ASSESSMENT TASK 1: DESCRIPTION The essay is meant to help develop and test library research and writing skills. This will be your primary source of written feedback and a substantial piece of on course assessment. You should choose ONE (1) Essay Topic from the five below, for this individual piece of work (maximum 3,000 words). This essay represents a major piece of research and writing on an important topic dealing with the often very complex relationship between tourism and the environment. It contributes a total of 30% to your overall assessment in the subject.

 Probably the most important part you should include is an essay outline or plan (approx. 1.5 pages) with your key points arranged in order and including wherever possible some of the examples you propose to use to illustrate them (and citing the references you intend to draw upon, using the author + date system). This will be worth 40% of the marks for Stage 1. Your essay outline should consist of a series of headings and sub- headings with some notes associated with each one and the key references cited for each point you want to make or example you propose to use. DO NOT submit a draft or partial draft essay – this should be a plan or outline

. Finally a list of References to be used in the essay should be included and correctly cited (either in the text of your piece of writing, or with the notes in your outline). These will be around 0.75 page in length and will be worth about a third (of the overall 15%). They are an indicator of your research effort and of the quantity and quality of your sources for this evidence-based piece of research.

 Citation of your sources should use the author-date system. The College of Business, Law & Governance expects assignments to be formatted in the standard APA style. Examples of papers in this style can be seen in the Journal of Tourism Studies. College of Marine & Environmental Sciences favours the similar Harvard or scientific system of citation and examples will be seen in the journal Australian Geographical Studies. I would expect you to cite at least 20 references from academic journal articles, books or appropriate reports in your essay. Sources must be fully acknowledged and where quotations are employed the page number as well as the other details should be given. The essay should show evidence of wide reading and careful analysis of issues. It is expected that appropriate examples to illustrate arguments will be drawn from the published literature. It should be an evidence-based piece of writing.

 Essay Topics (select one only)

 1. The question of "tourism and conservation: conflict, coexistence or symbiosis" was first raised by Gerado Budowski in 1976. Since that time there has been considerable debate on this subject. Review arguments which support a favourable link between tourism and conservation and those which perceive conflict. Include in your discussion specific examples of developments that have attempted to improve the relationship between tourism and the environment, including eco-certification.

 2. In many places around the world communities have expressed serious antagonism towards tourists and/or tourism. Using specific examples, try to identify the causes of such community backlash and suggest actions which might lead to a better relationship with local people. 

3. Tourism is frequently accused of contributing to potential climate change and is sometimes claimed to be unsustainable. One way to examine this topic is to develop a better appreciation of the ecological foot-print of tourism. Discuss the literature on this topic and also specify ways in which tourism businesses AND individual tourists can try to reduce their ecological foot-print. College of Business, Law & Governance TO5002:03 Introduction to Tourism and the Environment Page 10 [Insert Subject Code]

 4. Coastal environments provide exceptional opportunities for tourism. Identify these and examine the kinds of issues which must be considered when planning and managing for sustainable coastal tourism development. Include consideration of large scale and intensive coastal development (e.g. places like Cairns, the Gold Coast or Hawaii) rather than management at the level of an operational business or tour

. 5. Discuss the impacts of tourism on wildlife. Include in your discussion reference to the difficulties of measuring such impacts and the application of the precautionary principle to their management. You should use examples from both terrestrial and marine environments

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