University of Florida



Department of Recreation and Tourism Management

California State University Northridge

RTM 480: Tourism

Spring 2007

RE 151

Meeting Time: Tuesdays, 4:00 – 6:45 PM

Scott Williams, MSRS, MSM

Office: Redwood Hall #269

Phone: 818-677-3250

Email: sdwilliams@csun.edu

Website: csun.edu/~sdwilliams

Office Hours

Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Course Description

Prerequisite: Lower Division writing requirement. This course is an introduction to the wide world of tourism and many of its components. We will look at the historical, societal, psychological and behavioral aspects of tourism as well as its role in the economy and impacts on the environment. As this class is part of the Department’s first venture into tourism and hospitality, we will be covering the material in a broad way. Thus, material will be focused on breadth rather than depth.

Required Text

Goeldner, C.R. & Ritchie, J.R. (2006). Tourism: Principles, practices, philosophies, 10th edition, Wiley.

ISBN: 0471450383

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

1) Understand the demand side of tourism, including tourist behavior, motivations and forecasting

2) Be able to explain the impacts, both positive and negative, on varied tourist destinations

3) Comprehend the wide range of tourism providers and their impact on local and global economies

4) Understand marketing strategies related to travel and tourism and be able to explain the historical roots and current planning strategies

5) Be able to analyze current trends and project future demand within varied tourism environments

Course Policies And Requirements

Expectations: You are expected to study the reading materials and be prepared to participate on all levels during class. Meaningful participation is expected and essential to this course because of the varied experiences of students. For example, each of you have been tourists at one point or another and travel plays a role in each of your lives, especially in this area of tourism activity. My courses are very interactive in nature and I expect contribution from students throughout the semester. I notice when effort is being made on your part. For example, I have been known to bump up students to a B+ if they are on the upper end of a B and have shown effort in class.

Cause and Effect: Part of the process of development and successful careers is the ability to understand the law of cause and effect. Successful students understand this and act accordingly. Poor attendance in class, poor preparation and lack of effort is, with rare exception, reflected in your grade. We all make choices, and these choices have implications, both positive and negative.

Attendance: It is highly recommended that you attend class every day because information covered in lecture is only available during class time and many times is not found in the readings. In addition, missed in-class assignments cannot be made up. If attendance is lacking and I find that the class is suffering, I reserve the right to institute an attendance policy.

I do not issue make-up notes for those who missed lecture. It’s not fair to those who make the effort to come to class. If you miss lecture, you’re responsible for getting the information from your classmates.

Assignments: All assignments are due at the beginning of class (in class) on the date indicated on the attached schedule. Remember that you can turn in an assignment early! Absolutely NO credit will be given for late assignments. Don’t complain and don’t ask. If you are turning in a project or paper and I’m not in my office, leave it with a secretary in room 250 and to have him or her date it.

All papers/assignments must be typed and formatted in current APA style. If you are not a LSRC major, use the style required/expected by your department. A quick summary of APA style is on the Department website. Also, please adhere to the following:

• Staple the pages together with your name on the first page

• Double spaced

• Number all pages as either a header or footer

• No cover page and no extra blank pages. This is just a waste of paper

• No folders or binders

• Proofread before you submit. If your paper has excessive errors, I will return it to you to redo and you will lose 25% for that assignment. Polish it up before you turn it in to avoid this problem.

Plagiarism and cheating on any assignment or exam will not be tolerated. You will automatically fail the course and you will be referred to the University for further action. In addition to being unethical, it is unfair to those who do the work and put forth the effort.

Office Hours: Office hours are noted on page 1 of this syllabus. You can make an appointment by calling me during my office hours, by email, or in person during class. Keep in mind that I may only check my email for this class during my office hours. In other words, if you email me the night before a paper is due asking a question, I won’t get the message until it is too late. Plan ahead. Poor planning on your part doesn’t constitute an emergency on my part.

Respect and Disruptions: As college students I expect you to behave as adults. This means showing respect for both your fellow students and me. Do not come to class if you do not plan on paying attention and contributing. Reading the paper, sleeping, talking, playing with electronics etc… will not be tolerated. If you show up late to class, please come in quietly from the back of the classroom. Also, turn off your cell phones* when arriving to class. Ringing cell phones are not only disruptive, but extremely rude in a classroom and probably my biggest pet peeve. Nobody needs to get in touch with you during class. You’ll find I’m the nicest guy in the world when there is mutual respect between us.

Evaluation Procedures:

Topic Presentation (10 points): In groups of three, you will take 20 minutes and lead class discussion on a particular aspect of the day’s topic. This is not a summary of the chapter, but is a fun, educational and interesting aspect of that day’s material. You have a lot of flexibility with this, so take it and run with it. Extra points will be given for creativity and overall educational value. Do not stand and give the students material from the text.

Tourism Interview Paper (30 points): For this paper you are to choose a tourism organization you respect, admire or want to learn more about. This organization must be part of the tourism industry. If you are unsure whether your organization is tourism related, please see me before you begin. Arrange an interview with an employee who holds a supervisory or managerial position (i.e., not front desk clerks, secretaries or security) and interview him or her. Based on your interview with this individual, submit a four page paper summarizing the interview and following the structure below:

1. Brief description of the organization:

Provide information about the organization. What role does this organization play within the tourism industry? Include a brief history of the organization. What types of tourists does the organization serve and what types of tourists do they target? How many tourists are served?

2. Background of the interviewee:

What is the role of this individual within the organization? To whom do they answer and who answers to them? (i.e., where do they fit within the hierarchy?). What does their job consist of? What does this individual’s work day/week/year look like? How did they get this job? What is their educational background? What recommendations would they give to a student who wants to obtain their job?

3. Future predictions:

What are this person’s predictions for the future of this organization? What are this person’s predictions for the future of tourism in this area? If applicable, what are this person’s predictions for the future of world tourism in the coming years?

4. Your Analysis: (should consist of at least one page)

Making reference to material covered in class and in the text, give your assessment of this organization and your predictions for its future in the tourism industry. Would you recommend they do anything different? Give examples of some of the concepts we have covered in class that you see in this organization.

Midterm Exam (30 points): This exam will cover all material related to the first half of the semester

Final Exam (30 points): This exam will cover all material related to that after the midterm.

Your final grade will be determined from a total of 100 points and based on the following scale:

Grading Scale

90-100% =A

87-89% = B+

80-86% = B

77-79% = C+

70-76% = C

67-69% = D+

60-66% = D

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