tourism projects for students

200+ Best Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students

“Interested in Tourism Research Topics for College Students? Tourism involves exploring different places, and it’s a popular subject for college studies. There are many exciting topics for students to research, like how we can travel responsibly, preserving cultural heritage, and how technology affects our travel experiences.

In this article, we’ll discuss various interesting research topic ideas for college students. Whether it’s about sustainable travel, keeping traditions alive, or how places are promoted to visitors, there’s a lot to discover. Let’s explore these topics together and see how they can help us understand the world of tourism better.

Table of Contents

What Is Tourism Research Topics?

Tourism research covers a lot of ground. Students and experts study different tourism topics to get a handle on how travel and hospitality work and how we can make them better. Some specific topics people dig into:

• How can we make tourism greener and more sustainable? This includes looking at the environmental impact of flights, cruise ships, hotels, etc.
• Cultural tourism – like understanding how tourism affects local arts, traditions, ways of life positively and negatively.
• Medical tourism – people traveling for cheaper healthcare.
• Adventure tourism – researching the thrill-seeking niche.
• Hospitality management – running hotels, airport logistics, etc. Behind the scenes.
• Marketing destinations and travel deals.
• Jobs and money – how tourism boosts or harms local economies.
• Tourism laws and policies – smart regulations?
• How technology is changing tourism – apps, VR trips, automation.

Basically, tourism research helps us get tourism. From green dream trips to mega resorts. Students pick topics to dive deep into all aspects of this giant industry and recommend future improvements. The goal is to pick up knowledge that helps people in the real world.

How Do I Find The Right Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students?

Here are some tips for college students on finding good travel and tourism research topic ideas:

1. Think About Your Interests

• What aspects of tourism are you most passionate about? Sustainability? Cultural preservation? Economics? Identify your interests first.

2. Look at Emerging Tourism Trends

• Explore rising issues like over-tourism, technology, and health and wellness trips. Researching a hot topic can be highly relevant.

3. Consult the Experts

• Ask your professors, librarians, and department advisors about gaps in current research. Finding an understudied niche can lead to great opportunities.

4. Scan Academic Journals

• Look at recent journals to see tourism topics other scholars are investigating. This can provide inspiration.

5. Consider Accessibility

• Can you realistically research this topic based on your location, budget, and resources? Localized tourism allows for interviews, surveys, and site visits.

6. Define a Specific Focus

• “Sustainable Tourism Strategies in Jamaica” is better than “Sustainability in Tourism.” Dig into a particular, well-defined angle.

7. Search Tourism Example Research Topics

• Look at other schools’ research prompts and samples for ideas. Discover what issues scholars tackle.

8. Make it Interdisciplinary

• Combine tourism with disciplines like business, anthropology, or communications for intriguing intersections.

What Are Some Good Topics Related To Tourism And Hospitality For My Thesis?

Here are some potential thesis topics related to tourism and hospitality presented in a table format:

List of 200+ Best Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students

Here are the tourism research topics ideas for college students:

Sustainable Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Sustainable tourism practices and their impact on local economies
• Ecotourism: Balancing conservation and visitor experience
• Green initiatives in the hotel industry: A case study analysis
• Community-based tourism for sustainable development
• The role of government policies in promoting sustainable tourism
• Assessing the carbon footprint of popular tourist destinations
• Wildlife conservation and its influence on tourism strategies
• Sustainable transportation in the tourism sector
• The economic benefits of sustainable tourism in developing countries
• Evaluating the effectiveness of eco-certifications in the tourism industry

Cultural Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Impact of cultural festivals on tourism in different regions
• Heritage tourism: Preserving the past for future generations
• Cultural exchange programs and their contribution to tourism
• Role of museums and galleries in promoting cultural tourism
• Cultural diversity and its influence on tourist preferences
• The impact of indigenous tourism on local communities
• Revitalization of cultural heritage sites for tourism purposes
• Cultural differences in tourist behavior: A cross-cultural analysis
• The role of technology in preserving and promoting cultural heritage
• Religious tourism: Pilgrimages and their significance in the modern era

Medical Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Factors influencing the growth of medical tourism
• The impact of globalization on medical tourism trends
• Quality assessment in international healthcare services for medical tourists
• The role of advertising in attracting medical tourists to specific destinations
• Ethical considerations in medical tourism: A case study approach
• Economic implications of medical tourism for destination countries
• Integrating traditional and modern medicine in medical tourism destinations
• Medical tourism and its effect on local healthcare infrastructure
• Patient satisfaction in medical tourism: A comparative study
• Legal and regulatory challenges in the medical tourism industry

Adventure Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Risk management in adventure tourism activities
• Extreme sports tourism: Trends and challenges
• Adventure tourism and its impact on local ecosystems
• Psychological aspects of adventure tourism: A case study approach
• Adventure tourism marketing strategies in the digital age
• Cultural sensitivity in adventure tourism: A comparative analysis
• Community involvement in the development of adventure tourism destinations
• The role of technology in enhancing the adventure tourism experience
• Adventure tourism and its potential for community empowerment
• Adventure tourism and the concept of responsible travel

Dark Tourism Research Paper Topics & Ideas For College Students

• Motivations of Tourists Visiting Dark Tourism Sites
• Ethical considerations in dark tourism: A critical analysis
• Dark tourism and its impact on local communities
• The role of media in shaping perceptions of dark tourism destinations
• Historical preservation vs. commercialization in dark tourism
• Visitor experiences at war memorial sites: A comparative study
• Dark tourism and the representation of traumatic events
• The impact of guided tours on the interpretation of dark tourism sites
• Psychosocial effects of dark tourism on visitors
• Tourism and the commemoration of tragic events: A global perspective

Hospitality Management Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Trends in Hotel management: A Case Study Analysis
• The impact of online reviews on hotel bookings
• Employee satisfaction in the hospitality industry
• Technology adoption in hospitality services: Challenges and opportunities
• Sustainable practices in hotel operations
• The role of leadership in ensuring quality service in hotels
• Customer loyalty programs in the hospitality sector
• Impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry: A case study approach
• Innovations in hotel design and architecture
• Cross-cultural communication in the Hospitality Workforce

Tourism Marketing Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Digital marketing strategies for tourism destinations
• Social media influence on travel decision-making
• Destination branding: A case study of successful campaigns
• The role of influencers in promoting tourist destinations
• Event marketing and its impact on tourism
• Sustainable tourism marketing: Communicating green initiatives
• Niche tourism markets: Identifying and targeting specific segments
• Cultural sensitivity in international tourism marketing
• The impact of celebrity endorsements on destination popularity
• The role of technology in personalized tourism marketing

Economic Impact of Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Economic benefits of mega-events for host cities
• Tourism as a catalyst for rural economic development
• The role of small businesses in the tourism supply chain
• Economic diversification through tourism in developing countries
• The impact of tourism on income distribution in local communities
• Tourism taxation and its effects on destination competitiveness
• The role of infrastructure development in attracting tourism investments
• Economic resilience of tourist destinations in times of crisis
• Measuring the economic impact of cultural events on tourism
• Economic indicators and their correlation with tourism growth

Tourism Policy and Planning Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Analyzing the effectiveness of national tourism policies
• Community involvement in tourism planning and decision-making
• Tourism master plans and their implementation challenges
• Sustainable tourism development in protected areas
• Crisis management in tourism: Lessons from past events
• The role of public-private partnerships in tourism development
• Urban planning and its impact on tourism in major cities
• The influence of global events on destination planning
• Accessibility and its role in tourism destination development
• Stakeholder collaboration in regional tourism planning

Tourism and Technology Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Augmented reality in enhancing tourist experiences
• The role of artificial intelligence in personalized travel recommendations
• Big data analytics in tourism: Challenges and opportunities
• The impact of virtual reality on destination marketing
• Smart tourism destinations: Integrating technology for sustainable growth
• Blockchain technology in improving tourism security
• Mobile applications and their role in enhancing the tourist experience
• Online travel agencies and their impact on traditional tourism businesses
• The role of chatbots in customer service in the tourism industry
• Social media analytics for measuring tourism destination popularity

Tourism and Climate Change Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Climate change adaptation strategies for coastal tourism destinations
• Carbon offset programs in the travel industry
• The impact of climate change on winter tourism
• Sustainable transportation and its role in reducing tourism-related emissions
• Climate change awareness among tourists: A global perspective
• Green infrastructure in tourism destinations to mitigate climate change effects
• The role of tourism in raising awareness about climate change
• Sustainable energy practices in the hospitality sector
• Climate change and its influence on tourist behavior
• Policy measures for climate-resilient tourism development

Tourism Education and Training Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Curriculum development for tourism and hospitality programs
• The role of experiential learning in tourism education
• Internship programs and their impact on student preparedness for the industry
• The effectiveness of online learning in tourism education
• Industry-academia collaboration in shaping tourism curricula
• Soft skills development for success in the tourism sector
• Role of mentorship in career development in the tourism industry
• Diversity and inclusion in tourism education
• Lifelong learning in the ever-evolving tourism industry
• Bridging the gap between academia and industry in tourism education

Tourism and Cross-Cultural Communication Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Language barriers and their impact on tourist experiences
• Cultural sensitivity in tourism marketing materials
• Cross-cultural communication challenges in the hospitality sector
• Cultural exchange programs and their influence on intercultural understanding
• Role of interpreters in enhancing cross-cultural communication in tourism
• The impact of cultural training for tourism professionals
• Addressing stereotypes in cross-cultural interactions in tourism
• Cross-cultural negotiation in the tourism industry
• Tourist expectations and cross-cultural encounters
• Cultural adaptation strategies for tourism businesses in foreign markets

Tourism and Risk Management Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Crisis communication in the tourism industry
• Risk assessment in adventure tourism activities
• Emergency preparedness in tourist destinations
• The role of insurance in mitigating tourism-related risks
• Crisis management and its impact on destination image
• Cybersecurity threats in the tourism sector
• Health and safety standards in the tourism industry
• Natural disaster preparedness for tourist destinations
• The psychological impact of perceived risks on tourist behavior
• Legal aspects of risk management in the tourism industry

Tourism and Social Media Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Influencer marketing in the tourism industry
• The impact of user-generated content on destination perception
• Social media and crisis communication in the tourism sector
• Instagrammability and its influence on travel decisions
• The role of social media in promoting sustainable tourism practices
• Online reputation management for tourist destinations
• Social media analytics for measuring destination competitiveness
• The use of virtual tours on social media platforms
• Hashtag campaigns and their effectiveness in destination marketing
• The influence of online communities on travel behavior

Accessible Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Inclusive tourism: Addressing the needs of travelers with disabilities
• Accessible transportation options for tourists with mobility challenges
• Universal design in tourism infrastructure
• The role of technology in enhancing accessibility for tourists
• Inclusive marketing strategies for accessible tourism destinations
• Training programs for tourism professionals on accommodating diverse needs
• Legal frameworks and regulations for accessible tourism
• Accessible tourism and its impact on destination competitiveness
• Innovative solutions for making tourist attractions more inclusive
• Community engagement in promoting accessible tourism

Rural Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• The role of agritourism in rural economic development
• Challenges and opportunities in promoting rural tourism
• Cultural preservation in rural tourism destinations
• Community-based tourism initiatives in rural areas
• The impact of technology on rural tourism experiences
• Sustainable agriculture practices in rural tourism development
• The role of festivals and events in attracting tourists to rural areas
• Rural homestays and their contribution to local economies
• Ecological and cultural sustainability in rural tourism
• The role of local communities in shaping rural tourism policies

Film Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• The influence of movies and TV shows on travel decisions
• Film-induced tourism and its economic impact
• Movie location tours and their popularity among tourists
• The role of film festivals in promoting tourism destinations
• Collaborations between the film industry and tourism boards
• Celebrity endorsement and its impact on destination popularity
• Cultural representation in films and its influence on tourism
• Film-inspired marketing campaigns for tourist destinations
• Challenges and benefits of managing film tourism impacts
• The role of social media in promoting destinations featured in films

Tourism and Event Management Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Event tourism: Economic impacts and challenges
• Festival management and its role in Destination Branding
• The impact of mega-events on local communities
• Sustainable practices in event management for tourism
• Event sponsorship and its influence on destination promotion
• Cultural and historical events as tourist attractions
• Crisis management in the context of event tourism
• Technology integration in event planning for tourism
• Event tourism and its role in community development
• Evaluating the success of events in achieving tourism objectives

Volunteer Tourism Research Topics Ideas For College Students

• Motivations and expectations of volunteer tourists
• Ethical considerations in volunteer tourism programs
• The impact of volunteer tourism on local communities
• Volunteer tourism and its contribution to sustainable development
• Skill development through volunteer tourism experiences
• Challenges in managing volunteer tourism projects
• Cultural sensitivity in volunteer tourism initiatives
• Volunteer tourism and its potential for cross-cultural understanding
• Volunteer tourism as a tool for promoting responsible travel
• Evaluating the long-term impact of volunteer tourism on participants and host communities

100+ Most Interesting And Recent Tourism Research Topics Pdf

Here are the tourism research topics ideas for college students pdf:

Good Research Title For Tourism Students

Here are some suggested tourism research title ideas that college students could explore, presented in a table format:

Tourism research topics ideas for college students open doors to a world of possibilities. These topics offer diverse info, ranging from sustainable tourism practices to the influence of social media on travel decisions. As college students, these ideas provide a roadmap for investigation and discovery.

Diving into sustainable tourism, students can unravel the impacts of eco-certifications or delve into the economic benefits of green initiatives. Cultural tourism beckons with topics like heritage preservation and the role of museums in attracting visitors. For those interested in the intersection of healthcare and travel, medical tourism topics explore factors influencing its growth and ethical considerations.

The good tourism topics the daring, touching on risk management and the psychological aspects of extreme sports. Delving into the unique realm of dark tourism, students can examine visitor motivations and ethical concerns. Hospitality management topics invite exploration of trends, online reviews, and hotel leadership roles.

From tourism marketing to economic impacts and policy planning, these ideas are the best ideas for students to explore, offering academic enrichment and real-world implications for the industry. As students work on their research endeavors, these simple yet profound topics hold the potential to shape their understanding of the dynamic and evolving field of tourism.

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Travel and tourism activities for students

Here are some travel and tourism activities you can pursue as a student.

With summer break coming up, many students are looking for ways to make the most of their time off. If you're one of them, you might be considering travel and tourism activities. There are many benefits to pursuing travel and tourism activities as a student. Not only can you explore new places and learn about different cultures, but you can also gain skills that will be valuable in your future career. Whether you're interested in working in the travel industry or want to see the world, here are some travel and tourism activities you can pursue as a student.

Travel activities for students: The history and benefits of tourism and travel The history of travel and tourism is full of fascinating stories and interesting facts. For example, did you know that the first recorded instance of travel for tourism was in 1420 when a group of wealthy Europeans traveled to Italy to see the sights?

Travel and tourism have come a long way since then, of course. Today, it is one of the world's largest industries, with trillions of dollars in revenue each year. And students are increasingly getting involved in this field through internships, part-time jobs, or even studying abroad.

There are many reasons why tourism is such a popular activity among students. For one, it can be very educational. Seeing new places and cultures can help young people learn about the world and better understand other people and cultures. Additionally, working in the travel and tourism industry can be exciting and fun. Many career paths are available in the hospitality industry, from working as a tour guide to being a hotel manager. And finally, travel and tourism provide an opportunity to make some great memories that will last a lifetime!  

There are many benefits to travel and tourism activities for students. By engaging in these activities, students can learn about new cultures and customs, develop their language skills, and better understand the world around them. In addition, tourism can be an excellent way for students to bond with their classmates and build lasting friendships.

Don’t let class assignments deny you the opportunity to travel and bond with classmates. CustomWritings is an online essay writing service dedicated to helping students like you. The company has a team of highly qualified writers who’re always available to complete custom essays, research papers, dissertations, book reviews, homework, and theses, among others. They produce original academic papers written from scratch. Visit their website for great discounts!    

Fifteen fun, educational, high-quality, and affordable tourism activities for students

There are a variety of travel activities for students. From educational opportunities to fun-filled excursions, there is something for everyone. Here are a few of the best travel and tourism activities for students:

• Volunteer Vacations: Give back while seeing the world on a volunteer vacation. Volunteering can be a great way to learn about a place's culture and social issues. It can also be an excellent opportunity to make new friends. Many organizations offer short-term opportunities for students to get involved in different communities around the globe.
• Study Abroad: Expand your horizons by studying abroad in another country. This is a great way to learn about new cultures and customs while earning college credit. Your education shouldn’t be limited by distance. But if you find traveling to a new country too expensive, you can try online courses.  
• Adventure Tours: If you're looking for an adrenaline-pumping adventure, check out some of the many tour companies that offer everything from white-water rafting to safaris. Safaris offer a unique opportunity to see animals in their natural habitats. They can be a great way to learn about different animals and their ecosystems.
• Language Immersion Programs: Immerse yourself in a new language by signing up for a language immersion program. These programs offer the chance to live with a host family and experience daily life in another culture.
• Internships: Gain valuable work experience by interning with a company in the travel and tourism industry. Many internships are available both domestically and internationally, so you can find one that's perfect for your interests and goals
• Visit a local farm or winery. Learn about how the food or drink is produced, and sample some of the products. This is especially helpful for high school and elementary pupils.
• Go camping in a nearby state or national park. Spend a few days hiking, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors. Several studies have shown that spending time outdoors has numerous health benefits, including improved mental health, relaxation, reduced stress and anxiety, and improved breathing.  
• Go on a road trip to a nearby state or province. Visit different attractions and cities along the way, writing the exciting things and events you see.
• Take a walking tour. Walking tours are a great way to see a city or town up close. They can range from historical tours to food tours to art walks.
• Visit a temple or church. Churches and temples can offer a glimpse into the religious traditions of a place. They can also be beautiful architectural landmarks.
• See a concert or play. Attending a show or play can be a great way to experience the local culture. Learning about the country's history and music can also be fun.
• Take a cooking class. Cooking classes can teach you about local cuisine. They can also be a fun way to learn about the culinary traditions of a place.
• Go hiking or camping. Hiking and camping can be great for exploring the natural beauty of a place. They can also be a fun way to learn about the local flora and fauna.
• Visit a market. Markets are a great place to learn about the local culture and language & the best place to get authentic local products. They often sell a variety of traditional foods, crafts, and souvenirs. In many countries, markets are even better than shopping malls. Markets are also a great way to make friends with locals.
• Take a bike tour. Bike tours offer a fun and eco-friendly way to see a city or town. They can be a great way to learn about the local architecture and history.

