Contemporary Issues in Tourism and Hospitality

Program Overview

Ulster University's "Contemporary Issues in Tourism and Hospitality" program equips participants with critical thinking and problem-solving skills to address current challenges and opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sectors. Through lectures, seminars, and group discussions, participants explore intercultural issues, the role of creative industries, and the importance of food and beverage in tourism. The program culminates in an essay and presentation, enhancing career prospects in tourism management, hospitality, and related fields.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Contemporary Issues in Tourism and Hospitality

is a postgraduate short course offered by Ulster University's Business School. This 20-credit module aims to equip participants with the ability to address and critically evaluate pertinent issues in the tourism and hospitality sectors. The program focuses on current challenges and opportunities, ranging from intercultural issues in tourism and the role of creative industries to the growing importance of food and beverage, resilience and adaptability in conflicted destinations, and shifting towards slow tourism with heritage cuisines.

Outline:

Content:

• Intercultural issues in tourism and hospitality
• Opportunities offered by the creative industries
• Rising importance of food and drink in tourism and hospitality
• Resilience and adaptive capacity of tourism and hospitality in conflict-ridden destinations
• Challenges in shifting toward slow principles with focus on heritage cuisines

Structure:

• Three attendance dates during Semester 2: Wednesday, February 14th, Thursday, February 15th, and Friday, February 16th, 2024
• Learning Sets on February 21st, 28th, and March 6th, 2024
• 20 credit points, equivalent to 200 hours of student effort

Individual Modules:

• Contemporary Issues in Tourism: Participants will identify and evaluate challenges associated with a chosen contemporary issue in tourism, maximizing its potential for managers and destination management organizations.
• Contemporary Issues in Hospitality: Participants will analyze the impact of a contemporary issue on the hospitality sector through a 15-minute individual presentation.

Schedule:

• Available upon course confirmation, subject to change.

Assessment:

Methods:

• Essay (50%): Participants will write a 2000-word essay on a selected contemporary issue in either tourism or hospitality.
• Presentation (50%): Participants will deliver a 15-minute presentation on the impact of a chosen contemporary issue on the tourism or hospitality sector.

Criteria:

• Essay: Clarity, organization, critical analysis, and insightful discussion of challenges and opportunities related to the chosen issue.
• Presentation: Effective communication, comprehensive analysis of the issue's impact, and clear presentation of findings.

Teaching:

Methods:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Group discussions
• Independent study

Faculty:

• Professionals with expertise in tourism and hospitality
• Experienced academics from the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management

Unique Approaches:

• Focus on current and relevant issues
• Emphasis on critical thinking and problem-solving

Careers:

Potential Paths:

• Tourism management
• Hospitality management
• Event management
• Destination marketing
• Policy and research

Opportunities:

• This course can enhance participants' career prospects by providing them with the knowledge and skills to address contemporary challenges and opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
• It can also equip participants for further postgraduate study in related fields.

Other:

• The course is open to anyone with an undergraduate degree.
• Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the minimum English language entrance requirements of the University.
• The course fee for Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and EU Settlements Status is £746.60, and for England, Scotland, Wales and the Islands is £1760.00.
For International students, the fee is £1760.00.
• The course is offered on a part-time basis and can be completed in one semester.
• Participants are encouraged to attend the Belfast campus on the dates mentioned above.
• Learning sets provide additional opportunities for interaction and discussion with peers.

Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and EU Settlements Status Fees:

£746.60

Additional mandatory costs

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees. Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses. Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.