Undergraduate Course Catalog 2012-2013
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
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Tourism Planning and Development (TOUR)
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Professor: John M. Halstead, Bruce E. Lindsay
Associate Professor: Kelly L. Cullen, Alberto B. Manalo, Douglas E. Morris, Robert A. Robertson
Senior Lecturer: Mary Adamo Friedman
Extension Professor: Michael R. Sciabarrasi
Extension Associate Professor: Charles A. French
The tourism planning and development curriculum provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to plan, develop, and manage natural, cultural, and financial resources in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. The program utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to provide students with a strong liberal education supplemented by a broad professional understanding of tourism planning and its role in local, state, national, and global economic and social development. Students study both the social and environmental sciences in order to better understand the complexity of natural and social systems. The program emphasizes the application of planning and marketing tools, environmental, social and economic science theories and methods to the planning and development tourism resources and the management of natural resources.
Tourism creates immense economic activity, totaling more than $4 trillion dollars of world spending. Tourism is also an integral part of New England’s economy. Experience has shown that the public and private sectors of the tourism industry benefit substantially from proper planning. Those locations with the best planned and managed tourism developments are likely to be the most successful tourist destinations from the standpoint of providing both high-quality tourist experiences and bringing substantial economic benefits with minimal disruptions to the social and natural environment. In response to these needs, the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment offers a bachelor of science degree in tourism planning and development from both regional and international perspectives.
Curriculum Structure
All majors must complete a common core curriculum and choose one of two focus areas: international tourism development or regional tourism planning. Capstone experiences are supervised and approved within the major, and are required of all seniors. The capstone explores areas of interest based on the integration of prior learning. The capstone requirements may be satisfied through a course, created work or product, a professional internship or some form of experiential learning (e.g., honors theses, mentored research projects, and other special student activities). Departments are responsible for certifying that graduating seniors have met the capstone requirement for their majors.
In addition, courses for the Discovery Program and the University Writing Requirement must be completed.
Core Courses
The core curriculum is composed of the following courses:
TOUR 400, Introduction to Tourism
EREC 411, Environmental and Resource Economics Perspectives or Equivalent
MKTG 550, Survey of Marketing
EREC 504, Business Management for Natural Resource Firms
EREC 525, Statistical Methods and Applications
CEP 614, Fundamentals of Planning
TOUR 615, Tourism Planning and Development
TOUR 633, Economics of Travel and Tourism
TOUR 560, Special Topics (8 credits)
TOUR 700, Marketing Communications Research: Methodological Foundations
TOUR 705, Ecotourism: Managing for the Environment, or TOUR 767, Social Impact Assessment, or CEP 777, Topics in Community Planning
TOUR 794, Tourism Internship involves a 14–16 week, 40 hours per week full-time, supervised internship, and enables students to meet and work in association with representatives from the public and private sectors of the tourism industry.
International Tourism Development Concentration
This concentration area prepares students to work in the dynamic and challenging environment of international tourism development. Depending on interests, language skills, and international experiences, students may expect to find employment in settings such as national tourism offices, international tourism organizations, national and foreign consulates, and multinational tourism destination resorts. In addition to the required core courses, students who pursue the international tourism development concentration must complete the following requirements: TOUR 792, International Experience; two TOUR electives; competency in a foreign language (i.e., functional reading, writing, and speaking ability equivalent to the third-year second-semester level); and two additional electives that will enhance students’ career opportunities in the international area.
Regional Tourism Planning Concentration
This concentration area prepares students to obtain professional roles in planning in the public or private sectors of the tourism industry. Depending on interests and technical skills, students may expect to find employment in settings such as local and regional economic development organizations, chamber of commerce offices, convention and visitor bureaus, state and federal offices of tourism development, local and regional planning commissions, and resort communities. In addition to the required core courses, students who pursue the regional tourism planning concentration must complete the following requirements: TOUR 798, Independent Study in Tourism; two TOUR electives; and all the requirements for at least one minor in a relevant area of study.
Students interested in the tourism planning and development program should contact the program coordinator, Robert A. Robertson, (603) 862-2711, rob.robertson@unh.edu