Conclusion We hope you enjoyed reading about the different travel and tourism activities available for students. If you're looking for an exciting way to spend your summer break, consider checking out one of these options. With so many different things to see and do, you're sure to find something that interests you. And who knows, you might even end up loving it so much that you decide to pursue a career in travel and tourism!

Stavros Andriopoulos

• Stavros Andriopoulos https://www.traveldailynews.com/author/stavros-andriopoulos/ Secret havens: Unlocking hidden gems of the luxury world with VIP access
• Stavros Andriopoulos https://www.traveldailynews.com/author/stavros-andriopoulos/ Meet Porto Angeli Beach Resort and Olympic Palace Resort in Rhodes island, Greece
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20 Activities for the Travel-Curious Classroom

A list of culture-boosting activities for a classroom or travel club.

You’ve assigned the translation worksheets and the what-did-you-do-over-holiday-break essays. And it’s great because you’ve got them thinking about life in other parts of the world. But what’s next? If you’re like us at EF Tours , you’re constantly on the hunt for ways to bring students closer to the world at large. That’s why we thought a list of culture-boosting activities could be really helpful in a classroom, or for a travel club.

Grab a copy of the EF Journal

We hear great stories, tips, and insights from within our community of travelers, educators, and wanderers nearly every day. So, we’re sharing them with the world: cue the EF Journal . Within its pages, you can find fresh perspectives, fun activities, discussion topics, and more .

Do a Google Earth scavenger hunt

Exploring the world can start in the classroom. Find the coordinates for the world’s greatest wonders and hidden gems, then task your students with finding them on Google Earth , a free resource by Google that allows users to explore the world via satellite imagery. You can spice it up by including initial coordinates and some directions (move two blocks and then take a right), then asking them to describe the exciting new place they’ve discovered.

Host a music video watch party

Music aficionados, rejoice! Bring your favorite foreign language music videos, crowdsource some from your group, and have a music video marathon. Bonus points if your video includes elaborate dance routines  to practice.

Lead a lesson on body language from around the world

We all know that different parts of the world speak different languages . But what we might forget is that the body language and gestures we use each day may have different meanings when we’re abroad, and vice versa. With a quick Google search , you can find out how body language is used around the world—and practice nonverbal communication with your students.

Play geography trivia

Play into your students’ competitive spirit with a little travel trivia—find some questions online, or make some of your own. Either way, a little competition never hurt anyone, right?

Hold an international flavor taste-test

Seaweed potato chips. Green Tea Kit Kats. Melon Fanta. The world is wide and the combinations of national treasures with unique international flavors are endless. Lucky for your students, many of these oddball flavors can be ordered online . Just get a unique assortment of flavored snacks and test them out—Oreos are a good place to start since they come in a variety of flavors, they’re low-cost and easy to order online, and frankly, universally loved.

Try a suitcase challenge

Put your packing  skills to the test. Tightly pack a suitcase with funny items, then time your students on how quickly they can unpack and then re-pack it themselves. To keep it interesting, keep a scoreboard or play for small prizes.

Have a Carnival celebration

Carnival: It’s feathers, not Ferris wheels; costumes, not corn dogs; brass bands, not bumpy rides. It’s an annual festival of dancing, masks, and parades that is celebrated in over 20 countries around the world, including Brazil , Italy, and Jamaica—and now in your classroom. Explore the importance of Carnival in various regions and maybe have celebration of your own.

Need more ideas? Here are a few to get you started.

• Do a local photography challenge
• Have a souvenir show and tell
• Lead an origami lesson
• Take a group cooking class
• Watch a foreign language TV show
• Try a local foreign restaurant
• Pair up with pen pals
• Explore the Guggenheim, virtually  
• Create travel bucket lists
• Have a Chinese New Year celebration
• Watch a themed documentary as a group
• Hold a Día de los Muertos celebration

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1300+ Travel and tourism teaching resources

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

Tourism Teacher is the number 1 choice for travel and tourism teaching resources amongst teachers, lecturers and trainers. The extensive resource bank provides a range of travel and tourism teaching resources to those working in secondary schools, colleges and universities as well travel and tourism practitioners and trainers. 

The travel and tourism teaching resources are differentiated to suit learners of all needs and abilities, ranging from entry level travel and tourism students, to GCSE , A Level , BTEC and university level travel and tourism students. With over 1300 travel and tourism resources, including a range of activities, case studies, worksheets and PowerPoint presentations, teachers are well equipped to develop a comprehensive learning programme for their students. 

As any travel and tourism teacher will know, the industry is dynamic and progressive, with ongoing changes to policy and practice. It is for this reason that the Tourism Teacher travel and tourism resources are updated regularly and new resources are developed each month. If there is a particular resource that you require that isn’t part of the 1300 bank of resources, then please do get in contact and I will do my best to produce these for you. 

The resources are organised by topic and there is also a full resource bank for the BTEC Tech Award in Travel and Tourism and soon there will be the entire Cambridge International A Level in travel and tourism and Cambridge IGCSE in travel and tourism.

Types of travel and tourism teaching resources

There are a range of travel and tourism teaching resources available for you to use and adapt for your own classroom, including:

• PowerPoint presentations
• Printable worksheets
• Interactive activities
• Case studies
• Reading lists
• Journal articles
• Role play cards
• Classroom displays and posters
• Exam practice

Travel and Tourism Course Specific Resources

Whilst the 1300 travel and tourism teaching resources provided are useful for any course specification, I understand that sometimes it is easiest to ‘pick up and go’. Therefore I have created resources for the entire syllabus for the following qualifications:

• BTEC Teach Award
• Cambridge International Travel and Tourism A Level
• Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism (coming soon)

Travel and tourism topics

The travel and tourism resources cover a wide range of topics, including:

• Travel and tourism industry
• Tour operations
• Sustainable/ responsible tourism
• Travel agency operations
• Airlines and airports
• Business tourism
• Visitor attractions
• Researching current issues/ research project
• Types of tourism/ niche tourism
• Planning an event
• European tourism
• Worldwide tourism
• Tourism and technology
• Tourism geography
• Customer service
• Ancillary revenue management
• Hospitality
• Rural tourism
• Leadership and management
• Cruise tourism
• Events and festivals
• Entertainment in tourism
• Nature and effects of world travel
• Destination planning and development
• Working in travel and tourism
• Social responsibility
• Resort Representatives
• Passenger transport
• Safety and security
• Study skills
• Employability skills
• Induction and tutorial activities

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The membership is an annual subscription and you can continue to be a member for as long as you like!

Can I see some sample resources?

Yes- click here to download your free sample travel and tourism teaching resources. 

Who developed the travel and tourism teaching resources?

All of the travel and tourism teaching resources have been developed by Dr Hayley Stainton and the Tourism Teacher team.

What level are these resources designed for?

These resources are designed to be used across a range of teaching levels and can be amended to make them easier/more challenging if needed.

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Yes, all resources can be edited to suit your needs.

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This month’s Teacher’s Corner explores the world of travel and tourism. Specifically, each week covers travel-related topics that students can use to practice speaking, reading, and listening.

For many English learners, traveling the world is one of the many reasons they study English. No matter where you travel, it is easy to find a speaker of English to help you on your journey. However, as every good traveler knows, it is best to be prepared. This month’s Teacher’s Corner is devoted to giving students the chance to practice and prepare their English for the world of travel.

The activities this month are designed to give students the opportunity to creatively practice their English while thinking about travel both at home and abroad:

• Week 1 – Around the World
• Week 2 – What to See in Town
• Week 3 – Planning a Trip
• Week 4 – Over-tourism

Week 1 begins the month with a Pecha Kucha style presentation. In these fast-paced presentations, students must describe an around-the-world trip in three minutes using only six presentation slides. In Week 2, students practice common phrasal verbs used in travel and tourism. In Week 3, students describe the tourist attractions in their home countries by preparing a six-day trip for a new visitor. Finally, this month’s Teacher’s Corner concludes with a debate activity focused on the increasing concern of over-tourism.

Table of Contents

In this week’s Teacher’s Corner, students are tasked with creating a Pecha Kucha presentation on an around-the-world trip. Pecha Kucha is a presentation style where each presenter is allowed twenty slides which are shown for twenty seconds each. The goal is to encourage the speaker to be concise – to not talk too long. For this activity, students will get six slides shown for thirty seconds each, with each slide showcasing a place they would like to visit on a trip around the world.

Intermediate to Advanced

LANGUAGE FOCUS

Speaking, reading (primary focus) Listening (secondary focus)

Students will practice speaking, reading, and listening through

• Researching locations they would like to visit on a trip around the world
• Delivering a three-minute presentation about their around-the-world trip
• Teacher: computer, projector, stopwatch or other timing device, a map
• Students: notebook, pencil, paper, computers (for research to be done as homework, or books and encyclopedias)

PREPARATION

• Read through all the materials carefully.
• For this activity, students will be giving presentations to the class. To save time, be sure that students submit their presentations as a homework assignment before the day they will present them. The teacher should then have all the presentations loaded onto the class computer, ready to go at the start of the class. Having the presentations already loaded will save time, compared to each student separately loading his or her presentation on the computer. Having the presentations ready to go at the start of class will save time, compared to each student separately loading his or her presentation on the computer. If a computer is not available, this can be done on sheets of large paper as well.
• During this activity, students will be giving presentations that have a set time limit of three minutes. To keep students on time, the teacher controls when the slides of the presentation change. Optionally, a student can be selected as the official timekeeper. This student can sit at the presentation computer to advance the slides instead of the teacher.

PART ONE: PREPARING TO DEPART

• Begin the class by showing a map of the world. To warm students up for the activity, ask students to come to the board and point to countries that you name.
• If none of the students know the meaning of the word, give them a clue. For example, point to the United States and tell the students, “The United States is a country.” Next, point to Mexico and tell the students, “Mexico is a country, too.” Finally, point to Canada and say, “Canada is also a country.” Then tell the students, “The United States, Mexico, and Canada are all on the same continent.” While speaking, use your finger to draw a large circle around the North American continent. (Don’t forget to include Central America too!)
• To check the students’ comprehension of the word continent ask the class, “How many continents are there in the world?” Students should respond with “seven”; if they answer “six,” they may have forgotten about Antarctica!
• Ask the students which continent they most want to visit and why. Tell the students to think about their answers.
• Next, have the students form pairs and share their answers with their partners.
• Finally, have students share their answers with the entire class.
• Inform the class that for homework they are going to plan an around-the-world trip.
• Explain to the students that they will prepare a presentation to show the class about their around-the-world trip.
• Instruct the students that their one location per continent must be a city, national park, or sightseeing location. An entire country is too large to select as one location!
• Students must travel in one direction around the world (either east or west).
• Each slide should have some basic information about the location and at least one picture of the location.
• Finally, inform the students that they will only have three minutes to give their presentation to the class, and each slide will only be shown for thirty seconds. So, students should practice their presentations before class!

PART TWO: CLASS PRESENTATIONS

• On the day students give their class presentations, remind them they only have thirty seconds for each slide. If time permits, give the students a few minutes to check their notes and prepare for their presentations.
• Have the first student presenting come to the front of the class.
• Open the student’s presentation and start the timer. After thirty seconds move to the next slide; after another thirty seconds move to the third slide; and so on.
• Optional: After all the students have presented their around-the-world trip, have the class vote on the most interesting trip!

This week’s Teacher’s Corner provides students with the opportunity to practice using phrasal verbs in an activity about New York City.

Reading, speaking (primary focus) Listening (secondary focus)

During this activity, students will

• Practice speaking skills through a matching activity
• Practice reading skills and using travel-related phrasal verbs in a worksheet activity
• Teacher: whiteboard or chalkboard, markers or chalk
• Students: pencils or pens, notebooks or writing paper
• Print out copies of the phrasal verb cards in Appendix 1. a. Students will use the phrasal verb cards in a pair-work activity. Print enough copies of the phrasal verb cards for each pair of students to have a set.
• Cut out the phrasal verb cards and for each set, mix the cards so that the phrasal verbs and definitions are mixed well.
• Print out copies of the phrasal verbs fill-in-the-blank worksheet in Appendix 2. Students will use the worksheet in a pair-work activity. Print enough copies of the worksheet for each pair of students to have one. The answer key is in Appendix 3.

ACTIVITY PART ONE: PHRASAL VERB WARM-UP

• Begin the class by having the students form pairs. 
• Give each pair a set of phrasal verb cards (already mixed up) from Appendix 1.
• Have the students work together to match each phrasal verb to its correct definition.
• After the students have completed the matching activity, review the answers as a class.
• Next, ask the students, “What do the phrasal verbs have in common?” a. Answer: Each of the phrasal verbs is related to travel.
• Next, ask the students, “What is the one city in the world you would like to visit?” a. Optional: Ask the students this question as part of a Think, Pair, Share activity.     i. First, have the students think about their answer individually.     ii. Next, have the students share their answer with their partner.     iii. Finally, encourage the students to share their answer or, even better, to share their partners’ answers with the class.

ACTIVITY PART TWO: PHRASAL VERB WORKSHEET

• Begin this part of the activity by asking the students if they would like to visit New York City.
• Next, ask why they would like to visit the city, or ask what they would like to do if they visited the city.
• As students answer the questions, pass out the phrasal verb fill-in-the-blank worksheet to the pairs of students. Instruct them to read through the worksheet and circle any vocabulary they don’t know. a. If students have questions about vocabulary, take a few moments to answer their questions before moving on to Step 4.
• Next, have the pairs of students fill in the blanks on the worksheet with the phrasal verbs on the cards they used in Part 1 of this activity. As students work, walk around the room to check on their progress.
• Once the pairs have finished filling in the blanks, check their answers as a class.

APPENDIX 1: PHRASAL VERBS MATCHING CARDS

week2_chart.png

APPENDIX 2: PHRASAL VERBS FILL-IN-THE-BLANK WORKSHEET

appenx2_3.jpg

New York has been called “The City That Never Sleeps!” With so many things to do at any time of day, New York is a great place to visit on vacation. Thanks to New York’s many transportation options, you don’t need anyone to __________ you __________ at the airport. Instead, you can take a bus or the subway into the city, or even have one of the city’s famous yellow taxis __________ you _________ at your hotel. After you ___________________ to your hotel, you can ____________________ on your NYC adventure!

If it is your first visit to New York, be sure to take some time to ____________________ the city by taking a walk. It can be a great way to get to know the city and experience the New York way of life. Some of the best things about New York can be found by ___________________ the many diverse neighborhoods full of great food, interesting events, and historical landmarks. Even though New York is famous for its busy streets, you can ___________________ from the crowds by visiting Central Park. There you can walk through the trees, sit by the lake, and even get a famous New York City hot dog.

Of course, no trip to New York would be complete without visiting the Statue of Liberty. To visit, you need to ____________________ a ferry at Battery Park. While crossing the water, you can ____________________ a wonderful view of the city. Once on Liberty Island, you can walk around the statue, visit the museum, or climb the 377 steps to the top of the Statue of Liberty. It is an incredible experience, but tickets sell out quickly!

As you leave New York and your plane ____________________, be sure to enjoy the view out the window to get one last look at the city that never sleeps!

APPENDIX 3: PHRASAL VERBS FILL-IN-THE-BLANK ANSWER KEY

New York has been called “The City That Never Sleeps”! With so many things to do at any time of day, New York is a great place to visit on vacation. Thanks to New York’s many transportation options, you don’t need anyone to ____pick you up_____ at the airport. Instead, you can take a bus or subway into the city, or even have one of the city’s famous yellow taxis ______drop you off________ at your hotel. After you _____check in________ to your hotel, you can ____set out_________ on your NYC adventure!

If it is your first visit to New York, be sure to take some time to __look around____ the city by taking a walk. It can be a great way to get to know the city and experience the New York way of life. Some of the best things about New York can be found by __checking out___ the many diverse neighborhoods full of great food, interesting events, and historical landmarks. Even though New York is famous for its busy streets, you can ___get away_________ from the crowds by visiting Central Park. There you can walk through the trees, sit by the lake, and even get a famous New York City hot dog.

Of course, no trip to New York would be complete without visiting the Statue of Liberty. To visit, you need to ____get on__________ a ferry at Battery Park. While crossing the water, you can _____take in________ a wonderful view of the city. Once on Liberty Island, you can walk around the statue, visit the museum, or climb the 377 steps to the top of the Statue of Liberty. It is an incredible experience, but tickets sell out quickly!

As you leave New York and your plane ___takes off________, be sure to enjoy the view out the window to get one last look at the city that never sleeps!

This month’s Teacher’s Corner explores travel and tourism. This week’s activity asks students to think about their own cities or countries by designing a six-day trip for a visiting tourist.

LEVEL Intermediate to Advanced

FOCUS Reading, writing (primary focus) Speaking, listening (secondary focus)

GOALS During this activity students will

• Practice speaking skills while creating a travel plan for their country or city
• Practice presentations skills while delivering their travel plans to the class
• Teacher: whiteboard or chalkboard, markers or chalk, poster paper (optional)

In this activity, students will prepare a travel plan for someone visiting their country or city for the first time. This activity can take place during one class period or across two classes depending on how much time your students need to prepare their travel plans.

• Print out copies of Appendix 1 Travel Plans. Print enough copies so that each group of two to three students has one to complete.

ACTIVITY PART ONE: HOMEWORK – TRAVEL PLANNING

• Begin this activity by having the students form groups of two to three students.
• Give each group a copy of the Travel Plan from Appendix
• Have the students work together to brainstorm a six-day travel plan to their country. a. If your students are from a large city, they could plan the entire six-day trip just in their city. If your students are from a smaller city or more rural area, they can plan a regional or nation-wide trip.
• As the groups work, walk around the room asking groups for details about their trip. Encourage them to be as specific as possible. For example: if they write “stay in a hotel,” instruct them to be more specific: What hotel? Where in the city? What makes that hotel or area of the city interesting?
• Optional: Depending on time and student levels, this activity can also be a homework assignment. After the groups have finished their travel plans, the homework can challenge the students to use the travel plans to create a poster, a flyer, or even a video where students can show off their six-day travel plans.

