Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Reflective essay 1,000 words | 15% |
| Semester Assessment | Wiki project 4,500 - 5,000 words group work (approx. 1,500 words per person) | 35% |
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours 24 hrs exam (2,250 words) if the exam period is online | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Written assessment Repeat failed element. In the case of group work 2,500 word individual report. | 50% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours (Students must take elements of assessment equivalent to those that led to the failure of the module.) | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Explain the role of destinations and attractions in the tourism system.
2. Discuss the sources of destination and attraction competitiveness.
3. Assess the rationale, scope and tools of destination and attraction management.
4. Identify and evaluate the critical challenges in managing destinations and attractions.
5. Evaluate a range of contemporary case studies in destination and visitor attraction management.
Brief description
Destination sits at the heart of the tourism system. For consumers destination is a major influence on the travel decision, shaping expectations and satisfaction. For producers, destination is the context in which the tourism service-product is assembled and delivered. Attractions play a critical role in the development and sustainability of tourist destinations. This module examines the nature of the destination and the sources of its competitiveness, and the role of destination management organizations and marketing through the use of destination images. The module also examines the development, marketing and management of visitor attractions.
Content
• Destination ty pes and their sources of competitiveness. Resources and attractors. Geography of tourism demand and resources, climate and transport.
• Forces influencing destination competitiveness. Maintaining competitiveness in a dynamic market environment. Risks and crises. Crisis identification, management and recovery .
• Destination images. Formation, influences and roles. Techniques of image assessment. Destination image management.
• Role and nature of visitor attractions. Development of visitor attractions. Economics of theme park development. Problems of dev eloping visitor attractions in peripheral areas. Social and political significance. Issues of authenticity.
• Management of visitor attractions. Visitor impact management. Managing seasonality strategically . Challenges for religion-based attractions. Human resource management issues.
• Marketing of visitor attractions. Challenges and opportunities for heritage-based attractions. Branding issues. Competitive and collaborative marketing strategies.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Providing figures in the assessed wikis and discussing these e.g. the growth of tourism at a destination year on year and the implications. |
| Communication | All students will be required to develop effective online content and take part in subsequent online discussion. Students' written communication will be assessed in the examinations. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Reflection on team work process to complete the wiki task. |
| Information Technology | Students need to use IT in the delivery of their projects. For this module this is the creation of a collaborative wiki project. This will be assessed and feedback given. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | The module will include two site visits, giving students insights into the development and operation of visitor attractions. |
| Problem solving | The students need to develop a cohesive set of wiki pages on a tourist destination of their choice as a group. Students need to decide how best to divide up the work, what to include in the pages and how to work together to complete the task. |
| Research skills | Students will be required to plan and undertake research for their group presentation, using library and electronic resources. Assessed in presentation and feedback given. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Content from destination and attraction lectures. |
| Team work | Students will work in groups on an assignment task, culminating in an assessed group project. In doing so, they will be required to demonstrate effective team working skills. An element of the project mark will reflect the teamwork element and feedback will be given. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5