Undergraduate - UnitATS3392 - The Trip: Travelling Australia and the world

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

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Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	National Centre For Australian Studies
Offered	Caulfield First semester 2013 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Agnieszka Sobocinska

Notes

Previously coded AUS3040

Synopsis

This unit explores the rich history and many impacts of travel and tourism. It traces the rise of travel and tourism in Australia, Asia and the Pacific, untangling the connections between travel and colonialism. It places this rise within its social, cultural, political and economic context. It then explores key issues facing tourists and the industry. Is tourism a form of imperialism? How does it affect international relations, international business, trade, economics and migration? Is it possible to have 'authentic' travel experiences? Finally, students debate the future of tourism, exploring whether it can contribute to foreign aid and development, or if it leads to cultural and environmental degradation.

Outcomes

The learning goals associated with this unit are to:

Develop an understanding of the history of travel and tourism, and the development of the tourism industry in Australia, Asia and the Pacific;
Gain an understanding of the complex relationships between travel, tourism and politics, including colonialism and international relations;
Examine the sociocultural issues surrounding contemporary tourism, including the motivations for travel and its impacts on both hosts and guests;
Explore the concept of authenticity in travel, coming to a personal view about the value - or otherwise - of travel and tourist experiences;
Gain a deeper understanding of the tourism industry, including its place within the international economy;
Develop knowledge in specific topics including the growth of colonial travel, the politics of travel, the overland hippie trail, the emergence of independent travellers/backpackers and the growth of travel writing and guidebooks;
Explore the potential of tourism as a form of foreign aid and sustainable development;
Examine how tourism contributes to environmental degradation and climate change, and understand current efforts to mitigate this contribution.