ACTIVITY PART TWO: TRAVEL SHOWCASE

• After the groups have finished their travel plans, give them time to prepare a speaking presentation to the class. a. Instruct the students that for the presentation each student in the group must speak. For example, in a group of three students, each student can present on two days of the trip. b.  Note: Depending on students’ level and ability, this presentation part of the activity can be done on a separate day to give the students more time to prepare.
• Next, have each group come to the front of the class and describe the travel plan they made to the rest of the class. a. For additional speaking practice, encourage the rest of the class to ask questions about the trip.
• After each group has presented their travel plan, have the class vote on the presentations. Which travel plan was the best? Which was the most adventurous? Which was the most historic?

APPENDIX 1: TRAVEL PLANS

Directions: Plan a six-day trip to your country for a person who has never visited before. Choose a city, region, or the entire country. Include everything, such as what to visit, where to stay, and what to eat!

This month’s Teacher’s Corner explores the world of travel and tourism. With travel becoming easier and cheaper all around the world, people who live in popular tourist locations have begun to ask if too much tourism can be a problem. In this week’s activity, students will debate the positives and negatives of tourism.

Speaking, listening (primary focus)

Reading, writing (secondary focus)

• Practice reading skills while reading an article about over-tourism
• Practice speaking and listening during a debate on tourism
• Teacher: whiteboard or chalkboard, markers or chalk, a timing device, Internet (optional)
• Before class, read the article " Too Much Tourism "and listen to the audio version of the story.
• Print out copies of Appendix 1: “Too Much Tourism” article. Print enough copies so that each student has one. Note: If a computer lab is an option for your class, have the students read the article by visiting this URL: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/too-much-tourism/4118421.html
• On the website, the article has an audio version that can be streamed over the Internet or downloaded and played on a computer in class.

ACTIVITY PART ONE: "TOO MUCH TOURISM" ARTICLE

• Direct students' attention to the board.
• On the board write the word tourism . Ask the students what the word tourism means.
• Next, as a check of their understanding, ask the class where in their country is popular for tourism?
• Then, write the word over in front of the word tourism to create the new word over-tourism.
• Again ask the students to provide a definition for this word. a.    Note: Over-tourism is a recent issue that has gained attention in the news and travel industry. It does not have an exact definition, but as long as students describe a problem of too many visitors to a place, their definition is acceptable.
• Once again, check the students’ understanding by asking if there are any locations in their country that they think face problems with over-tourism. a.    Note: Depending on the level of the students, this question can be asked as a Think, Pair, Share. First have the students think about the question, then have them share their answers with a partner, finally have the pairs of students share their answers with the class.
• Next, provide each student with a copy of the “Too Much Tourism” article in Appendix 1. Give students time to read the article. a.    Note: To provide students more listening practice, have them listen to the article by playing the audio version of the story from the webpage.
• To check their comprehension, ask the following questions: a.    How many trips are tourists expected to take by the year 2030? (Answer: 1.8 billion) b.    What is Croatia doing to help stop over-tourism? (Answer: Limiting the number of daily visitors to the city of Dubrovnik.)
• Finally, as a show of hands, ask the students who thinks limiting tourism is a good idea? Tell the class they will have the opportunity to share their opinions in a debate. 

ACTIVITY PART TWO: THE TOURISM DEBATE

• Note:  For this debate, students will argue for and against tourism. If you teach a large class, you may want to break students into groups and then have these groups form two teams that can debate. Another option for larger classes is for students to volunteer to participate in the debate, while the rest of the class can act as audience and decide which team won.
• Begin the debate by dividing the class (or a group of students) into two teams. Decide which team will be the For side, which will argue in favor of the topic, and which will be the Against side, which will argue against the theme of the topic.
• While the students are forming For and Against teams, go to the chalkboard and write the theme and topics for the debate: Debate Theme: Tourism  Topic #1: Whether tourism is always good for the local economy, and the economy is more important than too many tourists. Topic #2: Whether too much tourism can harm the local culture of a city. Topic #3: Whether people should travel less. a.     Note:  If time permits have the students debate all three topics. For large classes, students can take turns debating: one group of students debates one topic, then the next group of students debates the next topic, and so on.
• Direct the students’ attention to the three debate topics that you have written on the board and tell the students they should prepare their ideas on these topics for the debate. a.     Note: For more advanced lessons, assign the debate preparation as homework so students can research the topics and prepare with more details.
• Once the students are prepared, have the students who are going to debate first come to the front of the class. Have the two teams form lines on opposite ends of the board. Begin the debate by having the first student in line of the For team present his or her argument for one minute. Then the first student from the Against team has one minute to challenge the ideas presented by the For team’s student.
• After the first students from each team have spoken for a minute, have them move to the back of the line and have the second student in each line more forward. They will now debate against each other. This time the Against student goes first for one minute. The student for the For team then gets to present his or her argument on the topic. Continue until all students have had the opportunity to debate.

Remember:  An effective debate is not only about presenting an argument but also challenging the argument of one’s opponent. For more information on debates and ideas for using debates in class, check out The Great Mini-Debate on the American English webpage.

APPENDIX 1: TOO MUCH TOURISM?

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How To Teach Travel And Tourism

Published: December 13, 2023

Modified: December 28, 2023

by Basia Gladden

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Introduction

Welcome to the exciting world of travel and tourism education! Teaching travel and tourism is not only a rewarding career choice, but it also plays a vital role in shaping the future of the industry. Travel and tourism education equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate this dynamic and multi-faceted field.

As the travel industry continues to grow and evolve, the demand for well-trained professionals is on the rise. This is where travel and tourism education comes in. Whether it’s guiding students in understanding the cultural, social, and economic impact of tourism, or teaching practical skills such as travel planning and hospitality management, educators play a crucial role in preparing the next generation of travel professionals.

In addition to preparing students for a future career in the industry, teaching travel and tourism also helps foster a sense of global citizenship and cultural awareness. Through interactive and engaging learning experiences, students gain a deeper understanding of the world, its diverse cultures, and the importance of sustainable travel practices.

Throughout this article, I will explore key concepts in travel and tourism education, effective teaching strategies, available learning resources, assessment methods, as well as the challenges and solutions in teaching travel and tourism.

So whether you’re an experienced travel and tourism educator looking for new ideas to enhance your teaching or someone considering a career in this field, this article will provide you with valuable insights and practical tips to make your travel and tourism education journey a successful one.

Importance of Teaching Travel and Tourism

Teaching travel and tourism is not just about imparting knowledge and skills; it is about shaping future industry professionals and creating a positive impact on the global economy and society as a whole. Here are some reasons highlighting the importance of teaching travel and tourism:

• Economic Impact: The travel and tourism industry is a significant driver of economic growth in many countries. By teaching students about the industry’s economic impact, including job creation, revenue generation, and foreign exchange earnings, educators contribute to building a strong workforce and promoting economic prosperity.
• Cultural Understanding: Travel and tourism education fosters cultural appreciation and understanding. Through learning about different destinations, customs, traditions, and languages, students develop a deeper appreciation for global diversity. This leads to a more interconnected and tolerant society.
• Sustainable Practices: In an era of increasing concern for the environment, teaching sustainable travel and tourism practices is crucial. By emphasizing the importance of responsible tourism, such as reducing carbon footprint, preserving natural resources, and respecting local communities, educators help shape environmentally conscious individuals who can contribute to a more sustainable future.
• Professional Development: The travel and tourism industry offers a wide range of career opportunities. By teaching students about different job roles, industry trends, and necessary skills, educators prepare them for successful careers in travel, hospitality, event management, tourism marketing, and more. This empowers students to pursue their passion and contribute to the growth of the industry.
• Global Citizenship: Teaching travel and tourism cultivates global citizenship by encouraging students to explore different cultures and engage with diverse communities. This not only broadens their perspective but also develops empathy, cultural sensitivity, and respect for others. It helps students become responsible global citizens who are aware of their impact on the world.

By recognizing and embracing the importance of teaching travel and tourism, educators can empower students to become future industry leaders, promote sustainable practices, and contribute to the growth and development of the sector. Through comprehensive education, students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a fast-paced and ever-evolving industry while making a positive impact on the world around them.

Key Concepts in Travel and Tourism Education

When teaching travel and tourism, there are several key concepts that form the foundation of a well-rounded education. These concepts help students develop a comprehensive understanding of the industry, its impact, and its various components. Here are some essential key concepts in travel and tourism education:

• Tourism Management: This concept focuses on understanding the principles and practices of managing tourism destinations, attractions, and businesses. Students learn about destination marketing, hospitality management, event planning, tour operations, and sustainable tourism practices.
• Cultural and Heritage Tourism: Cultural and heritage tourism emphasizes the exploration and preservation of unique cultural traditions, historical sites, and tangible and intangible heritage. Students delve into the significance of cultural tourism in promoting understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures.
• Travel and Tourism Marketing: Marketing plays a critical role in the travel and tourism industry. Students learn about marketing strategies, consumer behavior, digital marketing techniques, and destination branding. They explore how marketing can effectively promote destinations and attract tourists.
• Tourism Policy and Planning: This concept involves understanding the policies, regulations, and planning processes that govern the tourism industry. Students explore the role of governments, organizations, and stakeholders in shaping tourism development and ensuring its sustainability.
• Sustainable Tourism: Sustainable tourism emphasizes the importance of minimizing negative impacts on the environment, culture, and local communities while maximizing positive socio-economic benefits. Students learn about sustainable practices, responsible tourism, and the role of eco-tourism in preserving natural resources.
• Customer Service and Experience: The travel and tourism industry heavily relies on delivering exceptional customer service and creating memorable experiences for travelers. Students learn about customer service techniques, hospitality skills, and the importance of personalized experiences to enhance customer satisfaction.

These key concepts provide a comprehensive foundation for students in travel and tourism education. By understanding these essential concepts, students gain a holistic view of the industry, its challenges, and its potential. This knowledge equips them with the necessary skills and insights to excel in various roles within the travel and tourism sector.

Teaching Strategies for Travel and Tourism

Teaching travel and tourism requires a dynamic and engaging approach to ensure students grasp the concepts effectively. Here are some effective teaching strategies to enhance the learning experience:

• Real-World Case Studies: Use real-world case studies to provide practical examples that connect theory to the industry. This helps students understand how concepts apply in real-life scenarios and encourages critical thinking.
• Field Trips: Organize field trips to tourism destinations, hotels, or travel agencies to give students firsthand experience of the industry. This not only brings the learning to life but also exposes students to different job roles and operational processes.
• Guest Speakers: Invite guest speakers from the travel and tourism industry to share their experiences and insights with the students. This offers a valuable opportunity for students to learn directly from professionals and gain insights into industry trends and best practices.
• Group Projects: Assign group projects that require collaboration and problem-solving. This helps students develop teamwork skills and encourages them to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios.
• Technology Integration: Utilize technology tools and resources to enhance learning. This can include virtual field trips, online simulations, interactive quizzes, and multimedia presentations. Incorporating technology keeps students engaged and allows for a more immersive learning experience.
• Role-Playing: Encourage role-playing activities where students take on different roles within the tourism industry. This helps develop their communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and decision-making capabilities.
• Industry Internships: Facilitate internships or work placements in tourism-related organizations to provide students with real-life work experience and develop industry-specific skills. This practical exposure contributes to a well-rounded education and enhances employability.

By employing these teaching strategies, educators can create a dynamic and interactive learning environment that fosters active participation and knowledge retention. It is important to remember that teaching travel and tourism should be a balance between theoretical knowledge and practical application to prepare students for the industry’s demands.

Learning Resources for Travel and Tourism Teaching

When it comes to teaching travel and tourism, utilizing a variety of learning resources can enrich the educational experience and cater to diverse learning styles. Here are some valuable learning resources for travel and tourism teaching:

• Textbooks and Reference Materials: Utilize textbooks and reference materials specifically designed for travel and tourism education. These resources provide a comprehensive overview of the industry, including concepts, theories, case studies, and best practices.
• Online Learning Platforms: Explore online platforms that offer specialized travel and tourism courses and learning modules. These platforms often include interactive lessons, quizzes, and discussion forums to facilitate engagement and knowledge retention.
• Professional Associations and Industry Websites: Many professional associations and industry websites provide access to a wealth of resources such as research papers, industry reports, statistical data, and industry-specific news. These resources can be used to enhance learning and provide the latest industry insights.
• Industry Events and Conferences: Encourage students to attend travel and tourism industry events, conferences, and trade shows. These events provide opportunities for networking, learning about industry trends, and gaining a deeper understanding of the industry’s current practices and challenges.
• Documentaries and Videos: Incorporate documentaries and videos related to travel and tourism into your teaching material. These visual resources can bring destinations, cultures, and tourism concepts to life, making the learning experience more engaging and memorable.
• Online Travel Platforms and Booking Websites: Introduce students to online travel platforms and booking websites such as Expedia or Airbnb. This allows them to explore travel itineraries, compare prices, and understand the role of technology in the travel and tourism industry.
• Industry Case Studies: Utilize industry case studies to demonstrate real-life examples and challenges within the travel and tourism sector. Analyzing these case studies helps students apply theoretical concepts to practical scenarios and develop problem-solving skills.
• Social Media and Blogs: Engage with travel and tourism-related social media accounts and blogs. These platforms provide up-to-date information, travel experiences, destination guides, and insights into the latest travel trends. Encouraging students to follow reputable sources helps them stay connected to the industry’s dynamic nature.

By utilizing a diverse range of learning resources, educators can cater to different learning preferences and create a well-rounded learning experience. It is essential to stay updated with the latest industry resources and encourage students to explore the vast array of available materials to foster a deeper understanding of the travel and tourism industry.

Assessment Methods in Travel and Tourism Education

Assessing student learning is a critical component of travel and tourism education. It allows educators to evaluate students’ understanding of key concepts, their ability to apply knowledge to practical scenarios, and their overall proficiency in the field. Here are some common assessment methods used in travel and tourism education:

• Examinations and Quizzes: Traditional examinations and quizzes are effective in assessing students’ understanding of foundational knowledge and their ability to recall information. These assessments can cover topics such as destination knowledge, industry terminology, tourism management principles, and marketing strategies.
• Case Studies and Written Assignments: Assigning case studies and written assignments allows students to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios. These assessments can involve analyzing tourism development plans, developing marketing strategies for a destination, or evaluating the socio-cultural impacts of tourism.
• Group Projects and Presentations: Group projects and presentations encourage teamwork, critical thinking, and communication skills. Students can be tasked with designing a sustainable travel itinerary, creating a tourism marketing campaign, or presenting a research study on emerging trends in the industry.
• Practical Assessments and Simulations: Practical assessments involve hands-on activities that demonstrate students’ ability to perform specific tasks related to travel and tourism. This can include role-playing customer service scenarios, managing a simulated travel agency, or creating sample tour packages.
• Industry Internships and Work Placements: Assessing students during their industry internships or work placements provides an opportunity to evaluate their practical skills and professional conduct in a real-world setting. This can involve supervisor evaluations, reflective journals, and performance assessments.
• Online Assessments: Online assessments, such as quizzes and interactive modules, can be used to gauge students’ understanding of specific topics or concepts. These assessments can be self-paced and provide immediate feedback, promoting independent learning and knowledge retention.
• Peer Reviews and Feedback: Incorporating peer reviews and feedback allows students to evaluate each other’s work and provide constructive criticism. This promotes self-reflection, collaboration, and the development of analytical skills.

When selecting assessment methods, it is important to align them with the learning outcomes and objectives of the course. A combination of different assessment methods ensures that students are evaluated on various skills and competencies, including knowledge recall, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and industry-specific skills.

Furthermore, providing timely and constructive feedback to students is crucial. Feedback aids in their learning and growth, allowing them to identify areas for improvement and build upon their strengths. It also helps to encourage engagement and motivate students throughout their travel and tourism education journey.

Challenges and Solutions in Teaching Travel and Tourism

Teaching travel and tourism comes with its own set of challenges, but with the right strategies and solutions, these challenges can be overcome to create an effective learning experience. Here are some common challenges faced in teaching travel and tourism, along with potential solutions:

• Keeping Pace with Industry Changes: The travel and tourism industry is constantly evolving, with new trends, technologies, and practices emerging. To address this challenge, educators can stay updated with industry news, attend professional development programs, and collaborate with industry experts. This allows them to incorporate relevant and up-to-date information into their teaching methods.
• Engaging Diverse Learners: Tourism students come from diverse backgrounds and have different learning preferences. To engage these learners, educators can incorporate a variety of teaching strategies, such as case studies, group projects, role-playing activities, and technology-based learning. This ensures that different learning styles and preferences are accommodated, creating a more inclusive and engaging learning environment.
• Promoting Practical Skills: The travel and tourism industry relies heavily on practical skills. However, teaching these skills can be challenging in a classroom setting. To address this, educators can incorporate hands-on activities, simulations, industry internships, and guest speakers. These practical experiences provide students with opportunities to apply their knowledge and develop essential skills that are directly transferable to the industry.
• Fostering Cultural Sensitivity: As travel and tourism involve encounters with diverse cultures, it is important to foster cultural sensitivity among students. Educators can facilitate this by incorporating cultural experiences, promoting respectful interactions, and encouraging open dialogue. Guest speakers from different cultural backgrounds can also provide first-hand insights and help students develop a global perspective.
• Promoting Sustainable Tourism Education: Sustainable practices in travel and tourism are crucial for the industry’s future. Educators can address this challenge by integrating sustainability into the curriculum through case studies, discussions, and projects. Students can be encouraged to explore sustainable tourism practices and strategies, promoting the importance of responsible tourism and its impact on the environment and communities.
• Access to Industry Resources: Access to industry-specific resources and networks can be limited in an academic setting. To overcome this challenge, educators can forge partnerships with local tourism organizations, invite industry professionals as guest speakers, and utilize online resources, such as industry blogs, webinars, and research papers. This provides students with exposure to current industry practices and trends.

By recognizing and addressing these challenges, educators can create a more relevant and impactful learning experience for travel and tourism students. Through continuous professional development, engagement with industry partners, and an inclusive teaching approach, educators can equip students with the knowledge, skills, and cultural sensitivity required for successful careers in the dynamic travel and tourism industry.

Teaching travel and tourism is a fulfilling and important endeavor that prepares students for a dynamic and ever-expanding industry. By imparting knowledge, fostering skills, and promoting cultural understanding, educators play a crucial role in shaping future travel professionals and global citizens.

We have explored the importance of teaching travel and tourism, highlighting its economic impact, cultural significance, and role in promoting sustainability and global citizenship. We have also discussed key concepts in travel and tourism education, including tourism management, cultural and heritage tourism, and sustainable practices.

