The Role of Academia in Sustainable Tourism

Abstract

The Master's Program in Management and Ecological Tourism combines sustainability and tourism in an educational program, in a high quality education program, with professionals and experts, in a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach that allows improving product competitiveness and increasing cultural, social and environmental sensitivity. In order to determine the role of academia in sustainable tourism, we asked experts in the area. It should be to unify tourism development with sustainability, which requires knowledge applied to management. The demand for qualified personnel grows as this type of tourism increases. There are no educational alternatives to professionalize sustainable tourism. It is a fact in this field that local graduates do not find an outlet in the labour market, while companies complain that graduates do not respond to their needs. So, there is a mismatch between training and the labour market in Sustainable Tourism, which generates a training need. The areas in which education is needed are management, good practices, administration, economic resources, marketing and communication. The students are professionals and recent graduates. Professionals want to apply concepts of sustainability to their work, to expand knowledge and start new projects or to undertake an ecotourism project. Recent graduates have a sustainable mentality and lifestyle and want to orient their professional life in this sector and deepen knowledge about ecotourism. This program is taught online, and often this causes contradictions, so students were asked regarding the advantages and disadvantages of e-Learning methodology. The advantages of studying online are self-organization of time, self-taught research, comfort, costs savings, possibility of studying anywhere, to be able to combine master with work and daily life conciliation. Regarding disadvantages, some students do not see any, and other say there is no direct contact with teachers or other students, they don't live the university environment, the sensation of "loneliness" and difficulties in understanding.

Measuring tourism and environmental sciences students’ attitudes towards sustainable tourism

“…There is also scarcity of professional solutions to teach sustainable tourism ( Arraiza et al, 2018 ) and it can become a lost battle unless academia and schools take a step forward and implement it as a mandatory subject. Even if time is limited due to scientific obligations in the courses' curricula , there is always space for online and e-learning courses ( Abbas, Jones, & Hussien, 2016 ) or other creative solutions.…”

“…Later, a disposition for a behaviour intention emerges, based on attitudes, norms, and competences. At this stage, universities need to assume its important role in educating towards a more environmentally responsible world ( Arraiza et al, 2018 ). In the case of students, they are still learning.…”

Organizational and Pedagogical Conditions for Training Future Masters in Tourism in the Aspect of the Postmodern Approach

“…Arrobas et al (2020) substantiate students' attitudes towards tourism and environmental sciences regarding sustainable tourism strategies. Arraiza et al (2018) emphasize the role of the academy in sustainable tourism. It is the Master's program in management and ecotourism that combines sustainability and tourism in the educational program, in the high-quality educational program, with professionals and experts, in a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach, which allows to increase product competitiveness and increase cultural, social, and environmental sensitivity.…”