Durban University of Technology Tourism
TOURISM
As the world’s fastest growing industry, tourism has great significance to the world economy and is responsible for over 10 percent of global GDP and the generation of 200 million jobs worldwide. The World Tourism Organisation’s Tourism envisages international arrivals to reach over 1.56 billion by the year 2024. Of these worldwide arrivals in 2024, forecasts indicate that 1.8 billion will be intraregional and 377 million will be long haul travelers.
The private sector and government-initiated development in SA over the recent years have led to notable increases in career opportunities in diverse areas within the tourism sector. Additionally, with progressive awareness of tourism, community education and training opportunities also presented themselves.
Tourism at the Durban University of Technology
The Durban University of Technology recognizes the catalyst role of education and training in the context of maintaining and further developing the region as a tourist destination. In view of the exponential pre 2006 tourism growth and the current trend for even further growth, current and earlier tourism curricula have proven to continually meet stakeholder needs because of the comprehensive, Integrated, and cohesive nature of the learning programmes to fulfill industry needs.
In its past forms over the past 20 years, the University has taken cognisance of the diverse, yet close association between various employment opportunities in the tourism system. Historically, the institution has sustained the graduation of capable individuals to overcome the quantitative and qualitative shortages of human resources in the KZN tourism industry. Over the past 10 years, tourism curricula had increasingly incorporated a management focus, which later; amongst others, the 2004 Department of Environmental Affairs Tourism Competitiveness validated the importance as well as the dearth of appropriately qualified tourism managers in . The University’s brand of tourism education is well established and respected giving graduates valuable employment advantages.
TOURISM MISSION & VISION
“We believe that tourism should help improve the quality of life globally. In every way possible, the Department of Tourism of the Durban University of Technology is committed to the realization of this vision as we strive to be recognized by students and professionals as one of the world’s outstanding centres of tourism education and research.”
In engaging this vision, the department specifically aims to:
- Provide tertiary, competency-based, multi-disciplinary education and training, in line with transformation in higher education, relevant to those who aim to pursue a career in the tourism and allied industries.
- Encourage innovation, research, and quality information exchange within the Tourism department and among stakeholders in tourism and allied industries.
- Foster excellence in all the Department’s activities by developing appropriate physical, social and cultural environments, and by fostering a solid partnership with industry and the wider community.
- Provide faculty, students and alumni with special access to public decision-makers, tourism resources and global leaders in tourism studies.
MISSION
The Department of Tourism is a provider of tertiary, competency-based, multi-disciplinary tourism education and training that is:
- in line with transformation in this sector; and,
- relevant to those who aim to pursue a career in the tourism and allied industries.
The Department actively seeks the continual improvement of performance in it’s learning programmes and its parts, through sharing of agglomeration of capabilities, knowledge, resources, influences and information within institutional structural and reporting arrangements.
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY: TOURISM MANAGEMENT
This fourth level degree programme is concerned with managing the development and delivery issues and opportunities that face tourism professionals specifically in Southern Africa. Drawing upon world-wide experience and yet with roots in Africa this exciting course breaks new ground in three areas: delivery, orientation and content.
The programme emphasis is less on formal ‘chalk and talk’ lecturing but is based around the concept of ‘participative learning’ delivered through workshops, seminars and group work. Small groups coupled with the quality of students on the course, harnesses powerful peer group forces enabling rapid and substantial learning to take place.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IV
1. Economics of tourism
2. Tourism demand forecasting
3. The politics of tourism
4. International co-operation and tourism
5. The development sociology of tourism
6. The anthropology of tourism
7. Tourism and information technology
8. Ecosystems, conservation and tourism development
9. Tourism manpower
ADVANCED STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IV
1. The nature and importance of business policy / strategy to the Tourism Manager
2. Key overall forces in policy / strategy formulation and implementation
3. Formulation business policy and strategy
4. Implementing business policy and strategy
5. Policy / strategy in varied contexts and its relevance to tourism management
6. Selected readings
7. Case studies
MARKETING FOR TOURISM III
1. The marketing plan
2. Product strategies
3. Pricing strategies
4. Distribution strategies
5. Promotion strategies
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1. An introduction to research
2. Types of research
3. Forms of research
4. Analysing information
5. Planning the research project
6. Research application
TOURISM PROJECT IV
1. Assessment: 100% coursework
2. Research in the domain of tourism management.
MASTERS TECHNOLOGY
The degree prepares graduates for research careers / jobs in the sector primarily in the areas of market research, development research and tourism activity research. The objectives of the degree are:
• To train candidates in research methodology and techniques;
• To develop a new academic, professional or vocational area within tourism;
• To extend in depth the skills and knowledge in a particular field within the tourism sector; and
• To advance specialization.
NATIONAL DIPLOMA: TOURISM MANAGEMENT
The programme provides students with a broad-based, academically rigorous study of management concepts, theories and techniques as they apply to the international tourism industry, develops transferable managerial skills and equips students with basic research and problem-solving skills to commence an effective career or access post-graduate study. It promotes the application of this knowledge and understanding in the critical analysis of management, tourism and travel issues, in the development and evaluation of solutions to real life problems, which can be transferred into vocational settings.
The learning developed through this programme should enhance employment opportunities and broaden knowledge for those working in a diverse range of organisations including travel agencies, theme parks, visitor centres, hotels, airlines, events and conferences, cultural attractions, consultancies, government departments and many others that interface with tourism. Furthermore, the course develops important transferable skills for the future tourism manager, including decision-making problem solving and communication.
