Recommended Study Sequence

This is a foundation unit in the study of tourism; it introduces basic concepts associated with the supply and demand of tourism and the contexts in which it occurs. The unit explores the structure and performance of tourism and explores tourism in both an Australian and international context. It introduces the social, environmental and economic dimensions of tourism. It aims to provide students with knowledge and skills that form the basis for an effective approach to management in the various industry sectors of tourism.

The concept of sustainable tourism is premised on the ideal that tourism development equates to community development and benefits for local people. Whilst a worthy concept, it is rarely a simple or necessarily entirely positive relationship. Students will explore contemporary understanding of community and the many different kinds of communities, including their modalities, structures, roles and contested nature. They will examine the relationships between communities and tourism; map the natural, cultural and social capital and the processes within communities that are essential to the success of tourism through field work in popular tourists 'destination' communities in Sydney.

This foundation core unit for tourism studies introduces students to the major issue involving Aboriginal people of Australia. It looks at the diverse cultures of Aboriginal Australia and the Torres Strait Islands. It examines aspects of the history of post-contact Australia in order to understand better the effects that this history continues to have in the lives of Aboriginal people today. It engages with key issues in contemporary Australia, such as land rights, Aboriginal health, welfare and education, contemporary Aboriginal art and images of Aboriginality in Australia and overseas. It pays attention to the Darug people and the current Aboriginal population in the Western Sydney area.

This foundation core unit for tourism students aims to introduce the process of independent learning at a tertiary level through a study of the ways in which various environments interact, are impacted upon and provide the context for the study of issues in sustainable development and tourism. It will explore the role and meaning of tourism in the ESD context; examine the interactions between tourism and various aspects of the environment (social, natural and economic), and assist students in developing various techniques in problem solving and critical thinking. The unit has as its focus a field trip to gain an insight into the relationship between tourism and environments, and to tourism in practice. The field trip also provides a framework for the investigation and mastery of a variety of skills in communication, team work, interpretation, observation, data collection, report writing, presentations, reflection and research.

It is fundamental to equip students with knowledge and basic skills related to tourism trends analysis, forecasting, and economic impact analysis. This unit is a combination of classroom lectures and small group workshops. Students will be assessed according to their ability to use various sources of tourism data and general statistics and interpret them in the context of sustainable development, in general, and sustainable tourism, in particular. The class will learn to identify and analyse the changing patterns and trends in tourism over a given period of time, and to make forecast estimates based on available data. Students will become familiar with current approaches in analysing the economic impacts of tourism in Australia and overseas.

This core unit for tourism studies addresses the socio-cultural aspects of tourism in a time of rapid change. It does this by broadening a student's knowledge about contemporary issues in tourism and then examining the socio-cultural implications of these issues for host communities, tourists and tourism professionals. The issues examined include tourism and globalisation, tourism and authenticity, tourism and commodity cultures, tourism and the media, tourism and visual cultures, tourism and non-western cultures.

This unit focuses on the scope and nature and impacts of various forms of nature based tourism and looks for solutions to such impacts using the ecotourism model. There is particular emphasis on the benefits of ecotourism. Students will study different perspectives in relation to protected area management; the components of ecotourism, ecotourism accreditation; the principles of ecologically sustainable development and best practice, and using various case studies develop their own ecotourism product.

This unit examines the relationship between cultural heritage and tourism. It firstly provides an introduction to cultural heritage conservation, heritage issues and cultural heritage management (especially as it relates to tourism). Secondly, it investigates the phenomenon of cultural heritage tourism - its nature, the market, visitors, the issues - in the context of sustainable tourism praxis in Australia (and globally) and in the context of multiculturalism and postcolonialism.

This unit aims to explore the role of tourism in rural community development and the planning implications for communities when they adopt tourism as an industry. The unit's objectives are to: provide an understanding of - the growing role of tourism in rural community reconstruction and development; - the rural tourism destination in terms of products and services and the tourists who consume them; - the interface of tourism and sustainability in a rural context; - the paradoxes and oppositional forces at play in planning for tourism in a rural community.

This unit emphasizes the importance of tourism planning and investigates a range of policy as well as planning factors affecting sustainable tourism. It focuses on the following major areas - understanding tourism policy and planning, destination and site planning. These topics are discussed incorporating economic, environmental, socio-cultural and management considerations. The unit introduces the basic concepts affecting tourism policy development and processes of tourism planning and implementation. The unit examines key development issues influencing the future of tourism such as different types of approaches, sustainability, impact indicators, recreation planning, coordination, stakeholders and the roles of government and public-private partnership initiative.

This unit aims to introduce the scope and nature of tourism and its impact on the environment; to learn the basic tools in tourism management; to develop skills in assessing the values of and environmental constraints in tourism development; to link ecotourism and biodiversity conservation; to learn how to develop a strategic plan for sustainable tourism and to enhance problem-based learning skills, teamwork, and communication.

Events are one of the fastest growing segments of tourism in the world. Countries and cities compete vigorously for mega events such as the Olympics, World Cup and World Fairs while societies are always holding some kind of an event whether it be a fair, festival, market, parade, anniversary or sports event. Events serve to attract visitation and to create an image of and awareness for a destination. This unit emphasises the special importance of events in the tourism industry. The unit will provide students with the knowledge and skills required for planning, managing and staging a variety of events.

This unit examines the theory and practice of heritage interpretation for visitors at natural and cultural sites within the context of tourism and with a particular emphasis on heritage interpretation planning.

Destination Management provides students with a fundamental understanding of the concepts in destination management. This includes coordination of the destination in terms of the tourism industry's sectors, their relationship with each other and the marketing challenges they face. An appreciation of the importance of a destination's unique cultural, natural and economic attributes is developed from the viewpoint of the visitor. The implications of this focus on the visitor experience and its influence on competitiveness is explored.

This unit introduces the basic concepts and theories in wildlife conservation and management and their application to wildlife tourism. It will analyse the good and bad practices of wildlife tourism in Australia and overseas. The direct and indirect impacts of visitor interactions on the behaviour and adaptation of wild animals will be assessed. The unit will also focus on ex situ conservation measures (zoos and aquaria) to determine their contribution to sustainable tourism. The impact of game hunting as a recreational activity will be studied. Relevant national and international treaties and agreements will be studied to determine tourism will be held. Students will learn how to develop strategic management plan on wildlife tourism based on field studies and literature review.

This unit aims to introduce students to the complexity of Indigenous tourism in Australia today. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Industry Strategy (NATSITIS) of 1997 identified the 'greater indigenous participation in the tourism industry' as a major governmental priority in 1997-2001. There is a widely acknowledged need by government and industry for more comprehensive training of Indigenous and non-indigenous people to be involved in the policy and management levels of indigenous tourism. This unit has been developed in response to the needs and input of indigenous Australians and the national tourism industry. The unit aims to examine in particular indigenous cultural tourism in regard to social, environmental, economic and cultural heritage sustainable development as defined by indigenous Australians.

This is a "Work Experience in Industry" unit, for which no student contribution or fee is charged. Enrolment in the unit will not consume Student Learning Entitlement (SLE). Students in the Bachelor of Applied Science courses are required to obtain at least ten weeks, vocationally relevant, industrial experience during their course of study. The aim of this learning component is to provide students with opportunities to apply theoretical concepts to real world situations. This aims to assist their personal and professional development through the use of various communication genres. Approved industrial experience aims to provide flexibility for students to pursue areas of interest and to assist in their selection of appropriate elective units in their course. Students are required to organise, formalise and validate at least ten weeks of university approved industry experience within an industrial, commercial or government situation during the course of their study.