Sustainable Tourism Indicators for Assessment of a Tourism Attraction/Operator

Method

For the purpose of this assignment you are required to complete the following:

1. Select a tourism attraction/operator that is accessible to you; 2. From the literature, define and develop a set of ST indicators that may be used to evaluate the selected tourism attraction or operator in terms of adoption of the concept of sustainable tourism (Note: you should not simply copy indicators from the UNWTO Indicators or another single source);

3. Undertake a field trip to the site to collect primary data required for your report. Make sure your field trip is conducted in a safe and ethical manner (See Appendix A to learn about some ethical considerations in relation to field research);

4. Evaluate the site using the ST indicators that you have developed; and

5. Write a Field Report discussing outcomes from the assessment at the site to determine the sustainability of the site in terms of climate change issues and in Tourism businesses have been challenged in recent times to address community concerns about climate change and sustainability.

Chose a tourism attraction or operator of your choice and develop a relevant set of ST indicators to measure progress towards the concept of sustainable tourism. Murdoch University 21 sustainable tourism development; and the usefulness of your derived indicators to measure Sustainable Tourism activities. 6. Arrange for one (1) member of the group to submit the Field Report through Urkund. That same group member should submit the final hardcopy version of the assignment for marking according to the usual assignment submission processes (see above). It is highly encouraged that you check your field report against the assessment criteria outlined in the field report feedback sheet before submitting your group assignment. The primary focus of this report will be: Process

Group work and negotiation between and for students.

Research of current literature.

Style of report writing technique.

Evaluation of indicators as a tool for tourism for sustainable development.

Professional presentation of results and final report. Content

Description of the tourism product on which the field trip is based.

Examination of the recent theoretical literature on the topic under investigation.

Application of research methods.

Interpretation of results.

Discussion of findings.

Evaluation of the criteria (based on the ST Indicators).

Conclusion and recommendations. This report will:

1. Explore and provide a strong theoretical background to the topic of investigation;

2. Provide a detailed assessment of the tourism product based on the ST indicators that you have developed; and;

Results

3. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using ST indicators in evaluating the sustainability and environmental change impacts on a tourism product. You should prepare your field trip report using the following format: Introduction Murdoch University 22

1. Presenting the broad aims of your report;

2. The objectives utilised to achieve your aims;

3. Discussion of key literature of sustainable development/tourism, sustainable tourism indicators and the evolution of environmental change impacts; and

4. Leading to the set of ST indicators that you have developed. Method You will need to have a site description and discussion of how you evaluated the tourism product against your ST indicators. This should provide enough information for the reader to copy (replicate) your research. At this level of your development as a ‘researcher’ participant observation is likely to be the key method (you should refer to a social science research text for information on your method). Results Link your observations with the ST indicators that you have derived. You should include a table of your derived indicators (refer to Appendix B). You need to make the origin of your indicator clear to your reader (i.e. where did the original idea come from – which academic article or organisation did you develop the indicator from?) Note: In line with the triple bottom line, the ST indicators derived should be balanced and you must have at least three (3) indicators per triple bottom line dimension (a total of minimum nine (9) ST indicators). Additionally, you may find that the use of some tables to summarise your results is an effective way of presenting information. Discussion Critically discuss your findings in terms of evaluating a ‘sustainable tourism’ product through environmental change impacts and the use of your indicators for the site. The discussion should reflect the results of the nine (9) indicators utilised. Conclusion/Recommendations You need to conclude your discussion with: 1. Recommendations regarding the value and practical interpretation of your ST indicators. 2. Suggest some professional limitations of your field work and suggest ways in which your method could be improved for future professional investigations. 3. Suggest future use or recommendations arising from your findings for the sustainable development of your chosen tourism product. Reference List (NOT a Bibliography) Murdoch University 23 Use only the literature/reference sources that you have cited in-text in the report. Given that the field report is prepared in groups, it is expected that each member should contribute at least 3 current academic, peer-reviewed journal articles on the topic of ST into the report for references. For example, for a group of 4 students, it is expected that the report has at least 12 current (2017 or later) academic, peer- reviewed journal articles included for references. Remember: In order to pass, a field report needs to include at least 3 current, academic, peer-reviewed journal articles per group member. It is assumed that students at this level of study are aware of citation conventions. You must use the appropriate APA style of reference. APA (6th Edition) is the preferred method for Murdoch University. Marks will be lost for those who do not use such an approach. You can review the APA citation guide at  Use of Websites It is a requirement of this assignment, that there are more references to current academic, peer-reviewed journal articles than to web sites. Web sites should not be regarded as sources of academic literature and should only be used to explore your Case Study. Given the nature of this assignment you may utilise web sources to a maximum of 50% of your list of references. Be certain not to just copy and paste information. Appendices Your report can stand alone without these but they do add to the interest of your report. They should be placed after the Reference List and do not count in the word length. They should include supportive and illustrative material that the interested reader may find useful but not essential to their understanding of your report. Writing Style The body of the report should be written in 11 or 12-point font and 1.5-line spacing. Use the third person writing style, as utilised in the Annals of Tourism articles. Reflect the knowledge base that you have gained by using reference styles as outlined by APA guidelines (library web site: APA citation guide  Group Work Dependent upon student enrolment numbers, students will undertake this assignment in groups of four (4) students. Each student is required to submit a confidential in- group peer assessment (See Appendix C) to your lecturer, for evaluation of individual contribution to the group’s work. This group assessment will contribute to the final Murdoch University 24 grade of individuals. From past experience, there is generally a consistency between the group grade and individual member’s grades. However, the assessment process has the facility to vary individual grades within the group. If you are experiencing difficulties with group you, you MUST discuss with your lecturer prior to submission of the report. The group process will be further discussed throughout the semester and you should refer to the following Murdoch University website for information on collaborative learning: