Overview of Course

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Mark Twain

The world is open to discover through recreation and travel, to learn about other people and places, and ourselves, the essence of Semester at Sea (SAS). Since Rio 1992’ international tourism development efforts at local, regional and national levels have focused on tourism as a means to sustainable livelihoods. Travel and Tourism, an instrument to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), can be geared towards reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development. Sustainable travel is an inspiration and a challenge, thus sustainable tourism development at countries visited during SAS require innovation on a conceptual, process and product level. This course analyzes the role of governmental, business and “third sector” organizations in sustainable tourism and the associated trends and issues via the SDGs. Instruments for sustainable tourism development are examined and discussed in case studies from the countries on this voyage. Methods and techniques to reconcile the different interests are discussed and applied in various contexts: urban as well as rural areas in the north and south and from the east to west. Central issues are sustainability, globalization, intervention strategies and impacts of a global pandemic on recreation and tourism globally.