits and deficiencies of tourism development and illuminate the various pathways to sustainable development. Tourism is presented as a developmental choice with impacts on the local and global level of the natural and socio-economic environment and its relation to sustainability is established. The role of planning in sustainable destination development is discussed and various approaches in planning are presented to reveal the process and the considerations for an integrated destination planning. The course uses various teaching methods including case studies, role playing and a group project to actively involve the students and transfer them the tenets as well as the practice of sustainable destination development and planning. In this way, the students will familiarise with tourism planning and learn how to conduct a tourism plan themselves.