A Case Study and Analysis of E-Tourism Curriculum Development

Abstract

With the rapid expansion of information technology throughout almost all aspects of tourism and hospitality industries, the task of integrating technology into educational curriculum has challenged many institutions. This article presents a practical process of developing and integrating e-tourism modules in an existing educational program through a case study at the University of Guelph. The academic literature relevant to e-tourism is reviewed and synthesized, and industry experts are consulted to identify key competencies required for students to manage in the e-tourism environment. The process of new curriculum development, with industry partnership, is presented as a proposed best practice for the consideration of interested institutions.

A customer-focused approach to distribution: The case of SANparks

“…According to Elliot and Joppe (2009), even though Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) (including supplier websites) have become a crucial tool for the current tourism industry, they have not replaced the human element in the industry. This study has shown that human contact is still very important to some respondents when they make accommodation bookings, and acts as a reminder that they might choose a channel based on the level of human contact that the channel provides.…”

Türkiye’de Turizm İşletmeciliği Lisans Programları Müfredatlarında Teknoloji Dersleri

“…Mobil ticaret, alan tabanlı ticaret, yaygın ticaret kavramları ise genellikle "elektronik" kelimesiyle başlayan derslerin içerikleri altında yer bulmuştur. E-turizm konusundaki dersleri müfredatlarına ekleyerek turizmde öncü rol oynayan üniversiteler arasında Bournemouth, Cornell gibi üniversitelerin olduğunu belirleyen Elliot ve Joppe (2009) Program müfredatlarının, sektörün ihtiyaçlarının yanı sıra coğrafi, ekonomik ve sosyo-kültürel ihtiyaçlar doğrultusunda da farklılıklar göstermesi mümkündür. Dolayısıyla, tüm ihtiyaçları karşılayan standart bir program müfredatından bahsetmek zordur.…”

IDAE framework: A guide for establishing industry-driven academic programs

“…Initially, research must be conducted to determine if the academic program is relevant to societal needs, and feasible for future economic and social progress. This argument is further supported by the studies of [12][13][14]. Moreover, the industry is not the only factor to consider in formulating an academic program [15]; the development must engage many stakeholders [16] that also involves a number of activities [17] and sufficient budget allocation [18], which is a constraint for an underfunded education system such as the Philippines [19].…”