To enhance the learning experience, we have examined effective teaching strategies such as real-world case studies, field trips, and guest speakers. We have also discussed the importance of utilizing diverse learning resources, including textbooks, online platforms, and industry events, to provide a well-rounded education.

Assessing student learning in travel and tourism education is crucial, and we have explored various assessment methods such as examinations, group projects, and practical assessments. These methods enable educators to evaluate students’ understanding and proficiency in the field.

While challenges exist in teaching travel and tourism, we have provided solutions to overcome them. From staying updated with industry changes to fostering cultural sensitivity and promoting sustainable practices, educators can address these challenges through professional development, engaging teaching strategies, and industry partnerships.

In conclusion, teaching travel and tourism is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of the industry and inspire students to become well-rounded professionals. By embracing innovative teaching strategies, collaborating with industry partners, and nurturing a passion for travel and cultural understanding, educators can create a transformative learning experience that prepares students for success in the dynamic world of travel and tourism.

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Teaching Responsible Tourism to Students

The world is vast yet small. Over the last 50 years a continual stream of exotic and once unreachable destinations have come within the traveler’s grasp, but not always with the best of results. Over-trafficking and loose regulations of pristine natural areas are resulting in damage and pollution. Once beautiful, quiet little beach towns are collapsing under the burden of rapid overdevelopment, causing a “use them up and move on” wave of destruction sliding along the coastlines. Local customs and cultures are being replaced by a homogeneous whitewash designed to please tourists.

However, all is not lost.

As group travel leaders, we are not only responsible for the impact of ourselves, but for our entire group, and therefore we carry the extra responsibility of ensuring that the choices we make when planning and executing a journey are environmentally and socially conscious. As student group leaders, we also are entrusted with providing those in our care an educational experience and setting a good example for them to emulate.

We have all borne witness to the rapidly increasing options for eco/sustainable tourism, but you may not be fully aware of what is available to you or what steps you can take to ensure minimum impact. Here we provide you with some useful guidelines to follow while on tour with your students, as well as some examples of sustainable activities and tour options.

What is Sustainable Tourism?

Put simply, it means traveling in such a manner as to preserve the environmental, cultural and economic integrity of the destination while promoting the well-being of the local people. Don’t worry, this is not as complicated or difficult as it might sound.

How Can I Make My Group Trip More Sustainable?

There are far too many tips and guidelines in this regard to be contained within the confines of this publication. In fact, our community would love to hear your suggestions and experiences as well, so we invite you to visit the digital version of this article and leave them in the comments (tinyurl.com/nnf5rdx). However, here are a few to get you started:

Move Your Group Greenly

• When traveling to and from a destination, consider taking a train or bus instead of a plane, and if traveling by plane, try to use only non-stop flights as the majority of an airplane’s fuel is used on takeoff and landing.
• When at your destination, consider walking or cycling tours instead of tour buses.
• When choosing a transportation operator, try to find those that use hybrid, electric or natural gas-powered vehicles.

Spend Your Dollars Locally

• Try to seek out where the locals shop and eat and spend there. By doing this you will support the local economy without driving their infrastructure toward the development of tourist-only vendors.
• Only stay in locally owned and operated accommodations, and look for those that have environmentally friendly policies, such as not giving you fresh towels every day.

Calculate and Offset Your Carbon Footprint

• You can build in the cost of purchasing carbon offset credits from organizations like Carbonfund.org right into the cost of your journey.
• Have your students start a carbon footprint reduction campaign six months or a year in advance of the trip. Think of it like a carbon savings account that you can spend on your trip. Make it into a competition, get the community involved. Hopefully the habits picked up for the campaign will become lifelong ones.

Choose Green Tour Operators

• Many tour companies have policies regarding environmental and socio-economic impact of their tours. Look them over. If they don’t have them, move on.

An excellent example of a responsible tour operator that I have had personal experience with is G Adventures. Their stance and policies on sustainable tourism can be seen plain as day (gadventures.com/about-us/sustainable-tourism)

• Many destinations now offer eco-certification to tour guides. For example, Eco Tourism Australia has several programs (ecotourism.org.au). Let’s try to encourage this trend by asking for and only using eco-certified tour guides.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

• Make sure not to forget the basics. Write up policies for your students to follow regarding consumption and recycling while on tour.
• Have your students pack a reusable water bottle so they don’t have to repeatedly buy bottled water.
• Use rechargeable batteries, have your students each pack a reusable canvas bag for carrying purchases and keep a weather eye on littering.

Eco-friendly Travel Equipment

Now that we have covered some conceptual advice on how to make your group trip more sustainable, let’s turn our attention to the gadgets.

Freeloader Solar Charger

Not only is this great for everyday use at home, but bringing a solar-powered charging unit along on your trip for the whole group to use allows you to reduce your local power consumption, and also saves money and waste on batteries. (poweryouradventures.com)

Solar Go PAck

SolarGo Pack

Another slick way to power up in an environmentally friendly way is using this backpack with a solar panel and battery system built right in. It also comes with adapters for most types of devices, so this is a great way to charge up your iPad or phone while you are carrying it around on tour. (solargoproductions.com)

2C Solar Light Cap

These are perfect for groups heading into the wilderness for nighttime nature walks or camping trips. Two solar-powered, ultra-bright, warm white LEDs shine down from the cap’s brim for three hours at maximum intensity or eight hours at lower levels. (solarlightcap.com)

SteriPen Adventurer Opti Water Purifier

Ultra-portable and chemical-free, this water purification system is an eco-friendly alternative to buying bottled water on your travels. The UV lamp is powered by two rechargeable AA batteries that can provide 8,000 water treatments.

If any students in your group are in the market for new luggage for the trip, this is a great opportunity for them to make a sustainable purchase. Heys makes a series of luggage sets called Eco Orbis, made from 100% recycled plastic that come in lots of shapes, sizes and colors. (shop.heys.ca)

Great Examples of Sustainable Tourism

The best practices we have discussed so far can be used regardless of your destination or the purpose of your student trip. However, if the purpose of your trip is to directly contribute to making the world a better place, there are numerous green options for your student group. The following are some of our favorites:

G Adventures

Considered by many as the archetype for sustainable tourism, G Adventures has built its entire company structure around ensuring that “travel is an exchange, not a commodity” and that by traveling with them, you will give back as much as you receive.

Through its Planeterra Foundation, G Adventures sponsors projects that ensure that the communities touched by tourism benefit in sustainable ways and work to minimize the impact tourism has upon the destination.

G Adventures’ tours work with small, local businesses that not only keep your travel dollars within the community but provide you with a more authentic cultural experience. To help minimize impact and make sure that everyone receives adequate attention, they normally work with smaller groups (20 or less), although larger, private groups can sometimes be arranged. (gadventures.com)

GRID Alternatives

Dedicated to “bringing solar technology to communities that would not otherwise have access,” GRID Alternatives has numerous projects running within the United States and internationally. Through a partnership program with the World Wildlife Fund called “Solar Spring Break,” students can help further this mission by learning how to install solar panels to families in need. This is a great way to combine environmental awareness and sustainable social development. (gridalternatives.org)

GreenHeart Travel

The mission statement of Greenheart Travel makes its goals clear: “Through travel and cultural exchange, we help individuals reach their full potential, leading to a more tolerant, peaceful and environmentally sustainable world.”

Their “India Education Adventure” program for teens is a four-week experience broken into two parts. The first two weeks students are placed in an Indian household where they experience the education system, enjoy sightseeing and participate in cultural activities. Then they are off to Palampur in the Himalayas to participate in various volunteer activities, such as conducting awareness campaigns and working with children at a school, day care center or orphanage (greenhearttravel.org).

Pulling it All Together

You are reading our guide because you are planning a group trip, which means that traveling is important to you and how you seek to educate your students about the world. If we as student group travel leaders hope to maintain this opportunity for future students, we need to be aware of the impact we are having on the destinations and cultures to which we love to travel, and take measures to limit any negative impact.

We are also accountable for teaching our students how to travel, and embedding the concepts of sustainability into the core of our programs is key to shaping their worldview and producing responsible, caring adults.

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100+ Tourism Research Topics: Trends and Future Directions

Tourism research stands at the crossroads of exploration and understanding, dissecting the intricacies of an industry that transcends geographical boundaries. In this blog, we delve into the realm of tourism research topics, examining their importance, trends, popular areas of study, challenges faced by researchers, and the future directions that the field is poised to take.

Key Trends in Tourism Research

Table of Contents

• Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable tourism has become a cornerstone of research in recent years, reflecting the global shift towards eco-conscious travel. Researchers are delving into the intricate balance between satisfying the wanderlust of tourists and preserving the environment.

Initiatives such as wildlife conservation, eco-friendly accommodations, and community engagement are key focus areas.

Technology in Tourism

The pervasive influence of technology on tourism cannot be overstated. From online booking platforms to virtual reality experiences, researchers are exploring the impact of technology on travel behavior.

Emerging areas of study include the use of artificial intelligence in personalized travel recommendations and the implications of augmented reality for enhancing tourist attractions.

What is the Importance of Tourism Research for Students?

Tourism research holds significant importance for students pursuing studies in various disciplines, including tourism management, hospitality, business, sociology, and environmental studies. Here are some key reasons why tourism research is valuable for students:

Academic Enrichment

• Increases Understanding: By conducting study on the tourist business, students may increase their comprehension of the intricate relationships between the economic, social, cultural, and environmental facets of the sector.
• Application of Theoretical information: This increases the practical relevance of their education by giving them the chance to apply the theoretical information they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations.

Skill Development

• Research Skills: Gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data are just a few of the vital research skills that come from conducting tourist research. These abilities are adaptable and useful in a range of work environments.
• Communication abilities: Through research papers, presentations, and conversations, students learn how to effectively express their results, which improves both their writing and spoken communication abilities.

Industry Insights

• Current Trends and Issues: Research allows students to stay abreast of current trends, challenges, and emerging issues in the tourism industry. This awareness is crucial for adapting to the dynamic nature of the field.
• In-Depth Knowledge: By delving into specific tourism research topics, students gain in-depth knowledge of particular sectors within the industry, positioning themselves as experts in specialized areas.

Career Opportunities

• Competitive Advantage: Having experience in tourism research can provide students with a competitive advantage in the job market. Employers value candidates who can bring a research-driven perspective to decision-making.
• Diverse Career Paths: Whether in academia, policy-making, destination management, or market analysis, a background in tourism research opens doors to a variety of career paths within the broader field of tourism and hospitality.

Contributions to Sustainable Practices

• Environmental and Social Responsibility: Tourism research often focuses on sustainable practices. Students, through their research, can contribute ideas and solutions for promoting responsible tourism, minimizing negative impacts on the environment and local communities.

Global Perspective

• Cultural Awareness: Researching diverse tourism topics exposes students to various cultures, traditions, and perspectives. This global perspective is crucial in an industry where interactions with people from different backgrounds are common.

Problem-Solving Skills

• Analytical Thinking: Research involves analyzing complex issues and developing solutions. This cultivates students’ analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, valuable attributes in any professional setting.

Personal Growth

• Confidence Building: Successfully conducting research and presenting findings builds students’ confidence in their abilities. It empowers them to tackle challenges and approach tasks with a systematic mindset.

In summary, tourism research is a multifaceted learning experience that goes beyond textbooks, providing students with the skills, knowledge, and perspectives needed for a successful and impactful career in the tourism industry or related fields.

100+ Tourism Research Topics: Category Wise

• Impact of Technology on Travel
• Cultural Tourism and Heritage Preservation
• Dark Tourism: Ethics and Motivations
• Community-Based Tourism for Socioeconomic Development
• Wildlife Tourism and Conservation
• Gastronomic Tourism: Culinary Experiences
• Adventure Tourism: Risk and Reward
• Medical Tourism: Trends and Implications
• Religious Tourism and Pilgrimages
• LGBTQ+ Tourism: Diversity in Travel
• Film Tourism: Influence on Destination Choice
• Cruise Tourism: Environmental Impact
• Rural Tourism: Exploring Off-the-Beaten-Path
• Urban Tourism and City Planning
• Educational Tourism: Learning Journeys
• Wellness Tourism: Mind and Body Retreats
• Space Tourism: Future Frontiers
• Luxury Tourism and Experiential Travel
• Sports Tourism: Events and Impact
• Volunteer Tourism: Traveling for a Cause
• Accessible Tourism: Inclusive Travel
• Niche Tourism: Unusual Destinations
• The Psychology of Tourist Behavior
• Destination Marketing and Branding
• Over-tourism: Challenges and Solutions
• Impacts of Climate Change on Tourism
• Cruise Tourism: Cultural Interactions
• Heritage Tourism Management
• Tourism and Globalization
• Impact of Political Instability on Tourism
• COVID-19 and Tourism: Recovery Strategies
• Solo Travel: Trends and Safety Concerns
• E-Tourism: Online Booking Trends
• Responsible Tourism Practices
• Agritourism: Farm and Rural Experiences
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Balancing Conservation and Tourism
• Backpacking Culture: Trends and Challenges
• Tourism Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Social Media Influencers in Tourism
• Geotourism: Exploring Geological Wonders
• Virtual Reality in Tourism Experiences
• Tourism Policy and Regulation
• Sustainable Transportation in Tourism
• Wellness Retreats: Trends and Impacts
• Coastal and Marine Tourism
• Historical Tourism and Interpretation
• Space-Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Tourism
• Cross-Cultural Communication in Tourism
• Slow Tourism: Embracing the Journey
• Geopolitics and Tourism
• Adventure Sports Tourism: Risk Management
• Wellness Tourism: The Spa Industry
• Religious Festivals and Tourism
• Volunteer Tourism: Cultural Exchange
• Impacts of Terrorism on Tourism
• Tourism and Gender Equality
• Dark Sky Tourism: Stargazing Adventures
• Social Justice in Tourism
• Music Tourism: Festivals and Events
• Cruise Tourism: Port Infrastructure
• Urban Regeneration through Tourism
• Wellness Tourism: Mindful Travel
• Cultural Appropriation in Tourism
• Sports Mega-Events and Tourism
• Virtual Tourism: Exploring from Home
• Tourism Education and Training
• Destination Resilience to Crises
• Adventure Tourism: Environmental Stewardship
• Slow Food Movement and Culinary Tourism
• Accessible Tourism: Technology Solutions
• Adventure Tourism: Cultural Immersion
• Experiential Learning in Tourism
• Tourism and Biodiversity Conservation
• Indigenous Tourism: Empowerment and Challenges
• Film-Induced Tourism: Pop Culture Impact
• Ephemeral Tourism Events
• Adventure Tourism: Cultural Sensitivity
• Slum Tourism: Ethical Considerations
• Tourism and Water Conservation
• Space Tourism: Ethical Considerations
• Rural Tourism: Community Engagement
• Wellness Tourism: Mind-Body Connection
• Tourism and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Adventure Tourism: Extreme Sports
• The Role of Festivals in Tourism
• Cultural Tourism and Social Inclusion
• Wellness Tourism: Alternative Therapies
• Tourism and Human Rights
• Heritage Conservation and Tourism
• Adventure Tourism: Risk Perception
• Virtual Reality Museums and Tourism
• Responsible Wildlife Tourism
• Tourism and Disaster Management
• Festivals as Cultural Tourism Attractions
• Adventure Tourism: Psychological Benefits
• Wellness Tourism: Eco-Friendly Retreats
• Tourism and Aging Population
• Culinary Tourism: Fusion Cuisine
• Adventure Tourism: Cross-Cultural Interactions

Challenges and Opportunities in Tourism Research

Data collection and analysis.

While technology has streamlined data collection, challenges persist in ensuring data accuracy and relevance. Researchers are exploring advanced methodologies, such as big data analytics and machine learning, to overcome these hurdles and derive meaningful insights.

Globalization and Tourism

The globalization of the tourism industry poses both challenges and opportunities. Researchers are scrutinizing the impact of global trends on local economies, cultural identities, and the environment. Striking a balance between global and local interests is a complex task that requires careful consideration.

Future Directions in Tourism Research

Emerging tourism destinations.

The landscape of tourist destinations is ever-evolving. Researchers are turning their attention to emerging destinations, investigating the factors that contribute to their rise and the implications for the broader tourism industry. 

This includes understanding the appeal of off-the-beaten-path locations and the potential challenges associated with their sudden popularity.

Post-Pandemic Tourism

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the tourism industry in unprecedented ways. Researchers are exploring the long-term effects of the pandemic on travel behavior, destination preferences, and the overall structure of the tourism sector. 

Strategies for recovery and resilience are also under the microscope as the industry adapts to the new normal.

Resources for Tourism Research Topics

• Academic Journals and Publications: Leading academic journals in tourism research, such as the “Journal of Sustainable Tourism” and the “Annals of Tourism Research,” provide a wealth of knowledge for researchers. These publications cover a wide array of topics, from sustainable practices to cultural tourism.
• Conferences and Events: Attending conferences and events, such as the “International Conference on Tourism Research” and the “World Tourism Forum,” offers researchers the opportunity to engage with peers, present their work, and stay abreast of the latest developments in the field.
• Online Databases and Research Platforms: Online databases, including Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Tourism Management Database , provide access to a vast repository of research articles, theses, and reports. These platforms facilitate collaboration and information exchange among researchers.

In conclusion, the landscape of tourism research topics is vast and dynamic, reflecting the multifaceted nature of the tourism industry. As researchers continue to explore sustainable practices, emerging trends, and the post-pandemic landscape, the importance of their work cannot be overstated. 

By navigating the challenges and embracing the opportunities presented, tourism researchers contribute to a more informed and resilient industry, ensuring that the joy of travel remains accessible for generations to come.

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12 Sustainable Travel Tips for Eco-Conscious Student Tourists

There’s been a growing concern about the detrimental impact of human travel on the environment in recent years. Irresponsible tourism is a significant catalyst to environmental destruction. The destruction of the natural environment is an urgent matter as it directly affects everyone’s well-being. These concerns have brought about the green travel campaign. As a student passionate about travel, you should leave as little carbon pollution as possible wherever you visit. These simple green travel tips should help to conserve the environment while touring your favorite destinations.

Choose Responsible Travel Businesses

Look for tour companies that are environmentally conscious and give up to the local communities. A genuinely ‘green’ business will talk about conserving the environment and show it in their actions. Such an agency will at least have a webpage dedicated to sustainability and will promote eco-tourism initiatives.

Pack or Buy Reusable Items (Shopping Bags, Water Bottle, etc.)

