Unit Outline
HGA501
Sustainable Tourism Development
Semester 1, 2025
Anne Hardy
School of Social Sciences
College of Arts, Law and Education
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B

Unit Coordinator
Anne Hardy
Email: Anne.Hardy@utas.edu.au
What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
 

This unit will explore the origins, elements and tensions inherent in sustainable tourism. You will explore the relevance of sustainable development to tourism, its application and the tensions that arise when theory is applied to practice. The unit will also critically review and asses international, national and statewide approaches to the concept, its use within government policy and efforts to develop indicators, benchmarks and assessment tools for sustainable tourism. Taught partially within a World Heritage Area, this unit give students a real life understanding of the managerial take up of the concept, along with commercial and tourists’ responses to the concept. The unit is taught face to face from the Cradle Coast and at Cradle Mountain National Park campus in an intensive block mode, over 4 days. Attendance is compulsory. On the 2nd and 3rd day of the teaching block, you will take a field trip to Cradle Mountain National Park (staying overnight), returning to class on the 4th and final day. Following the intensive block teaching, you will complete your assignments online.
Intended Learning Outcomes
As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1
Critically analyse impact of breadth of indicators and evaluation system that have been designed for the tourism andcultural heritage industries
2
Critically assess the integration of sustainable development and sustainable tourism into local, national andinternational government policy.
3
Critically evaluate the application and challenges of sustainable development and sustainable tourism to different
jurisdictions and businesses
4
Effectively communicate sustainable tourism principles to a range of tourism and cultural heritage stakeholders
Alterations as a result of student feedback
 
 
 

Teaching arrangements
ATTENDANCE MODE
TEACHING TYPE
LEARNING ACTIVITY
CONTACT HOURS
FREQUENCY
Attendance / engagement expectations
If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online or includes online activities, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline or MyLO, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.
 
 
 
 

How will I be Assessed?
 
For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.
Assessment schedule
ASSESSMENT TASK #
ASSESSMENT TASK NAME
DATE DUE
WEIGHT
LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:
Group Presentation
Refer to Assessment Description
10 %
LO4
Assessment Task 2:
Assignment
Refer to Assessment Description
30 %
LO1, LO2
Assessment Task 3:
Report
Refer to Assessment Description
60 %
LO3, LO4
 
Assessment details
Assessment Task 1: Group Presentation
Task Description:
Presentation to class members
Task Length:
20minute
Due Date:
Refer to Assessment Description
Weight:
10 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
x
LO4
 
Assessment Task 2: Assignment
Task Description:
Critical comparison of the integration of sustainable tourism theory into three tourism management plans
Task Length:
1500wd or equivalent
Due Date:
Refer to Assessment Description
Weight:
30 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
x
LO1, LO2
 

 
Assessment Task 3: Report
Task Description:
Report that critically assesses a sustainable tourism management plan for Mount Wellington
Task Length:
 
Due Date:
Refer to Assessment Description
Weight:
60 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
x
LO3, LO4
 
 
 

How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.
Academic progress review
The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.
Submission of assignments
Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see
Important Guidelines & Support.
Requests for extensions
If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.
 
A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.
 
The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.
Late penalties
Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.
 

Review of results and appeals
You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.