Success for MSc in Sustainable Tourism
Friday 14 December 2012
In September this year, the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (with the Centre for Environmental Strategy) introduced a new MSc in Sustainable Tourism in association with Explore Worldwide.
The innovative approach to teaching and direct collaboration between industry and academia adopted by this new MSc has been recognised as Explore have been awarded the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) prize for the Most Innovative Sustainable Tourism Initiative for 2012.
Likewise, the programme has also been nominated as a finalist in the University of Surrey Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Enterprise for 2012. John Telfer, Operations and Product Director for Explore Worldwide commented: “Sustainable tourism needs to become an integral focus for the whole tourism industry”…”We’ve involved a lot of Explore staff in giving seminars on their individual areas of expertise, and we’re using our overseas agents as case studies to demonstrate both opportunities and challenges…A field trip to Morocco gives insight into sustainable tourism practice on trips, too. These ‘real life’ models add a definite edge, immediacy and relevance to the course.”
Such commitment from industry is also clear as Mark Watson, Director of Tourism Concern, Manny Sawhney of the award-winning Asperion Hotels in Guildford and Worpleston, along with colleagues from TUI, ECPAT UK and Crystal Creek Meadows in Australia, have all committed time to the MSc to ensure students realise a comprehensive insight into the key issues affecting a wide range of stakeholders involved in sustainable tourism, both in the UK and overseas.
Dr Caroline Scarles, Programme Director of the MSc, commented: “this new venture brings together not only the cutting edge issues addressed within academic research from business, management and social sciences, but the real edge comes with the partnership we have created with Explore and our wider industry colleagues. Students are able to put theory immediately into practice and learn directly from those who are leading experts in their fields”.
More information on the programme is available online at: http://www.surrey.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/hospitality/sustainabletourism/index.htm