Want to know how much plastic waste you leave behind when traveling? Imagine how much water you drink on a given day and count how many disposable bottles you use. The same goes for other plastic items such as shopping bags, straws, plastic plates, spoons, etc. You can significantly reduce your litter by going for things you can reuse, like woven shopping bags and a BPA-free water bottle.

Go for Train or Bus When Traveling Domestically

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, transportation accounts for nearly a third of all greenhouse gases produced in the environment. Within transportation, flying and driving alone are the highest carbon emissions, with  domestic flying emitting more  carbon than driving. So, use public transport (train or bus) for domestic or short/ moderate cross-border travel.

Stay on Designated Roads and Foot Paths

Responsible tourism is about having as minimum physical interaction with the wild as possible. So, remember to stick to marked roads and footpaths when going out in nature. If you stray away from designated paths, you risk damaging plants and the natural habitat for animals.

Hire Eco-Friendly Cars Instead

If you wish to travel on the road and don’t have an eco-friendly car, consider hiring one. Instead of using a gas-powered car, go for an electric vehicle since these emit significantly less carbon gas. Do the same if you find that you need to hire a car to move around your tourism destination.

Turn Off Electricity Consuming Devices When Not in Use

Save energy as much as possible by turning off the air conditioner, television, and lights when not in use. In any case, you should hire an  essay helper  for your assignments so that you spend more time enjoying your destination instead of staying indoors working on assignments.

Pick Up After Yourself- And Others

Make a habit of picking up trash after yourself. Instead of dropping trash, why not pick it up? You can significantly impact the environment by picking up trash along trails when hiking/backpacking for proper disposal.

Ditch Baths for Short Showers

On average, a full bath takes up more gallons of water than a shower. A shower head uses about 2.5 gallons/minute, while a full bath can  use up to 70 gallons . Make your showers short, i.e., below 10 minutes, to save even more water.

Carry Light

You can play a part in reducing per flight emissions by packing light. The heavier the weight a plane carries, the more fuel it burns and consequently, the higher the carbon emissions. Therefore, don’t carry anything that isn’t essential or that you can cheaply buy where you’re going on your long-haul flights. Pick a good app in advance to avoid carrying heavy books and reading materials.

Inquire About Your Hotel’s Sustainability and Recycling Initiatives

Find out what arrangements your hotel has in place to conserve the environment. How are they conserving water and energy? Do they have a recycling program? If these things aren’t in place or aren’t well implemented, ensure you leave your feedback on how they can improve.

Avoid Takeaways as Much as Possible

Buying’ food to go’ seems logical when you are in a rush. Though convenient, takeaway food and drinks contribute significantly to pollution. You don’t have to be in a rush when on holiday. You can, instead, eat out in a restaurant while enjoying a scenic atmosphere. If you have to take away something like coffee, use a reusable cup.

Contribute to Offsetting Carbon Emissions

Minding the environment as you travel will definitely help fight ecosystem degradation. However, you’ll still contribute to carbon emissions in ways you cannot avoid, like international flying and road travel. So, at the end of each trip, contribute towards causes aimed at offsetting these emissions , such as reafforestation.

Human and animal life depends on the environment to survive. However, the environment depends on human responsibility to thrive. As a traveler, it is your responsibility to leave a minimum carbon footprint in the destinations you visit. Use the above tips to join the green movement and safeguard the environment.

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ESL Activities

ESL Games, Activities, Lesson Plans, Jobs & More

in Icebreakers + Warm-Ups · Listening · Reading · Speaking · Writing

Travel & Holidays ESL Games, Worksheets | ESL Travel Activities

If you need some fresh, new ideas for the ESL travel and holiday unit that you can find in most textbooks, then you’re in the right place. We’ll share our top ideas for games and activities, along with travel vocabulary, worksheets and lesson plans. Let’s get to the best ESL holiday activities.

ESL holiday and travel-themed activities

Let’s get into everything you need to know for an ESL holiday lesson. Keep on reading!

ESL Travel and Holiday Activities

Here are the top ESL travel activities that you may want to try out with your students.

#1: Plan a Trip

Have your students plan a dream vacation in English! Instead of researching in their first language, use Google in English. In order to practice writing, keep notes only in English. Here’s an example of how you might plan your trip using English. You can have your students add as little, or as much detail as you’d like. However, the point of the activity is to practice writing in point form which is useful when writing outlines for tests or essays.

Day 1: Monday, January 1

Fly Seoul (3pm) —-> Vancouver (7am) Check in Hotel ABC, 123 Avenue Rest, relax

Day 2: Tuesday, January 2

Stay Hotel ABC Tour Stanley Park Eat Pub XYZ dinner

Day 3: Wednesday, January 3

Check out Hotel ABC Rent car Budget 123 Drive Whistler Rent skis shop ABC Go Skiing Lunch ski lodge Check in Hotel ABC Whistler Bed early

Procedure for one of my favourite ESL travel activities:

• Give students time to do some Internet research about a place they want to go. It’s helpful to specify the number of days. I generally make a rule that they must do this research in English. Suggest some helpful websites where they might like to start (Trip Advisor, Air BnB, etc.).
• Students can make a day-by-day itinerary of what they’re trip is going to look like.
• They can share about their trip with the class or turn it in for a graded assignment.

• Amazon Kindle Edition
• Bolen, Jackie (Author)
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• 78 Pages - 03/22/2021 (Publication Date)

#2: A-Z Alphabet Game

If you know that your students already know a fair bit about holiday and travel, you may want to try this quick warm-up game. Or, you could consider using it as a review game at the end of a class.

The way it works is that students, in pairs or small groups write down the alphabet on a piece of paper. Then, they have to think of one travel related word for each letter. It doesn’t have to be done in order. For example:

P: Passport

The winner is the team with the most completed letters at the end of the allotted time. Do you want to find out more? Check this out: A-Z Alphabet Game ESL .

#3: Travel Word Association

This is nice ESL activity to do if you know that your students have studied about travel and holidays before. They can shout out vocabulary words related to this and you can make a mind map or sorts on the board. Group similar things together. For example, articles of clothing.

Find out more about this quick ESL warmer right here: ESL Vocabulary Word Association.

• 146 Pages - 06/18/2020 (Publication Date)

#4: Postcards ESOL Travel Activity

If you can get your hands on some cheap postcards or have some laying around your house or teacher’s office, try out this fun writing activity. It may just be the novelty factor, but students seem to love it. This activity is ideal for working on common greetings, the past tense (more ideas here: ESL past tense games ), and using descriptive words, as well as using synonyms to avoid repetition.

Distribute the postcards to the students. You can do one per student, or put the students into pairs. They have to look at the picture on the front of the postcard and imagine that they went on this vacation. Then, they can write about their trip to a friend or family member.

Next, the students trade postcards with another student or group. After reading them, they can write a response back of at least a few sentences. Finally, you may want to display them around the class as they’re colourful and fun and other students may enjoy reading them! Have some fun with this ESOL travel activity.

• Give each student or pair a postcard. They look at the picture and imagine what they did on that vacation, and then pretend that they’re writing to a friend or family member.
•  Exchange postcards and another student or group have to write a response to what they read.
• Display the postcards around your classroom (optional).

#5: Travel or Holiday Videos

I’m ALL about using videos with my ESL/EFL students. They’re fun, engaging and a nice way to grab student’s attention and introduce a topic. Of course, you can base an entire class around one too if you design the activities well.

If you want to find out more about using them in your classes and some activities and games to do with them, you’ll want to check this out: Using Videos for Teaching English .

#6: Dictogloss ESOL Travel Activity

This is a challenging activity that works on listening and writing skills. Find a short story related to holiday or travel. It could even be a description of your own vacation that you took recently.

Then, you read out the story to your students in a way that is a bit challenging for them to catch every word. Students have to take notes and then try to reconstruct what they heard based on their notes in small groups. You can read it again so that students have a chance to make some additions or corrections. Finally, students compare their version with the original.

Do you want to try it out with your students? You can learn more about one of the best ESL travel activities here: ESL Dictogloss Activity .

#7: Holidays ESL Lesson Plan

It’s easy to plan an ESL lesson about any topic, including holidays. Check out this video for the steps to follow:

#8: Yes/No Questions and Answers

If you think about it, holidays and travel lend themselves to a ton of yes/no questions. For example:

• Did you fly or drive?
• Did you eat some delicious things?
• Was the food good?
• Did you have nice weather?

If you want to see some activities or games to work on these kinds of questions, you’ll want to check this out: Yes/No Activities and Games.

• 279 Pages - 07/12/2020 (Publication Date)

#9: ESL Food Activities and Games

I’m not sure if it’s the same for you, but when I travel, it’s ALL about the food. I want to try all the delicious things where I’m staying! The good news is that I have a ton of fun, interactive games and activities for food. You can easily adapt most of them to focus on holidays.

You can find out more details here: ESL Food Activities.

#10: ESL Surveys

I love to use surveys in my classes because they lend themselves to just about any topic. In the case of travel, they’re ideal for working on the present perfect and simple past together.

For example:

Have you ever travelled to another country?

Where did you go?

If you want to know more about how to design and use surveys in your classes for an ESL travel lesson, then you’ll want to check this out: Surveys for ESL Students.

ESL Travel Games and Activities

I also love to use ESL surveys to get students to express an opinion in English.

#11: Present Perfect Activities Related to Travel

The present perfect is often used to talk about vacations, travel and holidays. For example:

• Have you ever been to another country?
• Have you travelled to ______ before?

In order to incorporate this grammatical construction into some of your lesson, you’ll want to check this out: Present Perfect ESL Activities.

#12: Brochure Scanning

This is an excellent travel activity! You’ll have to get your hands on some travel brochures first. The way it works is that students get tons of practice with a reading sub-skill (scanning) because they have to look quickly through the brochures to find specific bits of information. For example, cost or number or days.

Do you want to try out this reading activity? You can find out all the details here: Brochure Scanning Reading Activity for ESL .

#13: Odd One Out ESL Warmer

This is a quick English warm-up activity that you can try out with your students. The way it works is that you write words, in groups of 4 on the board. 3 are similar and 1 is the odd one out. Students have to choose this one and say why it doesn’t fit. For example:

Bathing suit, sunglasses, boots, flip-flops

Answers: Boots because it’s not for a beach vacation. I accept many different answers as long as students support it well.

You can learn more about this ESL warm-up here: Odd One Out for ESL .

• 87 Pages - 10/24/2019 (Publication Date)

#14: Would you Rather? 

I’m sure you’ve done this before with friends. You have to choose between two negative things, or two positive things. For example, how you want to die, or what you want to eat. In this case, students could choose between two types of vacation. For example:

Would you rather have a beach or forest vacation?

Would you rather stay in a big hotel, or an AirBNB?

Learn more about this nice activity for an ESL travel lesson here: ESL Would You Rather?

• 81 Pages - 06/22/2021 (Publication Date)

#15: Task Based Activity: Dream Vacation

I love to incorporate this style of teaching into my holiday lessons. It allows students more freedom to choose what they want to learn about and also builds opportunities for some serious teamwork.

In this case, I’ll have students work in groups of 2-3 to plan a dream vacation. They can do some research to find out all the details including how to get there, food, budget, where to stay, etc. Then, they either have to write a report and hand it in to me and/or do a short presentation to the class.

Need some more ideas for this style of a lesson? Check this out: Task-Based Learning .

#16: Travel Themed Charades

I love to play charades with my students. The way it works is that you can think of some travel-related phrases. For example:

• Flying on a plane
• Sleeping on a bus
• Eating noodles
• Buying souvenirs

Then, students have to act this out and their teammates have to guess what the phrase is. More details here: ESL Charades.

#17: Travel Journal

Encourage students to keep a travel journal for a fictional trip. They can describe their experiences, sights, and sounds, using new vocabulary.

Travel and Holidays ESL

#18: Eliciting in an ESL Travel Lesson

Unless your students are absolute beginners, then it’s likely that they already know a good amount of travel and holiday vocabulary. That’s often why I like to start off my ESL traveling lesson by using some eliciting techniques. There are two main reasons for this.

The first reason is that it’s possible to find out what the students already know about this topic to avoid wasting class time covering these things. The second is that it helps students activate their prior knowledge about travel/holidays to make the new things they learn more memorable. Learn how to do this tactic for an ESL holiday lesson here:

ESL Eliciting Advice .

#19: Travel Listening Lesson

A nice way to talk about any topic is through a listening lesson. In this case, find a conversation between two people talking about an upcoming vacation plan. Or, someone talking about a favourite vacation from the past (it could even be you). Then, design an entire listening lesson around that. Find out how here:

#20: Idiom ESL Traveling Activity

There are lots of idioms related to holidays, travel and transportation. Here are just a few of them:

• All hands on deck
• To send flying
• Bump in the road
• Off the rails
• Train wreck
• Asleep at the wheel
• Fall off the wagon
• Hit the road

One of the best ways to make these idioms super memorable is to do this fun activity. Afterwards, your students will never forget! Learn more about this ESL activity:

Idiom Activity for Language Learners .

#21: Concentration ESL Traveling Vocabulary

One of the best ways to review new words during an ESL holiday or travel lesson is to play this memory game. Depending on the level of the students, make some matching pairs of cards with the following:

• Word/picture
• Word/definition
• Word/clue about the word

Then in small groups, students play the game to find the matches. Find out all the details about how to set it up and play:

ESL Concentration Game .

#22: Speaking Fluency Activity

To use this activity with a unit on holidays or travel, have students talk about a past, or upcoming vacation.

#23: Me Too!

Students have to make a true statement about themselves related to holidays and travelling. For example:

• I’ve been to Japan.
• I hate the beach.
• My family goes on a big vacation every summer.

If other students can agree, they stand up and say, “Me too!”

#24: Labour Day Guessing Game

#25: Holiday Interviews

Pair students and have them interview each other about their favorite holidays. They can then present their partner’s holiday to the class.

#26: Travel Bingo

Create bingo cards with images or words related to travel and holidays. Students mark off the squares as they learn new vocabulary.

#27: Travel-Themed Role-Plays

Set up role-plays where students act as travelers, airport staff, or hotel receptionists. This helps them practice common travel dialogues.

#28: Travel Vocabulary Pictionary

Play Pictionary using travel-related words. Students take turns drawing and guessing the vocabulary words.

#29: Travel Storytelling

Ask students to create and share short stories about a memorable travel experience they’ve had or wish to have in the future.

#30: Travel Debate

Have students debate the pros and cons of traveling. This encourages critical thinking and speaking skills.

Travel and Holiday Vocabulary

Here are some of the most common vocabulary words that you may want to teach your students related to traveling for an ESL holiday lesson.

• bathing suit
• boarding pass
• vaccination
• The months of the year in English

Do you have any ESL travelling vocabulary that you’d like us to add to the list? Leave a comment and let us know!

Travel Worksheets and Lesson Plans for ESL

If you’re looking for some worksheets or lesson plans related to holidays and travel, then you’ll want to check out some of our top resource recommendations:

ESOL Courses

ISL Collective

Lingua House

ESL Travel Vocabulary Worksheets

If you want students to get some practice with ESL travel vocab, here are a few recommendations:

English Club

Did you Like these Travel Games for ESL?

• 68 Pages - 11/12/2019 (Publication Date)

Yes? Thought so. Then you’re going to love this book: The Emergency English Teacher: No-Textbook, No-Prep, No-Materials ESL Activities.

If you’re always in need of last-minute activities and games for your classes, then this book is exactly what you might need. It’s English teaching made easy in a serious way.

You can get the book in digital or print formats. Take the e-version with you to your favourite coffee shop for lesson planning on the go. Or, keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide. But the best idea is to have it with you at all times for those English teaching emergencies.

Do you want to find out more? Head on over to Amazon to pick up your copy today:

FAQs about ESL Travel Lessons

There are a number of common questions that people have about teaching this unit. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

What is the purpose of teaching the travel and holiday unit to English learners?

The purpose is to help English learners develop vocabulary, grammar, and conversational skills related to travel and holidays.

What topics can be covered within the travel and holiday unit?

Topics can include modes of transportation, booking accommodations, tourist attractions, holiday activities, travel phrases, and cultural aspects of different destinations.

How can I introduce vocabulary related to travel and holidays?

You can introduce vocabulary through visual aids, realia (actual objects), flashcards, and interactive activities such as matching games or vocabulary quizzes.

What grammar structures can be taught in the travel and holiday unit?

Grammar structures such as present simple for schedules and timetables, past simple for recounting travel experiences, future tenses for making travel plans, and modal verbs for expressing preferences or asking for permission can be taught.

What speaking activities can be used to practice travel and holiday-related topics?

Role-plays, group discussions about dream destinations, travel itineraries, or describing holiday experiences are effective speaking activities. Additionally, pair work activities like “Find Someone Who” or “Guess the Destination” can engage learners in conversation.

ESL Travel Activities and Games: Join the Conversation

What are your thoughts about these Holiday ESL activities? Do you have another one that you’d like to recommend to us? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

Also be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other busy English teachers, like yourself find this useful resource for ESOL travel lessons.

ESL Travel Lesson

Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 15 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 60 books for English teachers and English learners, including Business English Vocabulary Builder and 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities for Teenagers and Adults . She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at: YouTube Facebook Pinterest TikTok LinkedIn Instagram

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Best-selling author and English teacher Jackie Bolen has been talking ESL activities and games since 2015. The goal is to bring you the best ideas, lesson plans, and activity recommendations for your TEFL classes.

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6 Beautiful Travel Brochure Examples for Students

If you compare the first brochure ever made to the brochures of today, the differences may surprise you. The earliest brochures were black and white with no photos. The purpose was purely informational. Today, visual elements and overall design play a much bigger role, especially when you’re creating a brochure as part of an educational goal.

In this blog post, we’ll give you travel brochure examples for students. Keep reading to empower yourself to create something others can use as inspiration when exploring new destinations. 

Before You Start: 3 Elements Your Brochure Needs

Planning is an important first step for travel and the same is true for creating brochures. Here’s a look at what every good brochure needs.

1. Research the Destination

It’s important to do your homework before you travel. There are many ways to do this, and what you choose will depend on how close you are to the destination and what you may already know about it.

If you’re close enough to the destination to visit yourself, take the time to travel there. This will give you firsthand experience and insight that can add a unique perspective to your brochure design.

When traveling to the destination doesn’t make sense, start your research online instead. You can use official government websites, tourism blogs, or even social media to get a sense of what’s special about the location.

