In this course, students will critically examine contemporary issues of tourism as a tool for sustainable development as well as the historical development context that has shaped the current tourism environment. The aim is to present sustainability perspectives on the economic, social, cultural, political, and environmental aspects of broadly defined tourism development that students can apply to their research and professional settings. We start by presenting tourism strategies as a tool for economic development including tourism’s role within the UN model and the SDGs. We then examine how gender, race and class influence tourism experiences and potential power imbalances. Finally, we focus on case studies of food security in tourism communities and community-based tourism used as a local development strategy in Costa Rica.
This class is relevant to students and professionals working in community development, international cooperation, research, programming and policy that want to deepen their understanding of sustainable and regenerative tourism and to acquire tools and frameworks applicable in this field.
- Professor: Felipe Zalamea Caroprese
- Professor: Mary Elizabeth Little