In 2023, this subject replaced by TOUR 1003 - Global Trends in Tourism and Events. This subject introduces students to the foundational knowledge and skills required for tourism study at UWS and professional practice in a range of tourism related careers. This subject provides students with opportunities to familiarise themselves with the core concepts and basic theory of tourism management studies. It aims to equip students with an understanding of sustainable tourism, the tourism system, and mega trends of tourism. It covers the global complexity of the tourism industry; of the social, environmental, and political realities; and the role of governments - federal, state and local together with private enterprise in the development of tourism experience, industry practice, and destinations.

This subject introduces students to the foundational knowledge and skills required for tourism, event and heritage studies at WSU and professional practice in a range of related careers. The subject provides students with opportunities to familiarise themselves with the core concepts and basic theory of tourism, event, and heritage studies. It aims to equip students with an understanding of sustainable industry and community, the tourism system, and mega trends in tourism and event management. It covers the global complexity of tourism and event management; of the social, environmental, and political realities; and the role of governments – federal, state and local together with private enterprise in the development of experience, industry practice, and destinations.

In 2023 this subject is replaced by HUMN 2073 Issues in Contemporary Heritage. The aim of this subject is to get students thinking critically about heritage. To do so, it examines two main questions: "What is heritage?" and "Why does it matter?". While the answers to both may appear fairly straightforward, this subject is designed to make students question and problematise their own assumptions, rethink what is and is not heritage, and consider why, in fact, we even care at all. The subject will introduce concepts such as national identity, ethics, memorialisation, belonging, nostalgia, heritage values, status, control and repatriation. It will also introduce and examine heritage legislation, theory and practice.

This subject provides students with opportunities to work with private industry, government or non-government organisations, or commercial establishments, and be able to relate this experience with their professional and academic interests. It is a non fee paying but compulsory component of tourism management degree at Western Sydney University. Students will seek to learn about the many aspects of industry related work including environmental, social, cultural, and business matters.

Managing Sustainable Places provides students with a fundamental understanding of current debates in tourism and sustainable place management. The complex relationships and interactions among the diverse stakeholders involved in managing sustainable places and tourism are explored. The subject encourages a systems approach, focusing on managing visitor experiences alongside destination attributes and community development. The subject assists students to analyse the role of tourism, events, and heritage in sustainable places through applying a wide range of case studies.

In this subject student’s approach tourism and festivals as cultural and social phenomena. Tourism and festival related industries, visitor behaviour, visitor experience and the impacts of these are examined through a socio-cultural lens. Considering tourism as an agent of social change, and festivals as a key driving force within this, the subject is framed within the interplay between tourism, mobility and globalisation, tourism and development, and tourism and world events. The subject will also unpack some of the common motivations for leisure travel, explore the role of tourism in everyday life, and examine the interconnections between the media, consumer culture, visual culture and the tourist and festival experience.

This subject explores the ways in which digital technologies are reshaping travel, including travellers’ experiences, and planning and management of the travel industry. Students will learn how digital technologies are being utilised, and the opportunities and challenges these technologies present. The subject will provide opportunities to engage with travel apps, virtual/augmented reality technologies, smart attractions and transport technologies. Students will also learn how to conceptualise and pitch their own digital travel products. Upon completion of the subject, students will be well placed to develop and manage innovative, socially responsible travel and mobility technologies.

This subject examines the relationship between culture, heritage, tourism and events. It firstly provides an introduction to contemporary issues in heritage, tourism and event management. Secondly, it investigates the phenomenon of cultural tourism – its nature (including places and events), the market, visitors, the issues in planning and management – in the context of heritage and sustainable tourism praxis in Australia (and globally) as well as in the context of local communities.

Visitor Economy Professional Placement (VEPP) provides students with understanding and experience of tourism, events, heritage and related industry workplaces. Students work in a voluntary capacity with an industry host to gain work-ready skills and undertake professionally appropriate tasks. Students complete a Professional Placement Proposal and Professional Placement Report.