Ask Family and Friends

You can also get tips from people who live in or have traveled to the destination. Understanding what the must-see or must-do attractions are will give you the right information to include on brochure panels.

2. Get Images

Next, you’ll need images for your design. There are two options you can choose from to get the best possible results.

Pick Up Your Camera

If you’re able to visit the destination yourself, brush up on photography tips before you go, so you can take your own pictures .

This way, your brochure will be differentiated from any others and grab people’s attention.

Purchase Stock Images

Don’t have access to images of your own? Buy images from a stock image site to use in your project. Just make sure you understand the license terms and limitations before you decide to use an image.

3. Select a Template

At this point, you’ll have everything you need to start putting your brochure together. Choosing a brochure template is the best way to ensure you can create a visually appealing asset, even if you don’t have any design experience.

Look for something that’s easy to add your information to and edit with an online design . In just a few clicks with an online editor , you can put a brochure together that you can print and share to show what you learned.

Not sure where to start with your brochure design? You don’t have to come up with something or struggle to put it together on your own.

Instead, use these ideas to help you get the ball rolling on your own creation. 

1. Handmade Brochure

Handmade brochures are nice for projects you want to feel extra special. Start with a simple, blank page with multiple sections.

Then you can write or draw on the details you want to include to give the final product a personal touch.

2. Digital Brochure

Digital brochures are handy for showcasing your work because they’re easy to update and share on social media.

You can customize them with interactive links, videos, and other multimedia content that would be difficult (or impossible) to include in a print brochure.

3. City Brochures

Describe why people would want to visit a city and what they can do there. You might include some historical facts about the area, as well as some interesting places or activities you think tourists might enjoy experiencing.

This may include talking about areas such as shopping districts, dining options , recreation areas, and more, depending on what kinds of things are available throughout the different seasons.

4. State Brochures

Use state brochures to promote tourism in a state , and teach others about its culture and history . If you’re creating a brochure about your own state, it can also help you learn more about where you’re from.

You’ll want to think about what makes a particular area truly special, and list any key facts visitors should know about—like the climate they should pack for.

5. Country Brochures

What would you say about a country if you had to sum it up in just a few words? The answer to that question will help you come up with the concept for a country brochure.

There’s only room for the highlights here, so be selective about the points and the imagery you choose to include.

6. Landmark Brochures

Landmarks may be easy to identify but we often don’t know much more about them. They’re just an icon we can picture in our minds.

Use a brochure as an opportunity to expand someone’s knowledge and turn the landmark into not just a sight worth seeing, but a destination to travel to.

Now, it’s your turn to create your own brochure design. Use these travel brochure examples for students to create an asset that will help you learn about different cultures and places in our world.

License this cover image via Ardea-studio .

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Plan A Tour

Tags: future (going to) , intermediate , kids , places in the city , sequence adverbs , travel

In the Plan A Tour ESL project students create an itinerary for a visit to a city.

Choose the city where students will plan a tour, ideally in an English-speaking country. Students will work in groups of two or three, and each group will need a tourist map and some information about sights in the city (unless they have Internet access, or are already familiar with the city).

Divide the class into groups of two or three students.

• The groups act as different tour companies, which will each plan a different tour around the chosen city (and surrounding area). You may want to specify the length of the tour; a weekend or a few days usually works well.
• The students research the tourist sights in the area and choose their favourites. They then create an itinerary which includes visits to these sights, the time spent at each one, and transport between them. They should also include information about each place (e.g. cost), meal options and what to bring on the tour.
• If computers and a projector are available, students could create a presentation complete with pictures for each place/activity. If teaching in an English-speaking country, you could even do an excursion where they can research sights and take photos/videos for their presentation.
• Each group presents their completed tour to the class, using the target language. All members of the group should speak.
• At the end, students vote on which tour they would like to go on the most.

Target Language

The Plan A Tour ESL project requires students to speak with a reasonable degree of fluency across a variety of simple language topics. As such it is most suitable for intermediate students.

Aside from being a great fit with travel , you can also use this project to practise places in the city (fountain, square, museum, statue etc.), sequence adverbs  for the order of activities, and/or the future with going to to describe the plans themselves. Make sure you highlight which language you wish the students to focus on beforehand.

If you’re looking for a similar activity which lends itself more to practising directions , try City Walking Tour . In this exercise the tour is self-guided, so students have to give clear instructions on how to get from one place to another.

Got a picture or video of this activity in action? How about snapping one next time you use it? We'd love to showcase your submissions- find out more here .

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Warmer of the day.

Tags: advanced , city , emotions and feelings , intermediate , kids , role play , warmer

In the Improv Class ESL activity, students improvise role plays from content prompts.

Vocabulary Image Generator

Common tags, follow eslactive.

Ideas for tourism that get us closer to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

UN sustainable development goals

A service helping visually impaired travellers with “extra eyes”

Pay your bus ticket with plastic cups or bottles

Bikes to drive sustainability and inclusion

A commitment campaigning for better and more responsible visitor behaviour

An online community of activists making women’s voices count

Current Tourism research projects

Tourism at otago is a highly research-active department.

Our staff are committed to a range of relevant, on-going research projects. These include climate change and aviation, well-being and migration, environmental management, cultural tourism development, Aboriginal culture tourism in Australia, and the social practices and governance of leisure and events.

Current research projects within the Department of Tourism are listed below, categorised by surname in alphabetic order:

Julia Albrecht’s current research projects

Sustainability in destination management.

This ongoing collaboration encompasses a range of projects that seek to identify factors and processes relevant to integrating sustainability in destination management. Several works take a comparative approach, looking at destinations in Austria and New Zealand.

Research collaborator

Dr Marco Haid (UMIT Tirol, Austria)

Involving children in destination planning and management

Although children are increasingly acknowledged as legitimate stakeholders in tourism destinations, representation of their interests has not yet been formalised in destination planning and management processes. This research project identifies and empirically assesses existing approaches to children’s involvement in destination planning and management, as well as the nature of destination concerns where children are seen as stakeholders.

Eliza Raymond (Victoria University of Wellington; Centre for GOOD Travel)

Technology in tourism visitor experiences

This project explores and assesses current uses of technology in tourism products and experiences among tourism businesses in Otago and Southland. A key research aim is to obtain an understanding of the assumptions and attitudes behind the selection and use of technology in nature-based and cultural visitor experiences.

Dr Stu Hayes (Department of Tourism)

Anna Carr's current research projects

Good nature, bad nature.

Good Nature, Bad Nature is a Marsden-funded research project exploring the current and future management of invasive species, and peoples' values associated with contentious species.

This study will help us understand how attitudes to invasive species are formed, and consequently how to generate support for their current and future management.

Research collaborators

• Professor Brent Lovelock, University of Otago
• Claire Dowsett and Matthias Spall, PhD students
• Anna Clark, Research Assistant

Environmental management of tourism

This research focuses on ecotourism, ecopreneurship and sustainable SMTEs. From 1999 to 2002 Anna worked alongside Professor James Higham on a nationwide FRST funded project investigating Ecotourism in New Zealand: profiling visitors to New Zealand ecotourism operations. In 2005 Anna had an Otago Research Grant to study Māori owned nature tourism businesses. Recreation

Anna's interests here surround wilderness recreation planning and the history of alpine and polar region recreation. From 2009-2010 she has undertaken numerous externally funded projects in this area. Anna received SPARC (SportNZ) funding for a project on 'Family preferences, experiences and benefits associated with outdoor in Aotearoa' (Project Leader: Anna Thompson) and was co-investigator on two other projects 'Immigrants and the Outdoors' (Project Leader: Brent Lovelock) and 'Enduring Participation in Outdoor Recreation' (Project Leader: Brent Lovelock). Other notable research included visitor studies commissioned by the Department of Conservation in the Hakatere, Ahuriri and Ruataniwha Conservation Parks.

Cultural landscapes and cultural tourism development

Anna's PhD (1998-2004) examined the management of visitors' experiences of cultural landscapes in New Zealand. As a result she was an invited director of Te Ana Whakairo (Māori Rock Art Centre Trust) from 2007-2011. She continues to study how cultural identity influences tourism development and land management through cultural values for landscapes, visitor demand for cultural tourism, cultural tourism entrepreneurship and cross cultural visitor interpretation. Recently, she collaborated on a book chapter exploring cultural dissonance and indigenous peoples with Canadian researchers.

In 2012–2013 she was awarded an Otago Research Grant as Principal investigator with Diane Ruwhiu (Management). The ORG will explore Māori business networks.

Stu Hayes' current research projects

Measuring the economic value of the te manahuna mackenzie basin hydro canal fishery.

This study is funded by Fish & Game New Zealand, the statutory managers of New Zealand’s freshwater sport fish. The study will gather key information about the expenditure of anglers fishing on the hydro-electric canals in Te Manahuna Mackenzie Basin, one of the most popular trout and salmon fisheries in New Zealand. Fish & Game New Zealand are interested in evaluating the overall economic impact of the canals fishery to the local community. The data will assist Fish & Game New Zealand in their planning and management of this fishery.

• Professor Brent Lovelock – Department of Tourism, University of Otago
• Dr Viktoria Kahui and Joel Hjelte – Department of Economics, University of Otago

Inclusive leisure for the LGBTTQIA2S+ community in Aotearoa New Zealand

We know that the LGBTTQIA2S+ community around the world faces barriers to access, participation, and inclusion across the spectrum of leisure. Our study focusses on LGBTTQIA2S+ issues in relation to leisure participation from the communities' perspectives. One outcome of this study will be to produce a resource that will be made available to leisure providers globally (i.e., booklet of ‘best practice’ case studies, tips for improving inclusive practices etc.).

• Dr Willem Coetzee – University of Western Sydney, Australia
• Hannah McKeeman – University of Otago

Use of technology in nature-based and cultural tourism visitor experiences and related product development

Technology offers a multitude of ways in which tourism products and experiences can be delivered differently. These range from fundamental changes that lead to completely different sets of products and experiences (such as Virtual and Augmented Reality) to comparatively minor adaptations (such as traditional products and experiences delivered online; traditional products and experiences with an added technical tool or component, for example use of an iPad to show a video pertaining to a site or attraction). It is not currently known how and to what extent tourism businesses in New Zealand make use of technological advances to improve or augment the products and experiences they offer. In a similar vein, we know little to nothing about their attitudes towards the relevant technologies that inform their related decision making (or the lack thereof). Our research seeks to explore and assess current uses of technology in tourism products and experiences among tourism businesses representatives in Otago and Southland.

• Associate Professor Julia Albrecht – University of Otago
• Dr Naji Gharibi – Victoria University of Wellington
• Professor Brent Lovelock – University of Otago
• Associate Professor Anna Carr – University of Otago
• Claire Dowsett, Matthias Spall, and Eru Metcalf – University of Otago

Understanding how purposeful interventions in tourism education shape students' global citizenship

In light of ongoing socio-ecological issues associated with tourism, there have been growing calls for tourism educators to develop curricula aimed at enhancing students' sense of what might best be termed 'tourism global citizenship', and in which values-based intended learning outcomes (ILOs) focusing on stewardship, ethics and mutuality are foregrounded. The purpose of this teaching-related research is to understand how, and the extent to which, if at all, planned interventions in tourism curricula influence students' global citizenship, with a particular focus on stewardship, ethics and mutuality. This research is being conducted in conjunction with the Degrees of Change collaborative project.

• Professor Hazel Tucker – University of Otago
• Professor John Tribe and Associate Professor Brendan Paddison – York St John University, UK

Weaving Indigenous content into tourism curricula in Aotearoa New Zealand

In Aoteraoa New Zealand, where Indigenous culture is part of the fabric of society, tourism professionals are increasingly being called on to embed Māori values and ways of thinking in decision-making. Tourism students represent the crucial link between academia and the tourism industry. Subsequently, tourism curricula have an important role to play in enabling students to incorporate these values and knowledge into future tourism decision-making. This research asks, 'What best practice approaches inform effective engagement with mana whenua and Māori tourism professionals to ensure the integrity of Indigenous content in the curriculum?'

• Sequoia Short – University of Otago

Honorary James Higham's current research projects

Climate change and aviation.

This research programme was initiated in 2009 by a research project titled 'climate change and long-haul aviation to Aotearoa/New Zealand' (with Dr. Scott Cohen, University of Surrey).  
This project examined climate change perceptions and attitudes towards long-haul aviation in three European travel markets; Norway, the United Kingdom and Germany. This programme of research has diversified into various collaborative projects that address air travel consumer behavior, behavioural and psychological approaches to understanding contemporary leisure/tourist mobility, and the 'flyers' dilemma'.

• Dr Scott Cohen (University of Surrey)
• Professor Stefan Gössling (Freiburg Institute of Advanced Studies)
• Associate Professor Paul Peeters (NHTV Breda)
• Dr Christina Cavaliere (Stockton University)
• Dr Arianne Reis (Southern Cross University)
• Dr Martin Young (Southern Cross University)
• Wiebke Finkler (University of Otago)

Selected publications

• Peeters, P., Higham, J.E.S., Kutzner, D., Cohen, S. & Gössling, S. (2016). Are technology myths stalling aviation climate policy? Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 44:30-42.
• Higham, J.E.S., Cohen, S.A., Cavaliere, C.T., Reis, A.C. & Finkler, W. (2016). Climate change, tourist air travel and radical emissions reduction. Journal of Cleaner Production, 111:336-347. Special Issue on Sustainable Tourism
• Young, M., Markham, F., Reis, A. & Higham, J.E.S. (2015). 'Flights of fantasy': A theoretical reformulation of the 'flyers' dilemma'. Annals of Tourism Research 54: 1–15.
• Higham, J.E.S., Reis, A.C. & Cohen, S.A. (2015). Australian climate concern and the 'attitude-behaviour gap'. Current Issues in Tourism. 19(4): 338-354.
• Young, M., Higham, J.E.S. & Reis, A. (2014). Up in the Air: A conceptual critique of flying addiction. Annals of Tourism Research. 41:51-64.
• Higham, J.E.S., Cohen, S.A., & Cavaliere, C.T. (2014). Climate change, discretionary air travel and the 'flyers' dilemma'. Journal of Travel Research. 53(4): 462-475.
• Cohen, S.A., Higham, J.E.S. & Cavaliere, C.T. (2011). Binge flying: Behavioural addiction and climate change. Annals of Tourism Research 38(3): 1070-1089.
• Higham, J.E.S. & Cohen, S.A. (2011). Canary in the coalmine: Norwegian attitudes towards climate change and extreme long-haul air travel to Aotearoa/New Zealand. Tourism Management 32(1): 98-105.
• Higham, J.E.S. & Shelton, E. (2011). Tourism and wildlife habituation: Reduced population fitness or cessation of impact? Tourism Management 32(4):1290-1298.
• Cohen, S.A. & Higham, J.E.S. (2011). Eyes wide shut? UK Consumer perceptions on aviation climate impacts and travel decisions to New Zealand. Current Issues in Tourism 14(4):323-335.

Low Carbon Mobility Transitions

Initiated in 2013 this project addresses low carbon mobility transitions in tourism and transportation. A focus of this work has fallen upon climate change, aviation and academic/lifestyle mobilities. The research contends that little attention has been paid to the professional mobilities of members of the academic community, specifically in New Zealand. It aims to explore how institutional norms, policies and procedures as well as individual preferences and behaviours can impact upon and influence everyday mobility practices.

• Dr Debbie Hopkins (University of Oxford, UK)
• Dr Caroline Orchiston (Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago)
• Dr Tara Duncan (Dalarna University, Sweden)
• Dr Scott Cohen (University of Surrey, UK)
• Hopkins, D. & Higham, J.E.S. (Eds) (2016). Low carbon mobility transitions. Goodfellow Publishers: Oxford. ISBN: 978-1-910158-64-7 hbk; 978-1-910158-65-4 eBook.
• Hopkins, D., Higham, J.E.S., Tapp, S. & Duncan, T. (2016). Academic travel in the Anthropocene: A comparative study of university policy at three New Zealand institutions. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 24(3): 376-397.

The social, political and economic risks of climate change to New Zealand

The University of Otago funded project explores the social, political and economic opportunities and risks to New Zealand arising from climate change. The multidisciplinary project deploys the 2014 5th IPCC Assessment to provide the context for a number of scenarios of climate change to the year 2100. It addresses expert insights into the impacts and implications of global climate scenarios for New Zealand's economic, social and political life. Objectives include assessment of the relative valence of impacts (the “mega-drivers”) and the strength of the interaction effects between them.

• Professor Colin Campbell-Hunt (Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago)
• Dr Ben Wooliscroft (Department of Marketing, University of Otago)
• Dr Lynette Carter (Te Tumu, University of Otago)
• Dr Daniel Kingston (Department of Geography, University of Otago)
• Dr Sara Walton (Department of Management, University of Otago)
• Professor Ivan Diaz-Rainey (Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Otago)
• Dr Chris Rosin (formerly Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago).
• Hopkins, D., Campbell-Hunt, C., Carter, L., Higham, J.E.S. & Rosin, C. (2016). Climate Change and Aotearoa/New Zealand: A Review. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 6(6), 559-583.
• Hopkins, D., Higham, J.E.S., & Becken, S. (2012) Climate change in a regional context: relative vulnerability in the Australasian skier market, Regional Environmental Change 13(2): 449-458. IF: 1.945.

Sustainable tourism and resilience

This programme of research addresses the spatio-temporal aspects of sustainable tourism and the increasing relevance of resilience planning in tourism systems.

• Dr Stephen Espiner (Lincoln University, New Zealand)
• Dr Sam Spector (Queenstown Resort College, New Zealand)
• Dr Adam Doering ( Wakayama University, Japan)
• Spector, S., Higham, J.E.S. & Doering, A. (2017). Beyond the biosphere: Tourism, outer space, and sustainability. Tourism Recreation Research, 42(3): 273-283.
• Espiner, S., Orchiston, C. & Higham, J.E.S. (2017). Resilience and sustainability: a complementary relationship? Towards a practical conceptual model for the sustainability resilience nexus in tourism.
• Journal of Sustainable Tourism http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2017.1281929 .
• Bramwell, B., Higham, J.E.S., Lane, B. & Miller, G. (2017). Twenty-five years of sustainable tourism: Looking back and moving forward. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 25(1) http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2017.1251689 .
• Bramwell, B., Higham, J.E.S., Lane, B. & Miller, G. (2016). Advocacy or neutrality? Disseminating research findings, and driving change toward sustainable tourism, in a fast changing world. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 24(1): 1-8

Sustainable marine tourism and cetaceans

This multidisciplinary programme brings together research in the social and natural sciences to address complex issues of sustainability relating to human interactions with cetaceans. Key collaborators in this field include Prof. Lars Bejder (Murdoch University), Dr. Rob Williams (University of St. Andrews) and Associate Professor Katja Neves (Concordia University).

