Tourism II Special Interest Tourism

Study tourism for special target markets. Learn about business tourism, tourism for the elderly, cultural and arts tourism, food and wine tourism, and more.

Course Code: BTR204
Fee Code: S3
Duration (approx) Duration (approx) 100 hours
Qualification
Get started!
NICHE TOURISM CAN MAKE MONEY!
Study at Home: Learn about special interest tourism. This course builds an understanding of opportunities in such things as business tourism, festival tourism, cultural tourism, environmental tourism, senior tourism, food and wine tourism and much more.

Travel to natural attractions has a very long history, and has probably occurred since humans first developed a sense of aesthetics, may even earlier. Travel to these destinations was often arduous, and required determination, courage, a level of fitness, and sufficient wealth to allow the traveller to purchase food, labour, accommodation, transport and other materials for long periods. Today’s traveller, on the other hand, can reach most destinations easily and quickly, and services and facilities are usually readily available at the site or nearby, and he or she need not be fit or wealthy.

With travel to natural sites easier than ever, and travel more generally affordable, the main concern in developing and maintaining natural sites is manage tourism in order to avoid damage to very attraction that draws people there. This issue is discussed further in the lesson on environmental tourism, but it is a significant issue for all kinds of tourism that attracts travellers to places where they can enjoy the sights, smells, sounds and delights of nature.

Student Comment (M. Soares, Angola):
"This has given me insights into world wide tourism, and it helps me to understand how we can develop our tourism without too much damage"

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

  1. Sectors of the Tourism Industry
    • Scope of the travel product (natural & cultural, events & sites)
  2. Types of Tourism
    • Regional
    • Rural
    • Urban.
  3. Accommodation Types
    • Resorts and Hotels
    • Camping
    • Back packers
    • Cruise
    • Special interest accomodation
  4. Cultural Tourism
    • Museums
    • Art galleries
    • Theatre
    • Indigenous tourism
    • Historic parks
    • Cultural vs Heritage tourism
    • Religious Tourism
  5. Events & Festivals
    • Concerts
    • Exhibitions
    • Performances
    • Seminars
  6. Environmental Tourism
    • Natural Attractions
    • Nature Based Tourism
    • Definitions
    • Wildlife Tourism
    • Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism
  7. 7. Health & Adventure Tourism
    • Health Tourism
    • Adventure Tourism
    • Walking Tours
    • Cycle Tours
    • Soft vs Hard Adventure Tourism
    • Rock Climbing
    • Space Tourism
  8. More Special Interest Tourism
    • Food & Wine Tourism
    • Senior Tourism
    • Sex Tourism
  9. Visitor Management & Contingency Planning
    • Effects of Tourism on the Host Community
    • Managing Visitors
    • Planning for Contingencies
    • Common Problems with Visitor Services
    • Risk management (safety, financial, etc)
  10. Packaging a Tour
    • Planning the Itinerary;
    • Costing
    • Presenting the Package
    • Reviewing the Package

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

  • To analyse tourism industry, to determine the various sectors which service tourism and travel.
  • To differentiate between different types of tourism on a variety of bases, including: demographics, geography, economics, and culture.
  • To compare a variety of different accommodation services provided in the tourism industry.
  • To describe the operation of heritage and cultural tourism, including: historical, architectural, indigenous, and artistic attractions.
  • Evaluate the tourism potential of events and festivals.
  • To describe the management of passive natural tourist attractions, including wilderness areas, beaches, rivers, wildlife etc.
  • To describe the operation of different types of tourism facilities that have a significant focus on health and fitness, including Health Resorts, Walking Tours and Cycling.
  • To describe a variety of other types of special interest tourism, including food tourism, senior tourism and sex tourism.
  • To plan and manage the number of visitors to different types of tourism facilities and develop appropriate contingency plans.
  • To plan a package holiday incorporating a variety of accommodation and attraction options.

What You Will Do

  • Visit travel agencies or information centres
  • Search the internet
  • Write to a government travel authority/department
  • Visit a local or regional tourist centre
  • Study travel pages in a newspaper for both articles and advertisements
  • Visit a library, bookshop or news stand and look at travel magazines
  • Conduct interviews or surveys
  • Attend events

What is Special interest tourism (SIT)?

 
This is the provision of customised tourism activities that caters to the specific interests of groups and individuals. In this case, tourism is undertaken to satisfy a particular interest or need. It has been proposed that SIT consists of four main experiences:
  1. Rewarding
  2. Enriching
  3. Adventuresome Experiences
  4. Learning Experiences.
The clients engaged with SIT are seeking to learn more, enrich their awareness, and express themselves. They expect high standards of service and individualized focus. Many wish to travel in an environmentally sound manner and to have authentic experiences be they: cultural, social or environmental, in which they have a positive engagement with the host community.

The range of special interest tours is enormous. It may range from a women’s only trek down the Larapinta Track in outback Australia to a bike tour of one of France's wine growing regions where it is possible to meet those responsible for the production of the wine being sampled, or from gay-only resorts to whale watching in Antarctica.

