Tourism theory and the tourist experience

The course is mandatory for the achievement of a Master's of Tourism Studies. It is open for other students with a Bachelor's degree.

This introductory course will focus on deep insights into social science perspectives on tourism and the tourist experience. It will consist of seminal and contemporary theoretical approaches, and how earlier conceptualisations informs and are critiqued by more recent understandings. Central consepts will be tourist roles and identities, host-guest encounters and place performances, authenticity and social and cultural change, the tourist gaze and embodiment, and tourism and everyday life.

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree (180 ECTS), or an equivalent qualification, with a minimum of 80 ECTS within theoretically founded tourism, hospitality, out-door recreation or event studies, or within marketing and communication, social sciences, humanities or education. Applicants must have a minimum of 5 ECTS in research methods to fulfil the admission requirements.

Applicants must have a minimum grade average comparable to a Norwegian strong C (3,0) in the ECTS scale.

The average grade is calculated from the entire bachelor´s degree.

The maximum number of students accepted per year is 15.

The students have the following outcomes:

Knowledge The student

• has in-depth understanding of seminal and contemporary tourism theories from social science perspectives
• has advanced knowledge of the tourist experience
• has specialized insight into place performances in tourism

Skills The student

• can discuss tourism social science theories
• can critically analyse the tourist experience
• can discuss tourism as place performances

Competence The student

• can contribute to critical thinking in relation to theoretical debates on tourism theories from social science perspectives
• can convey knowledge of tourism theories to academic peers and the public
• can contribute to new thinking in innovation processes related to the tourist experience and tourism place performances

The lectures will be given in an intensive mode (classes given in blocks) in autumn semester only. The students are expected to work 280 hours. The teaching will consist of eight lectures (3x45 min) which also include student involvement through class room discussions, group and individual tasks. The students, alone or in smaller groups, will give one oral presentation and one feedback on student presentation.

All courses will be evaluated in accordance with the quality systems of UiT - The Arctic University of Norway.

Language of instruction and examination

This course is available for inbound exchange students.

This course has academic prerequisites. Please see the "prerequisite" section for more information

Do you have questions about this course? Please check the following website to contact the course coordinator for exchange students at the faculty: https://en.uit.no/education/art?p_document_id=510412

More info about the coursework requirements

• Individual/group assignments
• Attendance (70%)

Re-sit examination