Overview of Course

Tourism industry can be considered the largest industry in the world. Over 1.3 billion people travel internationally each year. One in ten jobs is dependent on tourism. The tourism industry accounts for 10% of global GDP. This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of the world’s largest industry. The historical beginnings and most recent development of tourism, the various sectors and stakeholders involved in the industry, and the motivations that influence tourists’ decision-making will be examined. Given the increasing trend towards globalization, both socially and economically, the course will take a global perspective of tourism activities to exemplify how they are related to, and influence, one another. The course contextualizes tourism within broader social, cultural, economic, political, and natural environments. Each destination represented on the Spring 2023 Semester at Sea itinerary will serve as real life case study illustrating “the beasts and beauties” of tourism industry.