Overview
This unit develops your knowledge of tourism enterprises and how they operate in a sustainable manner. The unit introduces you to the nature of tourism enterprises within the tourism system, and the principles of sustainability that underpin the operations of sustainable tourism enterprises. You will explore different aspects of tourism enterprises, including business operations, obligations, marketing, human resources and financial considerations, as well as the alignment of sustainable principles and practice within enterprises. The unit also encourages you to consider those factors that impact the development of new tourism products from both demand and supply perspectives. Building on this concept, you will develop knowledge and analytical skills by assessing and evaluating business plans. The unit enables you to think critically about the trends that affect the sustainability of tourism enterprises.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Staff observation.
The unit coordinator prepared for this unit a high quality moodle site, and included a large number of valuable learning resources/activities on it.
The future coordinator of this unit is encouraged to continuously maintain a high quality moodle site and keep incorporating valuable, relevant, and updated learning resources/activities onto the moodle site.
- Identify and examine various aspects of sustainable tourism enterprises in the context of the tourism system and more broadly, sustainability principles
- Assess the principles and theories underpinning the operation of tourism enterprises, with a focus on sustainability
- Apply theoretical knowledge in the development of strategies and practices to enhance the sustainability of tourism enterprises
- Develop and evaluate business plans based on research into sustainable tourism practices.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Critical Review - 60% | ||||
| 2 - Presentation - 40% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Critical Review - 60% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Presentation - 40% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Tour Operators and Operations: Development, Management and Responsibility
Edition: 1st (2018)
Authors: J. Holland & D. Leslie
CABI
Boston Boston , MA , USA
ISBN: 978 1 78064 823 1
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
e.li@cqu.edu.au
m.thompson@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
An Introduction to Tourism - The Evolution of Tourism as a Business
Chapter
Chapters 1 and 2
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The Structure of the Tourism Industry
Chapter
Chapter 3
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Tourism Businesses and Products
Chapter
Chapters 4 and 5
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Tourism Impacts and Sustainability
Chapter
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Sustainability and Tourism - An Introduction to Trends and Perspectives Shaping Tourism
Chapter
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Vacation week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Customer Service - Perspectives and Trends
Chapter
Chapter 6
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Distribution Systems
Chapter
Chapter 9
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Marketing in Tourism
Chapter
Chapter 10
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Financial Planning and Accounting for Tourism
Chapter
Chapter 7
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Human Resource Management from a Tourism Perspective
Chapter
Chapter 11
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The Dynamic Business Environment and Crisis Management Planning
Chapter
Chapter 12
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The Future of the Tourism Industry
Chapter
Chapter 13
Additional readings on Moodle where specified.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Presentation
You are required to give a 15 minute presentation on a sustainable tourism business (eg. a tour operator, accommodation provider, etc) of your choice. You need to select a tourism business that you believe demonstrates sustainability, whether economic, environmental, socio-cultural or a combination of all three aspects. Having introduced key theories and provided an overview of the business, you are required to critically analyse its operations, demonstrating how this business has incorporated sustainability into its operations and why you believe it demonstrates sustainable practice. During the presentation, you should consider how the business has been able to harness sustainability principles and practices into its operations by referring to practical examples.
The presentation should address the following:
· Introduce key tourism business concepts including aspects of sustainability
· Clearly identify the tourism business being discussed/analysed
· Demonstrate how the tourism business has demonstrated sustainability with practical examples
· Consider additional sustainability initiatives that the tourism business may introduce (if relevant)
Format of the presentation:
· 15 minute presentation which may be supported with visual aids (eg Powerpoint slides)
· Copy of Powerpoint slide presentation (due Monday of presentation week)
· Title page with name of tourism business, student name, student number, due date
· Reference page listing key sources of information referenced in APA (7th edition) format (min 8 academic references)
Submission of the presentation:
· A copy of the Powerpoint slides, including a reference page, is to be submitted on Monday of presentation week.
Week 6 Monday (15 Apr 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Submit PPT slides and recroded presentation via Moodle site
Week 8 Monday (29 Apr 2024)
The following criteria will be assessed, with a full allocation of marks available via the marking rubric on Moodle:
· Identification and overview of tourism business being analysed
· Identification and understanding of key business and sustainability principles, within a tourism context (including references)
· Critical evaluation of sustainability - demonstrate how these have been applied by the tourism business with examples
· Content development - logical flow and clarity of argument throughout presentation
· Style and conventions - formal and informal rules inherent in expectations for a presentation, including appropriate use of support materials (visual aids)
· Syntax and mechanics - of visual aids: sentence construction, grammar, punctuation and spelling, sources supported and referenced using APA format and minimum number required
- Identify and examine various aspects of sustainable tourism enterprises in the context of the tourism system and more broadly, sustainability principles
- Assess the principles and theories underpinning the operation of tourism enterprises, with a focus on sustainability
- Apply theoretical knowledge in the development of strategies and practices to enhance the sustainability of tourism enterprises
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Critical Review
The concept of sustainable tourism, particularly at the business or operator level, has become increasingly important as the industry strives to be resilient in an increasingly challenging operating environment. Business plans are important and dynamic documents used in planning that also enable businesses to incorporate sustainability principles and practices into their operations. You are required to write a critical report comprised of two parts: a critical review and a critical reflection.
In the critical review, you are to identify the role and function of business plans, including the key parts of a plan. Next, you are required to argue why sustainability principles and practices should be considered in business plans, and demonstrate how this can be achieved by providing examples that align with the following parts of a business plan: Buisness Description (values, vision and mission statement); Products and Services; Marketing; Operations (impacts of operations on environment and community); and Financial Management.
In the critical reflection, you are required to reflect on the knowledge you have gained over the course of this unit. Topics to consider include: sustainability theories, principles and practices, how these apply to tourism enterprises, the role of business plans in enhancing the sustainability of tourism operations, and how you can take this new knowledge and apply it to your workplace.
Format of the report:
· Follow report format, with appropriate layout, spacing and use of headings/sub-headings (eg. introduction, subheadings for topic areas, and clearly identify Parts 1 and 2)
· No longer than 2000 words (excluding title page and references)
· Title page with student name, student number, due date
· Page of references at the end of the report that is correctly formatted using APA 7th edition (minimum 8 academic references required).
Submission of the report:
· Online – Reports are to be uploaded to Moodle as a Word document.
Review/Exam Week Monday (3 June 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Results will be released after Certification of Grades.
The following criteria will be assessed, with a full allocation of marks available via the marking rubric on Moodle:
· Introduction to the report, highlighting overview of Parts 1 and 2
· Critical review - explain the importance of business plans in tourism, and identify the key parts of a plan
· Critical review - critically evaluate why business plans should incorporate sustainability principles and practices, and how this can be achieved using examples that align with key parts
· Critical reflection - identify and critically reflect on the key learnings from the unit, for example, sustainability principles and practices, application to tourism enterprises, role of business plans
· Content development - logical flow, clarity and consistency of business throughout document
· Style and conventions - formal and informal rules inherent in expectations for writing a report
· Syntax and mechanics - sentence construction, grammar, punctuation and spelling, references formatted in APA and minimum number required
- Assess the principles and theories underpinning the operation of tourism enterprises, with a focus on sustainability
- Apply theoretical knowledge in the development of strategies and practices to enhance the sustainability of tourism enterprises
- Develop and evaluate business plans based on research into sustainable tourism practices.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