Tourism Learning Areas
NATIONAL DIPLOMA : TOURISM MANAGEMENT
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT I
1. Dimensions of Tourism
2. The Tourism Industry
3. Tourism Markets
4. Tourism Supply
5. Geography of Tourism
6. Impacts of Tourism
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT II
1. The nature and scope of tourism planning
2. Tourism development in context
3. Typologies of tourism development
4. Tourism resource assessment
5. Sustainable tourism planning issues and strategies
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT III
1. Tourism Policy
2. Tourism attraction development and management
3. Tourism facility and service development
4. Resource management and tourism
5. Business ethics and tourism businesses
6. Sustainable Tourism development
TRAVEL AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT I
1. General management and administrative function
2. Production/service function
3. Purchasing function
4. Financial function
5. Human resource function
6. Marketing function
7. Public relations function
8. Entrepreneurship
TRAVEL AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT II
1. Financial Management
2. Entrepreneurship
TRAVEL AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT III
1. Introduction, motivation and economic environment
2. Services Management
3. Project identification
4. Business plan preparation
5. Viability test
6. Services Strategy
TRAVEL AND TOURISM PRACTICE I
1. Destinations (Compulsory)
2. Travel agency operations and procedures or
3. Adventure based tourism or
4. Nature based tourism (Eco-tourism) or
5. Events based tourism or
6. Tourism planning
TRAVEL AND TOURISM PRACTICE II
1. Travel agency operations and procedures II or
2. Adventure based tourism or
3. Nature based tourism (Eco-tourism) or
4. Events based tourism or
5. Tourism planning
TRAVEL AND TOURISM PRACTICE III
1. Adventure based tourism or
2. Nature based tourism (Eco-tourism) or
3. Events based tourism or
4. Tourism planning or
5. Destinations ll
MARKETING FOR TOURISM I
1. Introduction to marketing for tourism
2. Marketing information in SA
3. Market measurement and forecasting
4. The marketing mix
MARKETING FOR TOURISM II
1. Strategic marketing
2. Environmental scanning
3. Competition analysis and strategies
4. Consumer and organisational buying and behaviour
5. The SWOT analysis
LAW FOR TOURISM I
1. The South African legal system
2. The constitutional order in SA
3. General principles of contract
4. Special types of contract
5. Mercantile law
6. Specific legal aspects of the tourism industry
CULTURAL TOURISM I
1. Agents and processes shaping culture
2. Classifications of culture
3. Agencies for culture retention and promotion
4. Role of culture in tourism
5. The development of cultural mix in South Africa
6. Strategies for development of cultural tourism
7. Managing cultural resources for tourism
MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR TOURISM
1. Module one: public relations
2. Module two: media studies
3. Module three: advertising
COMMUNICATION I
Section A: Interpersonal Communication
1. Communication process
2. Models
3. Barriers
4. Perception
5. Cross-cultural communication
6. Non-verbal communication
7. Self-awareness
8. Listening skills
9. Conflict resolution in interpersonal relationships
Section B: General Business Writing Skills
1. Article
2. Summarising
3. Correspondence
4. Short forms of communication
5. Reports
6. Notices, agendas and minutes
Section C: Oral Communication
1. Group discussion
2. Individual oral presentation
3. Formal meetings
END-USER COMPUTING I (MOD 1 and 2)
1. Computer Background Theory
1.1 Computer basics
1.2 Components of a computer system
1.3 Input / output devices
1.4 Concepts of data and datafiles
1.5 Managing data
1.6 Storage devices
1.7 Computer performance issues
1.8 Operating systems, applications and software development
1.9 Licences and security
1.10 Networks
1.11 Internet and the Information Superhighway
1.12 Case studies
2. Practical
Experience of a package in each of the following fields:
2.1 Operating system commands and file management
2.2 Word-processing
2.3 Spreadsheets and graphics
2.4 Record, file and database management programs
2.5 Presentation software
FRENCH I
1. Indefinite articles, a, an, some : un, une, des
2. Definite article, the : le, la, l’, les
3. Contraction of the preposition de (from / of) and the definite articles le, les to give du, des
4. Contraction of the preposition à ( at, to) and the definite articles le, les to give au, aux
5. Partitive article, some: du, de la, de l’, des
6. Adjectives: concord of nouns and adjectives
7. Possessive Adjectives : mon, ma, mes, etc.
8. Subject pronouns : je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles
9. Verbs : être, avoir, aller, faire, voir, prendre, -er verbs, ir verbs, -re verbs
10. Negative : ne.……pas, ne …….jamais plus any necessary changes
11. Adverbs
12. Prepositions
13. Numbers
14. Calendar dates: days of the week, months of the year
15. The time
16. The weather
17. Various themes, which combine, appropriate vocabulary and basic grammar for sentence structure for oral and written expression :
17.1 greetings/farewell/excuses/apologies
17.2 expression of basic emotions/likes and dislikes
17.3 clothes and colours
17.4 accommodation
17.5 town/tourist sights
17.6 food/restaurant ordering
17.7 country/tourist sights
17.8 travel/air/train/coach/car/bicycle
18. Simple idiomatic expressions
19. French cultural background : basic knowledge of map of France, its historical past
20. French Presence in South Africa/in Pietermaritzburg/in KwaZulu-Natal
21. Question and Answer: for oral and written proficiency
GERMAN I
Introduction to the German language
1.1 Pronunciation
Basic grammar
2.1 Functional grammar
2.2 Comprehension
2.3 Vocabulary and spelling
3. Application of language in tourism
4. German cultural background and physical feature of the country
EVENTS MANAGEMENT I
1. Introduction to events
2. The event planning process & procedure
3. Human resources
4. Event sponsorship
5. Risk Management
6. Event marketing and communication
7. Catering management for events