The main focus of the module is on developing an understanding of leading and emerging issues in tourism and event management research. It will encourage critical debate from a range of contemporary perspectives and is designed to allow students to consider new tourism and event concepts and contexts from a regional, national and international perspective.

Specific issues will be drawn from the following:-
- The changing nature of tourism and event demand and forecast of future developments
- An investigation into the development of destinations, destination and event management and the sustainable nature of both organisations and destinations
- An analysis of emerging themes in tourism and events such as the ethical challenges of risk-tourism, e.g. adventure, dark and sex tourism.
-Tourism mobilities and tourist's background, exploring the impact of demographic variables such as age and disability and how the tourist's background, e.g. social class, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, shapes the tourism and event experience.

1. CRITICALLY EVALUATE EXISTING AND EMERGING THEORIES AS WELL AS EMERGING THEMES IN TOURISM AND EVENTS
Knowledge & Understanding

2. CRITICALLY APPRAISE AND DISCUSS THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN IDENTIFIED CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN TOURISM AND EVENTS
Analysis
Application
Problem Solving

3. DEMONSTRATE A CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF CONTEMPORARY ISSUES ON TOURISM AND EVENTS DESTINATIONS AND ORGANISATIONS AND DEBATE SOLUTIONS FOR IDENTIFIED IMPACT
Knowledge & Understanding
Learning
Problem Solving

The learning strategies will require students to commit 300 learning hours, of which 72 hours will consist of contact time. Lectures (48 hours) will provide students with a broad theoretical overview and the conceptual frameworks needed to study contemporary issues in tourism and events. Workshops and tutorial support activities (24 hours) will provide students with the opportunity to acquire and develop a range of critical thinking and analytical techniques to apply the underpinning theories to cases and scenarios, and to complete interpretation exercises in preparation for the assessment.

A further 228 hours of independent study will require students to read and think about preparatory questions which will form the basis of workshop and tutorial discussions. Students are also required to organise and review their lecture notes and undertake preparatory reading and research on assigned material in order to participate in class discussions individually and as part of a group.

The strategy will be based around a series of topics that are presented in blocks of appropriate length. Core material will take the form of lectures and referral to other sources such as websites and official documents as appropriate. This material will be further developed through tutorial exercises, student centred group working both in and outside tutorials, and directed and independent private study. Some topics also involve the gathering of and use of case study material.

Students will engage with:

- a mix of lectures/ tutorials/ large and small group activities, plus self directed learning. Learning support material will be provided for independent /self directed learning.
- participation in group activities, involving peer assessment
- role-plays and directed reading
- undertake their own (contemporary) research
- guest speakers
- workshops
- technology supported activities (e.g. blogs and forums)
- debates
- field work and visits

The Library
Internet
Market Reports

FOR INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS ONLY.

Boniface, P. (2001) Dynamic Tourism: Journeying with Change. Clevedon, Avon: Channel View Publications.
Bowdin, G., Allen, J., O'Toole, W., Harris, R. & McDonnell, I. (2011) Events Management, 3rd Edition. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Novelli, M. (2005) Niche Tourism: Contemporary issues, trends and cases. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.
Robinson, P., Heitmann, S. & Dieke, P.U.C.(Eds) (2011) Research Themes for Tourism. Wallingford: CABI.

Shaw, G. & Williams, A.M. (2002) Critical Issues in Tourism: A Geographical Perspective, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Blackwell.

30% - 30-minute group debate
70% - 4,000-word individual debate paper

Details: Each student will be required to participate as a member of a group in a debate. In each debate session, one group will make a short presentation in favour of a proposition and the second group will make a presentation against that proposition. This will then be followed by a structured debate of the main issues raised by the proposition and presentations and will be concluded with closing statements from each team. The individual debate paper will present a comprehensive outline of the proposition and provide a full justification for the arguments presented in the debate.
Both assessment tasks will assess all Learning Outcomes.