How is Special Interest Tourism Different?

Special interest tourism differs from other types of tourism in the following ways:
  • It is less standardised
  • It is more flexible
  • It provides more personalised service
  • Businesses and service providers are often small scale
  • It often has a strong interpretive (educational, informative) element
  • It often provides opportunities for strong client participation
  • It often invests in distinctive products and services
  • It is seen to be a more sustainable form of tourism.



Is there anything Wrong with Special Interest Tourism?
The following arguments are sometimes suggested:
  • SIT can sometimes be a high risk venture
  • Dishonest operators can ‘hijack’ the terms 'alternative' and 'eco' for their own purposes.
  • SIT increases travel costs
  • SIT is unrealistic in expecting the travel industry to be controlled by local communities
  • SIT is elitist
  • It is unrealistic to propose that SIT will negate environmental effects of tourism due to the fact of its projected increases
  • SIT will in fact spread the negative effects of mass market tourism over a larger area.
  
Member of Study Gold Coast Education Network.
Member of Study Gold Coast Education Network.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.

How can I start this course?

You can enrol at anytime and start the course when you are ready. Enrolments are accepted all year - students can commence study at any time. All study is self paced and ACS does not set assignment deadlines.

Please note that if a student is being assisted by someone else (e.g. an employer or government subsidy), the body offering the assistance may set deadlines. Students in such situations are advised to check with their sponsor prior to enrolling. The nominal duration of a course is approximately how long a course takes to complete. A course with a nominal duration of 100 hours is expected to take roughly 100 hours of study time to complete. However, this will vary from student to student. Short courses (eg. 100 hrs duration) should be completed within 12 months of enrolment. Certificates, Advanced Certificates and Awards (eg. over 500 hours duration) would normally be completed within 3 -5 years of enrolment. Additional fees may apply if a student requires an extended period to complete.
If a student cannot submit their assignments for 6 months to ACS, they should advise the school to avoid cancellation of their student
registration. Recommencement fees may apply.

Simply click on the ENROL OPTIONS button at the top of this screen and follow the prompts.

You can see the course price at the top of this page. Click 'enrolment options' to see any payment options available.

You can pay by Credit Card, PayPal, Afterpay or bank transfer.

Yes! We have payment plans for most courses. Click 'enrolment options' to see the available payment plans.
We also have Afterpay that will allow you to pay for your course or payment plans in four instalments (if you are in Australia).


What do I need to know before I enrol?

There are no entry requirements that you need to meet to enrol in our courses, our courses are for everyone.
If you are under 18, we need written permission from your parent/ guardian for your enrolment to continue, we can arrange that after you have enrolled.

You don’t need to purchase any additional resources to complete our courses.

We aim to teach you the essentials without you having to purchase any specific computer program.
We recommend that you have access to a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, so that you can easily complete and submit your assignments.

You sure can. We are here to help you learn whatever your abilities.

Yes, if you are enrolling in a Certificate or Advanced Certificate, you might be eligible for credits if you have evidence of your previous studies or relevant experience. More information is here.

We recommend that you are able to browse websites, send emails and conduct online research. You will need to be able to type and submit your assignments.
If you have limited computer skills, we can make special arrangements for you.

This is possible, it depends on the institution. We recommend that if you would like to use our courses that you contact the institution first. Our Course Handbook is a good resource for this.

Our courses are written in English and we only have English speaking academic staff. If you can read and complete your assignments in English, our courses are ideal for you.

Our courses are designed to build knowledge, hands on skills and industry connections to help prepare you to work in the area, running your own business, professional development or as a base for further study.

This course has been designed to cover the fundamentals of the topic. It will take around 100 hours to complete, which includes your course reading, assignment work, research, practical tasks, watching videos and anything else that is contained in the course. Our short courses are a great way to do some professional development or to learn a new skill.

It’s up to you. The study hours listed in the course are a rough guide, however if you were to study a short course (100 hours) at 10 hours per week, you could finish the course in 10 weeks (just an example). Our courses are self-paced, so you can work through the courses in your own time. We recommend that you wait for your tutor to mark and return your assignment before your start your next one, so you get the benefits of their feedback.

The course consists of course notes, videos, set tasks for your practical work, online quizzes, an assignment for each lesson (that you receive feedback from your tutor from) and ends in an exam (which is optional, if would like to receive the formal award at the end), using our custom built Learning Management System - Login.Training.

Our courses are designed for adults to gain professional development and skills to further their careers and start businesses.

Our custom online learning portal allows you to conduct your learning online. There may be practical tasks that you can do offline. You have the option of downloading your course notes or print them to read later.

There is also the option to pay an additional fee for printed course notes and or USB (availability limited to location and deliverability).

Yes, if you don’t have access to the internet, you can receive the course as paper notes or on a USB stick for an additional fee. We can also make alternative arrangements for you to send your assignments to us.

We offer printed notes for an additional fee. Also, you can request your course notes on a USB stick for an additional fee.