Destination Management provides students with a fundamental understanding of the concepts associated with managing places as destinations. The subject develops analytical skills that include the coordination of a destination through tourism industry’s sectors, their relationship with each other and the opportunities and challenges they face in the predictable future. An appreciation of the importance of a destination’s unique cultural, natural and economic attributes is developed from the viewpoint of sustainability and through the prism of a destination audit. The nature of competition and gaining competitive advantage is addressed throughout the content.

This subject provides students with a general understanding of planning theory as it relates to sustainable tourism policy and practice. Students will hear directly from practitioners about the ways in which policy and planning is being deployed to address contemporary tourism issues. The subject will explore various planning techniques, tourism policies, scenario mapping strategies and consider conflict resolution practices. The major assessment develops students’ abilities to identify deficiencies in current policy and to propose policy recommendations.

This subject explores the complexities of planning and managing major festivals and events. Students will gain an appreciation of the benefits festivals and events can provide for communities and visitor economies, as well as the challenges and risks they present. The subject will also cover a variety of other aspects, including: marketing, branding, sustainability, place-making, access, equity and security/policing. Students will be encouraged to attend events and festivals over the course of the semester, and experts will be invited to provide ‘real-world’ case-studies. The major assessment allows students to draw on the knowledge and skills they are developing to propose their own major festival/event.

This subject explores heritage and tourism through the lens of sustainability. It examines how heritage and tourism are impacted by sustainability challenges as well as how heritage and tourism can be undertaken in more sustainable ways. The subject contextualises how heritage and tourism have been used in social, economic and urban development and revitalisation strategies across the globe. It critically investigates how heritage and tourism are unfolding in the Global South, Indigenising and decolonising approaches and contemporary movements towards activism and justice (social, cultural, environmental, restorative). The subject also considers threats to these sectors’ sustainability, including impacts of the Anthropocene.

Tourism is a practice that both reflects and creates the changing, global world. International tourism is a key driver of the human experience of globalisation including the development of global citizenry, the opportunities and obligations that accompany this and the challenges, limitations and sometimes unintended effects of seemingly inconsequential travel choices. The tourism industry is concerned with the ongoing production of novel ways of experiencing the world and draws upon innovation in science and technology as well as imaginaries to accomplish this. This subject will examine how tourism creates and responds to futures in the realms of space, economy, culture and knowledge and how we can assess, evaluate and predict the effects of these.

This subject explores policy and governance in the tourism, heritage and events sectors. Students will explore current policies, and learn how to critically analyse them, especially in the context of sustainable development. The subject will also explore different governance structures in these sectors, and their influence on policy development and sustainability outcomes. After completing this subject, students will be well placed to take on governance, planning and policy roles to reshape the tourism, heritage and events sectors, both in Australia and internationally.

The world in which we live is undergoing rapid change – socially, environmentally, and politically. Responding to such change requires the constant renewal of our knowledge and skills. This subject explores a range of issues currently facing professionals and researchers working in heritage and tourism management, nationally and internationally. Students who complete this subject are provided an opportunity to deepen their understanding of a chosen issue by preparing and presenting a seminar.

While the intersecting industries and mobilities that comprise the ‘visitor economy’ (e.g. tourism, events, international education, business travel, hospitality, accommodation, transport, etc.) have traditionally been observed individually, there is a growing recognition of the need for holistic approach to planning and managing these diverse sectors. This is especially important for accomplishing sustainability outcomes. In this subject, students will learn about principles and strategies for managing sustainable visitor economies. Industry and government stakeholders will share case-studies detailing their experiences managing visitor economies.

This subject provides students with the knowledge and skills to creatively address a range of operational and engagement challenges in the tourism, heritage and visitor economy sectors. Through practical application and class-based theory, students will have the opportunity to learn a variety of data-capture and creative communication techniques, including: safe drone operation, high quality audio-visual recording, video editing, digital mapping, and graphic design for marketing, interpretation and public engagement.