• Professor Lars Bejder (Murdoch University, Australia)
• Dr David Lusseau (University of Aberdeen, UK)
• Dr Rob Williams (University of St. Andrews, UK)
• Associate Professor Katja Neves (Concordia University, Canada)
• Higham, J.E.S., Bejder, L. & Williams, R. (Eds). (2014). Whale-watching, sustainable tourism and ecological management. Cambridge University Press. 418pp. ISBN: 978-0-521-19597-3.
• Higham, J.E.S., Bejder, L., Allen, S., Corkeron, P. & Lusseau, D. (2015). Managing whale-watching as a non-lethal consumptive activity. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 24(1): 73-90.
• Heenehan, H., Basurto, X., Bejder, L. Tyne, J., Higham, J.E.S. & Johnston, D.W. (2015). Using Ostrom's common pool resource theory to build towards an integrated ecosystem based sustainable cetacean tourism system in Hawai`i. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 23(4): 536-556.

Prospects for managing tourism development in protected areas in a period of transition (PROTOUR)

This research project, funded by the Norway Research Council (2012-2014), is a comparative analysis of protected area policy relating to tourism and recreation in New Zealand and Norway. The research includes a policy analysis exploring New Zealand conservation policy as it relates to tourism and recreation and a comparative analysis of visitor management planning in New Zealand and Norway.

• Dr Jan Vidar Haukeland (University of Life Sciences, Norway)
• Dr Odd Inge Haukeland (NINA, Norway)
• Professor Kreg Lindberg (Oregan State University, USA)
• Higham, J.E.S., Haukeland, J.V., Hopkins, D., Vistad, O.I., Lindberg, K. & Daugstad, K. (2016). National Parks policy and planning: A comparative analysis of friluftsliv (Norway) and the dual mandate (New Zealand). Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events 8(2):146-175.

Brent Lovelock's current research projects

• Associate Professor Anna Carr (University of Otago)

New Zealanders travelling abroad for medical services: Motivations, destination choice, behaviours and post-trip outcomes

This study focuses on the experiences of individual medical tourists. It investigates the motivations, destination choices, behaviours and experiences of medical tourists, using in-depth semi-structured interviews with a nationally recruited sample of returned medical tourists in New Zealand. The analysis addresses the extent to which medical tourism fits accepted models of tourist motivation, destination choice and behaviour. This research will offer useful insights into the process and experience of medical tourism and could ultimately assist with developing patient/traveller-focussed decision-making aids. The study will also be of value to policy makers and programme planners, dealing with new patterns of healthcare procurement.

• Dr Kirsten Lovelock (Dept Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago)

Exploring the nature of the medical tourism industry, India

This study is funded by a New Zealand India Research Institute grant. Utilising a case study approach based on medical tourism provision in Delhi, this pilot project explores: the nature of the medical tourism industry, and its relationship with local health service delivery, along with the connection between health care providers and the tourism industry. We document medical tourist experiences, the experiences of the health care work force and perceptions of health care stakeholders in this locale. This locality based study provides the springboard for a collaborative longitudinal multi-sited research programme which will address the implications of medical tourism for health care in India, and for health care and tourism systems more generally.

• Dr Kirsten Lovelock, (Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago)
• Associate Professor Santosh Kumar (Institute of Health Management, Jaipur, India)
• Associate Professor Monika Prakash (Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel , Gwalior, India)

Understanding Commitment and Enduring Involvement in Outdoor Recreation in New Zealand

This study provides an analysis of commitment and enduring involvement in nature-based outdoor recreation in New Zealand. It assesses the levels of commitment and enduring involvement as well as measuring the importance of a range of personal, social and environmental influences upon commitment and enduring involvement. It is one of the first comprehensive studies of ongoing commitment/involvement in outdoor recreation in New Zealand, it also is one of the first studies to expand on our understanding of the Sport Commitment Model outside of the competitive, and youth, sporting arena and into a nature-based recreational setting. Four key outdoor recreation activities are examined; hunting, fishing, mountaineering and tramping. Funded by Sport New Zealand research grant.

• Dr Anna Thompson (Department of Tourism, University of Otago)
• Dr Carla Jellum

Destination Competitiveness for Hunting Tourism

An ongoing project, this study considers the factors that impact upon the competitiveness of destinations for tourism that involves hunting (big game) and shooting. Dr Lovelock has undertaken work in a number of destinations (Scotland, Poland, New Zealand) and will be shortly conducting fieldwork in Botswana and Tanzania that addresses the institutional, legislative, social, economic, political and environmental factors that impact upon the activities of hunting tourism operators and upon destination level competitiveness for this niche tourism activity.

Susan Mackenzie's current research projects

Regenerative tourism and community well-being in aotearoa new zealand.

This research project investigates how destination managers and policy makers across Aotearoa develop regenerative destination management plans, and how community wellbeing is operationalised, measured and monitored these plans. As there is currently little agreement or definitive guidance on how to develop, manage, and/or monitor regenerative destination, or how to monitor of community wellbeing in tourism destinations, this research will inform policy and practice for government and tourism agencies.

Flow in adventure sport, tourism and recreation contexts

This ongoing line of research seeks to understand the antecedents, characteristics, and consequences of optimal psychological states such as 'flow' experiences (also known as 'the zone') across a range of adventure contexts for participants, competitors, and adventure guides.

Exploring links between psychological well-being and nature-based adventure

This ongoing line of research seeks to understand how nature-based adventure is linked to psychological well-being. This research has various streams as it spans nature-based adventure in recreation, sport, education and tourism contexts. Some recent applications of this work have included investigations of: adventure guide well-being, women's well-being in adventure guiding contexts, conceptualising models of the mechanisms underpinning psychological well-being in adventure contexts, and adventure sport participation and well-being.

Pooneh Torabian's current research projects

Travelling to and from new zealand: experiences of international students.

This research uses a critical mobilities lens to investigate the experiences of international students travelling to and from New Zealand. This study explores the inequalities for international students who currently live and study in New Zealand. Interviews with the students so far has illustrated the inequalities in terms of unequal access to freedom of movement and the means of travel such as a passport and visa. In addition, passports, visas, and other travel documents are more than just legal documents but are means through which governments can impose their authority and regulate international travel through and across their borders.

• Ali Mostolizadeh (Department of Sociology & Legal Studies, University of Waterloo, Canada)

'Vaccine Passports': Mobility Justice and unequal access to travel

Vaccine passport is a new term that has recently entered the vocabulary of nation-states and those involved in the travel industry. Although the introduction of vaccine passports would facilitate re-opening of borders and air travel and assists with reviving economic situation of nation-states, it also means that those who carrying proof of immunisation are the only ones who might be able to travel freely since the citizens of many countries will not have access to vaccines as well as vaccine passports in the near future. This study aims to illustrate how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the meaning of freedom of movement globally and how the introduction of vaccine passports perpetuates the inequalities in terms of unequal access to freedom of movement.

Arts and Migration: Women's Experiences of Resettlement and Integration

The aim of this research is to explore the role of arts and leisure in facilitating the community integration and resettlement of migrant women in New Zealand. The research question forming this Participatory Action Research ( PAR ) research is 'How can arts and leisure facilitate the community integration and resettlement of migrant women in Dunedin?' We have partnered with artists from the community to run workshops for women. Considering leisure beyond economic and functional spheres can help illuminate the negotiation of hybrid identities in unique surroundings through processes of adaptation, belonging and 'home' building. Through these workshops, women explore arts as a means to tell their stories of migration and resettlement into their new communities.

Funding for this project was provided by the Centre for Global Migrations at the University of Otago.

• Dr Neil Vallelly (Department of English and Linguistics, University of Otago)
• Professor Vivienne Anderson (College of Education, University of Otago)
• Dr Parisa Saadat Abadi Nasab (Research Assistant, Department of Tourism, University of Otago)

Arts behind bars: Māori Men's experiences of participating in arts programmes at Otago Corrections Facility

This research aims to examine Māori men's experiences of participating in arts programmes at Otago Corrections Facility. The arts programmes in prisons have a range of benefits for participants such as distraction from everyday institutional life, purposeful rehabilitation, skills development, and creative self-expression. This qualitative research project involves interviews with Māori men who are currently serving a prison sentence in Otago Corrections Facility to explore their experiences of taking part in arts programmes. Specifically, this study uses narrative inquiry to centre the voices of Māori men and develop a nuanced understanding of the significance of arts programmes in rehabilitation of incarcerated Māori in New Zealand.

• Rue-Jade Morgan (Foundation Studies, Otago Polytechnic)

Negotiating Parenthood: Exploring fathers' and mothers' transition to and from parental/maternity leave in academic world

Contemporary scholarship examining parental leave in university settings and its implications on career progression, while scarce, suggests that motherhood often disadvantages women's career progression. However, it is not entirely clear what institutional, interpersonal, and individual-level factors contribute to this disadvantage. This research project examines the role gender plays in shaping the experiences of pre/post-tenured parents who take parental leave. Conducting semi-structured interviews with male faculty who have become parents in the past five years, the study explores

• a. How they negotiate the terms of their leave
• b. What challenges they experience
• c. What supports they require to transition back to work

Comparing fathers' and mothers' experiences of parental leave, we aim to better understand the role gender plays in shaping the experiences of these transitions. Given the steadily growing number of fathers taking parental leave, this research is both timely and important.

Funding for this research is provided by the University of Waterloo Gender Equity Grant.

• Dr Karla Boluk (Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo, Canada)
• Dr Elena Neiterman (School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Canada)

Hazel Tucker's current research projects

Exploring 'value' in heritage value.

Initiated in 2009 this project is aimed at opening and exploring debates surrounding heritage 'value', particularly relating to World Heritage. The project looks at the ways in which heritage construction for tourism can re-contextualize, or de-contextualize, culture and sites, thereby raising questions as to what is being valued, by whom and how? With current trends in 'critical heritage' moving away from the search for knowledge through formal structures and universal values and towards more nuanced approaches to heritage presentation, this project investigates ways in which heritage tourism can open up and be an expression of alternative values and narratives.

• Dr. E. Carnegie, (University of Sheffield, UK).
• Dr. A. Emge (Germany)
• Dr. J. Zhang (University of Umea, Sweden).
• Tucker, H. and Carnegie, E. (2014) 'World heritage and the Contradictions of Universal Value', in Annals of Tourism Research, Vol 47, 63-76.
• Carnegie, E. and Tucker, H. (2013) 'Interpreting the Shared Past within the World Heritage Site of Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey', in V. Golding and W. Modest (eds.) Museums and Communities: Curators, Collections and Collaboration, London: Bloomsbury (pp. 246-259).
• Tucker, H. and Emge, A. (2010) 'Managing a World Heritage Site: The Case of Cappadocia', in Anatolia, Vol. 21(1), pp. 41-54.
• Zhang, J. and Tucker, H. (2017) 'Knowing Subjects in an Unknown Place', in G. Hooper (ed.) Heritage and Identity, Florida: University of Florida Press.

Tourism, Narrative and Apocalyptic Thought

This programme of research explores links between tourism and apocalyptic thought. The idea that we are living in 'the end times' is gaining increasing scholarly attention because it impacts the ways in which societies engage with issues of ecological, economic and social concern. This research examines the relationship between apocalyptic thought and tourism, and in particular, 'last chance'/heritage tourism, defined as when 'tourists explicitly seek vanishing landscapes or seascapes, and/or disappearing natural and/or social heritage' (Lemelin et al., 2010). A current project under this programme is exploring the emotional / affective links between tourism and apocalyptic thought, with a particular focus on 'hope' and /or 'pessimism' production in tourism. Building on theoretical discussions on contemporary apocalyptic thought in the broader literature, this focus on hope/pessimism affect is aimed at facilitating critical developments pertaining to the management of tourism product design and delivery.

• Dr. E. Shelton (University of Otago, NZ)
• Dr. J. Zhang (University of Umea, Sweden)
• H. Bae (University of Otago, NZ)
• Tucker, H., Shelton, E.J. and Bae, H. (2016) 'Post-Disaster Tourism: Towards a Tourism of Transition', in Tourist Studies, 1-22.
• Tucker, H. and Shelton, E.J. (2014) 'Travelling Through the End Times: The Tourist as Apocalyptic Subject', in Tourism Analysis, Vol. 19 (5), 645-654.
• Shelton, E.J. and Tucker, H. (2008) 'Managed to be Wild: Species Recovery, island restoration and nature-based tourism in New Zealand, in Tourism Review International, Special Issue: Zoos, Aquaria and Tourism, Vol. 11. No. 3, pp. 197-204.
• Shelton, E., Tucker, H, and Zhang, J. (2017) 'A Political Ecology of the Yellow-Eyed Penguin in Southern New Zealand: A Conceptual and Theoretical Approach, in I. Lima (ed.) Wildlife Tourism, Springer Publishing

China / Chinese tourism research

This programme of research is aimed at exploring key issues pertaining both to the Chinese outbound tourist market and to domestic tourism within China. Importantly, the research includes critical reflection on how we conceptualise 'Chineseness' within this field. Whilst the Chinese outbound tourist market has been one of the fastest-growing international markets for destinations around the world, research to date on this market remains limited in scope and depth. This research programme aims to address this gap by responding to recent calls for more 'emic' approaches, plus the use of interpretative qualitative methodologies, in China/Chinese tourism research. Funding has been received in 2017 to undertake research into the on-tour experiences of Chinese package tourists in New Zealand.

• Dr. Jundan Zhang (University of Umea, Sweden).
• Professor B. Wu (Peking University, China)
• Professor A. Morrison (Purdue University, USA)
• Jingru Zhang (University of Otago, New Zealand)
• Tucker, H. and Zhang, Jundan. (2016) On Western-Centrism and “Chineseness” in Tourism Studies, Annals of Tourism Research, 61, 250-252.
• Zhang, Jingru, Tucker, H., Morrison, A. M., & Wu, B. (2017). Becoming a backpacker in China: A grounded theory approach to identity construction of backpackers. Annals of Tourism Research, 64, 114-125.
• Zhang, Jingru, Morrison, A. M., & Tucker, H. (2017). "Am I a Backpacker? Factors Indicating the Social Identity of Chinese Backpackers", Journal of Travel Research.

Performance of the Real

This programme of research is a multidisciplinary project that investigates why representations and performances of the real are particularly compelling. At its core is the study of how performance represents, critiques, enacts and constructs "the real"? Based at the University of Otago, this research programme is a funded research theme which hosts various conferences and symposia related to the “Performance of the Real” theme, including events on: Ritual and Cultural Performance; Performing Precarity: Refugee Representation, Determination and Discourse; Performance and Performativity of Violence.

• Dr S. Little (University of Otago, New Zealand)
• Dr. R. Overell (University of Otago, New Zealand)
• Dr. J. Cattermole (University of Otago, New Zealand)
• Dr. C. Ergler (University of Otago, New Zealand)
• Ms. H. Halba (University of Otago, New Zealand)
• Dr. C. Wakes (University of New South Wales, Australia)
• Dr. S. Suliman (Griffith University, Australia)

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60 Senior Project Ideas for High School Students – 2024

May 13, 2024

Many high school students look forward to the exciting moment of choosing a senior project. This makes sense since senior projects provide opportunities for students to direct what they’ve learned into something they care about, and to take their academic interests beyond the classroom. At the same time, deciding what to pursue can be nerve-wracking. After all the anticipation, when it finally comes time to decide on a project, students might ask themselves, now what ? If you find yourself in this dilemma, or if you could just use some further inspiration, continue reading for a list of 60 senior project ideas for high school students. Once you find a senior project idea that catches your eye, you can always put your own spin on it, or use it to inspire projects on topics outside this list.

What is a senior project?

Put simply, a senior project is a semester-long project you take on in your final year of high school. So, what counts as a senior project? This can vary widely. While different schools have different requirements (for example, some high schools expect students to focus specifically on internship experiences), the assignments tend to be pretty flexible. In the senior project ideas listed below, you will find suggestions ranging from assisting a science researcher, to interning at a local museum, to organizing an academic tutoring program, to helping with community voter registration. The final outputs for senior projects may also vary in form, from guidebooks, to plays, to research papers, and apps.

Considerations when choosing a senior project

Because a senior project is often seen as the culmination of your high school experience, you should choose a topic that reflects your passions and interests. At the same time, it’s an opportunity to develop new skills and challenge yourself as you prepare for your next steps after graduation. Whether you have plans to begin a 4-year university program, enroll in a 2-year degree program , take a gap year , or start a new job, a senior project can prepare you with experience that you wouldn’t receive in your high school classes in an ordinary semester.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when thinking of a senior project idea:

• What field or career do you wish to pursue? If you’re not sure, what are 2-3 fields that you could possibly see yourself pursuing at this point in your life?
• What world issues do you care most about? Climate change? LGBTQIA+ rights? Accessible healthcare? If thinking about a particular issue sparks a passion, this could be a great place to start.
• Based on your high school coursework experience, could you see yourself spending extra time on an artistic project? A science-based one? A research paper with a political theme?
• What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Volunteering with kids? Hiking and camping? Dancing? Cooking? Perhaps you can orient your senior project to something that you already know brings you joy.

60 senior project ideas

Below you can find 60 high school senior project ideas, divided into some general categories that might help you focus your search. As you read through, feel free to stick to these exact ideas or use them to inspire other ones.

Business – Senior Project Idea

• Write a printed or virtual guidebook to small local businesses in your area, including descriptions, photographs phone numbers and social media accounts.
• Help a local business with an advertising campaign, through local news outlets and social media.
• Develop a mentorship program to help those who are searching for jobs with resumes, interviews, and cover letters.
• Intern at a start-up based in your area.
• Write a research paper about models for sustainable businesses.
• Organize an after-school program that helps students learn financial literacy.

Community service

• Organize a ride service to bring elderly community members to and from doctor’s appointments, or to provide them with groceries and other needs.
• Volunteer at a local soup kitchen.
• Organize a food drive at your school.
• Create a social media campaign for a local animal shelter to raise awareness.
• Collaborate with a local charity or non-profit with a mission you believe in to organize a fundraiser.
• Collect school supplies and art supplies for families in need.