Yes, your tutor is here to help you. Simply post any questions you have in your login.training portal or contact the office and we can pass on a message to your tutor.

We are more learning focussed, rather than assessment focussed. You have online quizzes to test your learning, written assignments and can complete an exam at the end of the course (if you want to receive your certificate). You will not receive a pass/ fail on your course work. If you need to add more details on your assignment, we will ask you to resubmit and direct you where you need to focus. If you need help, you can ask your tutor for advice in the student room.

Each module (short course) is completed with one exam.

Exams are optional, however you must sit an exam if you would like to receive a formal award. You will need to find someone who can supervise that you are sitting the exams under exams conditions. There is an additional cost of $60 incl. GST for each exam.
More information is here

There are practical components built into the course that have been designed to be achieved by anyone, anywhere. If you are unable to complete a task for any reason, you can ask your tutor for an alternative.

When you complete the course work and the exam and you will be able receive your course certificate- a Statement of Attainment. Otherwise, you can receive a Letter of Completion.

You can bundle the short courses to create your own customised learning bundle, Certificates or Advanced Certificates. More information is on this page.

Yes, our courses are built to be applicable for people living anywhere in any situation. We provide the fundamentals, and each student can apply their own unique flair for their own interests, region and circumstances with the one-on-one guidance of a tutor. There is also a bit of student directed research involved.

Employers value candidates with industry skills, knowledge, practical skills and formal learning. Our courses arm you with all of these things to help prepare you for a job or start your own business. The longer you study the more you will learn.

ACS has an arrangement with OAMPS (formerly AMP) who can arrange Professional Indemnity from Australian and New Zealand graduates across all disciplines. Ph: 1800 222 012 or email acs@oamps.com.au.


Who are ACS Distance Education?

ACS Distance Education have been educating people for over 40 years.

We are established and safe- we have been in education for over 40 years.
We are focused on developing innovative courses that are relevant to you now and what you will need to know in the future.
We are focused on helping you learn and make the most of your experience.
You can enrol at any time, you can work on your course when it suits you and at your own pace.
We are connected to many industry bodies and our staff participate in continuous improvement and learning activities to ensure that we are ahead of what learning is needed for the future.

Our courses are not accredited by the Australian Government. However many of our courses are recognised and held in high regard by many industry bodies.

Our courses are written by our staff, who all have many years experience and have qualifications in their speciality area. We have lots of academic staff who write and update our courses regularly.


How do I enrol my staff/ sponsored students?

Yes, you can do a request for a bulk enrolment and request an invoice on our Invoice Request Form

We can prepare an invoice, quote or proforma invoice. Simply complete your details on our Invoice Request form

We can arrange bulk discounts for your course enrolment, please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.

Yes, we have many students who are in locked facilities, such as prisons or hospitals. We can cater by also offering paper notes at an additional cost.


What if I have any more questions or need more information?

We can assist you to find the right course for your needs. Get in touch with us via email (admin@acs.edu.au) call on +61 7 5562 1088 or complete our course advice form.


What if I change my mind?

Please get in touch with studentservices@acs.edu.au if you would like to be removed from our mail list.

If you would like ACS Distance Education to delete your information at any time (whether you are a customer or a prospective customer), please contact our privacy officer and we will process this ( admin@acs.edu.au ).

If students require a reproduction of their certificate, an electronic copy can be provided at a cost of AUD$35 incl GST. Printed copies are not available.




Course Contributors

The following academics were involved in the development and/or updating of this course.





Tutors

Meet some of the tutors that guide the students through this course.

Sarah Pirecki

A passionate advocate for animal health and welfare. Sarah completed a Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience majoring in Animal Health and Disease and is currently completing a Diploma of Project Management. She has a wide range of experience working in agricultural settings, veterinary nursing, assistance dog raising, and animal education.

Rosemary Davies

Originally from Melbourne, Rosemary trained in Horticultural Applied Science at Burnley, a campus of Melbourne University. Initially she worked with Agriculture Victoria as an extension officer, taught horticulture students, worked on radio with ABC radio (clocking up over 24 years as a presenter of garden talkback programs, initially the only woman presenter on gardening in Victoria) and she simultaneously developed a career as a writer.

She then studied Education and Training, teaching TAFE apprentices and developing curriculum for TAFE, before taking up an offer as a full time columnist with the Herald and Weekly Times and its magazine department after a number of years as columnist with the Age. She has worked for a number of companies in writing and publications, PR community education and management and has led several tours to Europe.

Jenny Bragg

Jenny has experience across many different business areas including marketing, operations management and human resources, her specialty fields are events, hospitality and tourism. She has worked in a number of different service sector organisations including hotels, restaurants, bars and specialist event providers. Jenny is a trained teacher and has worked with different educational bodies in the UK, as well as providing a consultancy service to the business and events sector.

Need Help?

Take advantage of our personalised, expert course counselling service to ensure you're making the best course choices for your situation.


I agree for ACS Distance Education to contact me and store my information until I revoke my approval. For more info, view our privacy policy.

>