Global Tourism Graduate Certificate

This course will introduce students to topics such as leisure theory, travelers’ motivations and decision making, the production of tourism and tourism places, globalization of tourism, social theories of tourist practice and experience, tourism policy, planning and governance, and critical perspectives on tourism. Reading from both the current literature and from classic contributions to the literature will be stressed.

The global tourism and travel industry is experiencing extraordinary growth, with more people traveling internationally than ever before. Furthermore, with advancements in technology and travel, more destinations are open and available for potential tourists. While this bodes well for the travel and tourism industry, the current scenario presents the unique challenge of cross cultural interaction among employees of the travel and tourism industry as well as with guests of foreign cultures. In the increasingly globalized world of travel and tourism, having a high level of cultural intelligence (CQ) is required to deal with the challenge of constant cross-cultural interactions and organizational work.

This course will focus on the concept of CQ, and provide students with both a theoretical background of this concept, as well as practical approaches to using this concept within the travel and tourism industry. It will begin by exploring the concept of culture and how culture is developed and passed on. Following work on culture, students will engage with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to understand how cultural differences affect behavior within the travel and tourism industry. After developing this foundational knowledge, the class will explore the concept of CQ. Students will gain an understanding of the CQ construct and the four underlying components of cognition, metacognition, motivation and behavior that make up CQ. Students will learn how CQ is different from other similar forms of intelligence such as social and emotional intelligence. The class will conclude by focusing on strategies for increasing CQ, as well as looking at various case studies on how to measure CQ and the benefits of having a high level of CQ for working in the globalized world of travel and tourism.

This course focuses on the role that economics and policy play within the tourism industry. The course will focus on specific economic and policy theories that are essential for the tourism industry. Topics include an in-depth study of the theory of tourism demand and supply, using a cost-benefit analysis, tax policy impacts, tourism valuation, economic analysis in management, and marketing and policy decisions. The course provides students an environment to become proficient in collecting and understanding economic data and models, determining the value of recreational resources, and analyzing tourism related projects across the private, public and voluntary sectors of the tourism industry.