Creative writing – Senior Project Ideas

• Write and illustrate a children’s book.
• Create a handmade poetry book.
• Intern at a small local publisher or magazine.
• Work to translate a short story or poem to another language.
• Write a screenplay for a short film.
• Start a school literary magazine that accepts student submissions of poems, essays, and short stories. Organize a team so that the magazine can continue after you graduate.
• Organize a peer tutoring program at your school for students who need extra help with writing, languages, or math.
• Construct a free library box in your neighborhood so that more people have access to books.
• Volunteer at a local elementary school to help children with their homework after school.
• Work with a local senior center to teach a foreign language to residents.
• Develop a website or app for students to match with language partners for practicing conversation skills.
• Start a visual or performing arts class for children in your community.

Environmentalism- Senior Project Ideas

• Design and build a sustainable garden.
• Organize a community clean-up day, or a series of community clean-up days, at a local park or waterfront.
• Organize an Earth Day festival at your school. This could involve live music and performance, environmental art displays, local vegetarian food, and sustainable clothing swaps.
• Write a research paper on one thing that contributes to climate change, as well as potential solutions.
• Write a guidebook to local parks and hiking trails so that locals and visitors alike can appreciate these outdoor spots.
• Create a fashion line with all reused materials.
• Research historic sites in your neighborhood or town, and write a printed or online guidebook to these points of local history.
• Record a podcast on the history of one of your hobbies (fashion? sports?) Contact an expert on this history to ask if you can interview them on the podcast.
• Write a research paper on the history of a particular protest movement.
• Write and direct a short play with a contemporary take on a historical event that interests you.
• Create a documentary film on the history of your community (school, town, etc.), and organize a community screening.
• Intern at a local history museum.

Performing Arts – Senior Project Ideas

• Write and record an original song.
• Write, direct, and show a one-act play.
• Organize a community dance performance with student choreographers and performers, featuring a range of different styles.
• Volunteer to help with accessibility needs (theater access, live captioning, etc.) at a local theater.
• Organize a school comedy night or talent show that benefits a charity of your choice.
• Research the history of a film genre, and direct a short film that reflects this genre.
• Intern for a local political newspaper or magazine.
• Volunteer on the campaign of a local candidate.
• Create an online blog to write on a political issue you care about, or write a series of op-eds for a local newspaper.
• Write a research paper on a local problem (housing prices, green space, voting access) that discusses possible solutions to this problem.
• Create a Model UN or Mock Trial team at your school if one doesn’t already exist.
• Help teens and other community members register to vote.

Science and medicine – Senior Project Ideas

• Build a Rube Goldberg machine .
• Work in the lab of a STEM professor at a nearby university who works on a topic you’re interested in.
• Research a community health problem (drug safety, air/water quality, nutritional food access) and develop solutions with the help of local politicians and/or medical experts. Create a research paper, blog, or documentary film on your findings.
• Assist at a doctor’s office or hospital by helping to translate for patients who are non-native English speakers.
• Design an architectural structure (for example, a house or bridge) and build a 3D model.
• Organize a technology support group at your school to make technology more accessible and help with easy tech repairs.

Visual arts

• Design a mural for your school to highlight an aspect of the school culture or commemorate an important moment in its history.
• Intern at a local art museum and learn how to give a tour of its current exhibits.
• Organize the collaborative building of a sculpture at your school made of all reused or found objects.
• Offer to take wedding or senior photographs for those who might not be able to afford a professional photographer.
• Study a famous painter, and then create a series of paintings (or art of another medium) based on, or in response to, their works.
• Create a school-wide photography exhibition, with a theme of your choosing.

Senior Project Ideas – Final thoughts

We hope that this list has sparked inspiration for your high school senior project. Remember that while senior projects are important (and hopefully fun) opportunities to culminate your high school experience, you don’t need to do it all in one project! If you’re inspired by more than one of these project ideas, hold onto them for years to come or pursue them as summer internships .

If you’re interested in more project ideas for high school students, we recommend the following articles:

• 100 Examples of Community Service Projects
• 98 Passion Project Ideas
• 100 Best Clubs to Start in High School
• Persuasive Speech Topics
• High School Success

Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.

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U of T students conduct research in South Korea, thanks to Insights Through Asia Challenge

Last year, Chloe Panganiban, Nadia Schwartz Rivero and Catherine Yang decided they wanted to collaborate on a big research project that could incorporate all their academic specialties – global health for Panganiban, history and psychology for Schwartz Rivero, and criminology and sociolegal studies for Yang.

The three University of Toronto undergrads just had to figure out exactly what that would be.

After several conversations and some brainstorming, they landed on the topic of medical tourism in South Korea. For more than a decade, there’s been a rapid rise in people travelling to South Korea for medical care, which can range from plastic surgery to cancer treatment.

“We were really trying to find an intersection of all our different interests and at the same time look for something where there was a research gap,” says Yang.

In-person research

Thanks to the Richard Charles Lee Insights Through Asia Challenge (ITAC), an experiential learning program at the Asian Institute in the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, the students were able to travel to Seoul for two-and-a-half weeks last summer for in-person research.

We were really trying to find an intersection of all our different interests and at the same time look for something where there was a research gap.

They conducted interviews with South Koreans, visited local hospitals and agencies, and toured around South Korea “to see the effects of medical tourism itself and just how the industry works with international patients and tourists,” explains Schwartz Rivero, who first met Panganiban through another ITAC research project the previous year, and has been friends with Yang since they first met in the Vic One program in their first year.

Titled “Why here and not there? An exploratory, qualitative study about medical tourism in South Korea,” the goal of their research was to better understand the country’s role in medical tourism on a global scale and why people choose South Korea and Seoul over other destinations.

Combining their different academic backgrounds made the study more insightful, says Panganiban.

Medical tourism shaped by many different fields

“Medical tourism is something that’s shaped and influenced by so many different fields. Particularly, in South Korea, it’s backed up by legislation that allows tourists to come there for medical purposes – and actually encourages that,” she explains.

The ITAC program supports original student research and research-related travel; any U of T undergraduate or graduate students can apply, with priority given to students at the Asian Institute.

“The program was instrumental in supporting our travel to Korea. I think being there in person brings about a very different opportunity when you’re interviewing people. You can develop deeper conversations, relationships and connections, which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible,” says Yang.

I think being there in person brings about a very different opportunity when you’re interviewing people. You can develop deeper conversations, relationships and connections, which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.

“Another important facet is the guidance systems made available through programs like ITAC. It’s not just monetary funding; there are also mentors and other academics you can look to for help through this program,” she adds, noting that they’re all very grateful for the guidance they received from their research supervisor on this project, Professor Rachel Silvey, who is also the Richard Charles Lee Director of the Asian Institute.

Named after prominent Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist Richard Charles Lee (who was also the father of former Canadian senator, U of T chancellor and alumna Vivienne Poy), the Richard Charles Lee Insights Through Asia Challenge was launched in 2016 and is funded by an anonymous donor.

In 2023, 10 research teams received ITAC funding. Other recipients include a team studying mental health discourses in the recruitment and training of overseas Filipina workers and a team exploring climate change and environmental degradation in a Cambodian floating village.

Invaluable opportunity

For Panganiban, Schwartz Rivero and Yang, the opportunity to lead an original research study overseas was invaluable. “Leading a research project in your undergrad is quite rare,” says Panganiban. “It was an unforgettable experience and something that was really a highlight for all of us in our undergraduate journeys.”

Yang adds that it helped her decide whether academic research was something she wanted to pursue long term. It turns out it is – after she graduates with her BA this June, she plans to apply for grad school in the future.

It was an unforgettable experience and something that was really a highlight for all of us in our undergraduate journeys.

Panganiban, who will graduate with an Honours Bachelor of Science this June, plans to pursue a Master of Public Health in the near future. Schwartz Rivero, who graduated a year ahead of the other two, has just completed the first year of a Master of Arts degree at the Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (CERES) at the Munk School.

Meanwhile, the trio is continuing their research on the medical tourism study by adding a systematic data analysis of their findings, says Panganiban. “We’re in the data cleaning phase right now and looking to hopefully get an academic publication out with our research and findings.”

Want to help fuel research at the Asian Institute at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy?

There are several funds you can support, including the Asian Institute Student Excellence Award, the Asian Institute Vision Fund and the Joseph Wong Student Experience Fund.

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New professor brings behavioral and social science perspective to Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism

Gip background in tourism, organizational leadership and instruction will benefit students.

January 9, 2024 - by Paul Schattenberg

With a diverse background in the tourism industry and college-level instruction, Robert “Rob” Gip, Ph.D., brings new perspectives on hospitality and tourism leadership to his position as an assistant professor in the Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences , Bryan-College Station.

Gip is integrating his research and teaching interests to benefit the department and its students across the domains of human resources management, organizational behavior, leadership, employee health and well-being, and cross-cultural and community studies.   

“We are fortunate to have recruited a talent such as Dr. Gip into our department who brings depth of knowledge in the behavioral and social sciences, public administration and hospitality management,” said Brian King, Ph.D., head of the Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism. “He is providing the department with new perspectives and insights into hospitality and tourism leadership, particularly about how psychological safety, knowledge sharing and proactive work behaviors contribute to service organizations.”  

Gip earned his doctorate in hospitality administration from the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston. He earned a master’s degree in hospitality and tourism management, a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on behavioral and social sciences, and a certificate in event management, all from Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, Orlando.

Experience in service and hospitality industries

Gip’s early professional experience included roles as assistant cafe and bakery manager and day spa manager. After this, he was a logistics coordinator at Lowe & Behold in Orlando, a golf attendant at Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course, an event concierge at Hyatt Orlando and a human services worker at Tacachale Developmental Disability Center in Gainesville.

He said a common thread through all of these experiences was his desire to help others, develop a positive work environment, and to identify and fulfill client needs.

“Throughout my industry tenure, my goal has consistently been to ensure that hospitality and tourism organizations prioritize the well-being and value of guests but, more importantly, their employees, as this directly affects their ability to provide high-quality service,” Gip said. 

Gip said he is appreciative of the warm welcome and support he has received from members of the department who are renowned in their respective fields and roles.

“The support I’ve received from the department, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Texas A&M in general has been invaluable, and I hope to reflect and embody this support in my research and teaching,” he said. “I plan to use this opportunity to enhance my research, teaching and service with the goal of adding meaningful contributions to the already impressive track record of achievements of the department.”

Hospitality and tourism teaching experience

At the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, Gip was a teaching assistant for multiple undergraduate courses, including Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism, Hospitality and Tourism Marketing and Guest Services Management. He also taught undergraduate human resource management courses for hybrid in-person and online classroom sessions at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership.

At Texas A&M, he is scheduled to teach Global Communities and Diverse Populations in Hospitality and Tourism in the spring.

‘My teaching philosophy revolves around creating a dynamic classroom community where knowledge is shared between students and myself,” he said. “I aim to blend engaging content with adaptable teaching methods to foster motivation through student-centered project-based learning that promotes engagement and a sense of fun throughout the class.”

Gip said an important goal in his teaching will be to recognize and respect individual differences that can provide new perspectives for classmates and influence student interactions throughout their academic and professional careers.

“This approach promotes fairness, cohesion, reciprocity and honesty in the educator-student relationship and among students, which enhances their education and better prepares them for hospitality careers,” Gip said  “I aspire to make a positive impact and be a part of each student’s success story.”

Further academic activities and affiliations  

In the capacity of invited lecturer or presenter, Gip has shared his recreation and tourism related research on reliability, validity, leadership and effective employee performance management.

He has refereed numerous journal articles and is an editorial board member for the international journal Tourism, Culture and Communication . He also serves as an ad hoc reviewer for the International Journal of Hospitality Management , International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration , Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Managemen t .

At the University of Central Florida, Gip was a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success and the National Association for Catering and Events.

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Students at Oxford Brookes partner with Oxford Castle & Prison to pitch new ‘Dark Tourism’ ideas

Tuesday 14 May 2024

Students at Oxford Brookes University have partnered with Oxford Castle & Prison to plan and design a new dark tourism experience, to immerse guests in the chilling history of the 1,000 year old venue.

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Discovering McGill's French Language Centre

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For many students coming to McGill from across Canada and other countries around the globe, one of the many advantages of pursuing a degree at McGill is that students are immersed in Montreal’s unique bilingual culture.

McGill’s French Language Centre is one of the university’s best assets in promoting learning opportunities for students in any academic program throughout the university with its course offerings of credited and non-credited courses that encompass writing and oral communication.

Students from McGill’s various professional schools, such as the School of Social Work, and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, turn to the FLC for crucial French language training that will benefit them not only during their time at McGill but beyond when they leave to pursue professional careers in Quebec.

Beginner Level Courses for All McGill Students 

For students across academic disciplines, from the Faculty of Arts to the Faculty of Engineering, the FLC offers placement tests to ascertain a student’s level of comprehension and skill in the French language and offers 5 different levels of courses, which follows the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, a global standard for grading language proficiency. The levels on offer range from level A1, absolute beginner, to level C1, which is a full command of the language.

Alida Soucé has been a Faculty Lecturer at the French Language Centre for close to ten years now, and, along with the Centre's other instructors, is responsible for creating, coordinating, and teaching beginner level French courses at the FLC. Alida currently coordinates and teaches the near beginner course, FRSL 103 and the elementary French course, FRSL 206/207.

“These courses are built and based on research in applied didactics,” says Alida. “Most of our instructors are constantly reflecting on improving course offerings so that students have access to the most innovative academic courses in the field of French as a Second Language.”

Living and learning in a bilingual city such as Montreal gives students the opportunity to use their newly acquired French skills in a multitude of settings on and off campus.

“We equip students with solid, academic French courses that are centered in a Montreal context” says Alida. “Thanks to our exceptional setting in Quebec, the courses we teach can help students whose goal is to become bilingual.”

“We also organize many extracurricular activities in which students can further strengthen the skills we teach in the classroom,” says Alida.

The FLC organizes a series of cultural outings such as a historical and cultural tour of popular Montreal neighborhoods like the Mile End and Old Montreal, and events such as a French Improv Night, conversation workshops and a series focusing on French in the workplace, all of which give students the opportunity to develop their oral skills in informal settings with other students enrolled in FLC courses.

Alida prides herself on being able to offer her students a personalized approach to learning and her courses are often filled with a strong sense of community.

In some anonymous student feedback received by Alida, many students attest to the excellent learning environments they experienced in her classroom.

“It’s always been one of my goals to speak French, and it’s in part why I moved to Montreal,” says one student who took a FLC course this winter. “My anxiety always got in the way, and it wasn’t until [Alida’s] class that I was able to work through that productively, something I'll be taking with me when I move to London this fall and continue working towards fluency.”

Another student noted how thankful they were for the extra time Alida devoted to providing detailed feedback on tests and writing/oral practice. “[Alida’s] encouragement and support [inspired] me to keep participating and improving my French skills in my daily life.”

Teaching French for Specific Purposes 

Ariel Mercado came to McGill with over 20 years of experience teaching French and English as a second language in Spain. It was in Spain that Ariel developed his interest in teaching language for a specific purpose, such as teaching English and French for the tourism industry and in the healthcare sector.

Ariel later moved to Quebec to pursue his studies, and it was during his PhD in Linguistics that Ariel’s interest in healthcare and languages solidified.

Working closely with the administration of the FLC, Ariel created French courses for health sciences and social work , which are offered during both Fall and Winter semesters, as well as a May intensive course. The courses are designed to give written and oral communication skills to students from a variety of disciplines in the health and social work sectors, as well as French skills for students studying dietetics and nutrition.

These courses are offered through a partnership with Dialogue McGill, which is funded by Health Canada under the Action Plan for Official Languages, which aimed to “build and maintain the capacity of bilingual health and social services professionals in Quebec.”

“My focus in these courses is especially oral communication with patients, with caregivers and with other professionals, and to prepare students for that,” says Ariel. “Writing skills are also important- students have to know how to write a chart for another professional or in layman’s terms for the patient.”

The Centre works closely with the Professional Schools Committee, which includes representatives from the various McGill schools in healthcare. The courses are formulated with the feedback of doctors, social workers and dieticians so that the courses are tailored to specific skills and requirements students will encounter in their future professions.

“We have around two meetings per semester in which I participate,” says Ariel. “I have had ideas for courses from these meetings. For example, they tell me we need our students to know how to write a chart in French, I ask for material that they can share (without personal identification details) so that the examples we give students are accurate and can be adapted to their learning levels and needs.”

Focusing on real tasks that they will have in their professional lives is an important objective in Ariel’s courses. In order to pass the courses and to be able to work in their respective fields in Québec, students must pass the French exam for their discipline which is designed and administered by the Office Québécois de la langue française ( OQLF).

“I know the OQLF exam very well and I try to integrate in-class activities for the exam,” says Ariel. Ariel runs around 2 or 3 dedicated workshops to prepare his students for the OQLF exam.

“I tell students that this or that in-class activity is similar to a section of the OQLF exam so they know what to prepare for,” says Ariel.

To learn more about course offerings at the FLC and its event programming, you can consult their website and follow them on Facebook .

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You are here, civil engineering major scores a collaborative win at pci project precast design competition.

A dual-university student team including Lehigh civil engineering major Yushun Zou ’24 (pictured above, far right) won the Project Precast Design Competition held in Denver during the 2024 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) Convention in February.

Thirty-two students were chosen from across the U.S. to participate in the event, which is organized by the PCI Foundation and sponsored by PCI member organizations. 

The individual participants are assigned to teams consisting of four members: two architecture majors, one construction management major, and one engineering major. The teams are given 48 hours to design a location-specific project. This year, the project was to design a hypothetical museum of mountain sports.

Zou was teamed up with three students—Jared Fasshauer, Parker Welsh, and Anna Durfree—from Clemson University . Each student on “Team Gate” netted $1,000 in prize money for their first-place finish.

“I worked as a construction manager, so I was responsible for the project schedule and cost estimation, based on the design provided by my teammates,” Zou says. “Lehigh's structural design and construction management classes honed my skills and taught me a lot of necessary skills for doing my work on the project. For example, the Gantt Chart I used for presenting the project schedule was something I learned from my construction management class.” 

The competition was a unique opportunity to “learn how to communicate with people from other departments and interact with students from other universities,” he adds. 

Learn more about the team’s winning entry on the Clemson News website. 

—Emma Eggelston ’24 is a student writer for the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science

—Photos courtesy of PCI Foundation

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