RTM 470 Group AssignmentInstructions 1. THE BRIEF: A sustainable tour for SDSU s

RTM 470 Group AssignmentInstructions
1. THE BRIEF: A sustainable tour for SDSU students
As global tourism returns to pre-Covid levels, the first tourists to return were ‘crisis resistant tourists’ who tend to be
younger (college age), more adventurous, and who are often motivated by specific tourism niches (e.g., adventure
activities, sports, cultural exploration) – sound like anyone we know? Additionally, there has been an increased
emphasis on authentic experiences and sustainability post-covid.
Your tourism consulting business (3 – 6 team members) has been contracted to design a sustainable tour targeting SDSU
students. The tour is to have the central theme of sustainability and principles of sustainable tourism should be reflected
at every stage, in each component, and in every management decision made about the tour’s destination, design, and
inclusions.
The experience should be: personally meaningful for students; fun; an opportunity for students to learn about
sustainability, local cultures, and environments; safe; and, financially viable. At least one of your team should lead the
students on the trip. This means that the cost of travel (including accommodation & food) for this team member as well
as that team member’s pay for each day they are on the trip (you can determine an appropriate pay rate) should be
built into the over all cost and passed on to your customers. In addition, the trip should yield at least 20% profit to your
business.
These are the only criteria imposed. The remaining components of the tour including (but not limited to) duration,
group size, destination(s), activities, and cost are to be determined by your group based on market research. The
decisions you make in designing your tour should be based on and linked to the results of market research, the levels
of student concern about Covid, and the need to reflect the principles of sustainable tourism at every stage.
2. DELIVERABLES:
The deliverables for this assignment consist of a written report, and a group presentation. Reports must be fully
referenced using the APA style of referencing. If you don’t know what this is be sure to find out – there is information
available on Canvas. Failure to provide adequate referencing will severely impact your grade.
• The report involves conducting market research, we will design this research together in class. Your analysis of the
data we collect should inform your group’s choice of:
▪ destination country
▪ group size
▪ activities
▪ cost
The report also includes secondary research into a range of relevant topics (see rubric below), a profile of the
selected destination, details the itinerary, and a full budget. More details follow.
• The presentation takes the form of your team ‘pitching’ your tour to the class highlighting elements that your
market research showed to be important (e.g. Cost? Adventure? Comfort?) how sustainability is a key theme of
the tour, and how the tour is costed according to the guidelines in The Brief (see section 1.).
2.1 Team Contract
Once you have formed your group you will work together to construct a ‘Team Contract’. This will help your team set
goals, expectations, and policies and procedures. It will also establish consequences for members who do not meet
the expectations you set for yourselves.
2.2 Report Structure
Your report should follow the conventions of ‘standard report format’. Please follow the structure provided below.
Your report should have the following 13-14 sections
I. Title Page
II. Table of Contents
III. Executive Summary
An executive summary is exactly what its name suggests – a summary for executives. Generally, executives will not have the
time or inclination to read the entire report. They want to be able to glean all the significant details in two minutes by reading
the executive summary. This should not exceed one page and should convey all the findings and conclusions that would be
important to key executive decision makers. The use of bullet points is acceptable. The language needs to be extremely
concise and should include concrete findings, not just outline what the report covers in general terms.
IV. Introduction & Background
This section should provide a clear and concise introduction and background to the report including the brief/ and
background research into the topic at hand. It should clearly articulate the aim and objectives of the report i.e., to understand
the particular requirements or tastes of potential users of the product.
Your report should include cited additional research into:
a) Sustainability (definition, market trends), sustainable tourism demand and trends;
b) The nature of the market i.e., ‘Generation Z’, their views on sustainability and other characteristics that might influence
the design and marketing of a sustainable tour;
c) Trends and demand for experiential learning as a part of a university education, SDSU’s position on overseas
travel/educational experiences;
d) Trends and issues in voluntourism.
An excellent report will review a range of literature (multiple articles) on each of these topics citing a broad range of journal
articles and newspaper/magazine articles and industry reports. These references should all be correctly referenced (in APA
style – look it up if you don’t know what this is, guides are a google search away – use them) in text and in a separate
reference section at the end of the report.
V. Market Research
“Market research seeks to establish the scope and nature of the market (the number of people who use or are
likely to use the product or service and their characteristics) and consumer requirements and attitudes (the
particular requirements or tastes of users or potential users of the product or service)”. (Veal, 2006: 10).
The market research section of your report should contain the following sections.
VI. Methods
This section should provide a detailed, complete and accurate account of the research methods used.
NOTE: Please DO NOT carry out your own quantitative survey. The assignment must use the data provided from
the survey undertaken by the class. Please DO NOT conduct a quantitative analysis of your own qualitative
data.
VII. Findings & Discussion:
This section should include:
a) Tabulated or graphic summaries of each question asked in the survey in a table or graph accompanied by a brief (1-2
sentences) description of each table/graph. Be sure that your graphs are readable, clearly labeled, have an appropriate
title, and include the sample size.
b) An explanation of the significance of your results and what they are telling you abut the type of tour you should design.
c) Recommendations: Very briefly 1 – 2 sentences, and in order of priority (most important first), make recommendations
about: duration, group size, destination country, possible types of activities, cost etc that reflect your findings and
discussion. Bullet points are preferred.
VIII. Destination Profile
This section should include:
a) Outline the destination country’s main tourist attractions/products
Do most tourists come for natural attractions? