Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. Also required is Introduction to Sustainable Destination Development. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• critically discuss and reflect on the economic theory and methods relevant for evaluating nature-based tourism's socio-economic costs and benefits
• summarize governance and management strategies for outdoor activities and nature tourism from a social-ecological perspective
• summarize the relevance of private, pro-environmental behaviors and market-based solutions for nature-based tourism and sustainability

Content

The course introduces and conceptualizes nature tourism. Further, nature-based resources, services and values as a basis for outdoor recreation and nature tourism are presented. Interdisciplinary concepts such as ecosystem services and social-ecological systems are needed to describe, value and manage the diversity of the qualities of the ecosystem, the landscape and their human dimensions. The course also addresses environmental economic theory and methods for the socioeconomic valuation of outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism as well as for the costs of environmental impact. Different governance and management systems to restore, maintain and protect natural environments are studied in the context of sustainable nature-based destination development. Critical analysis of the possibilities and limitations of private, market-based efforts such as ecolabelling and ecotourism are a central part of this.

Instruction

Teaching is conducted in the form of lectures, exercises, literature seminars, study visits and project assignment.

Assessment

Written exam (5 credits), exercises and seminars (3 credits) as well as oral and written presentation of project assignment 7 credits).

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.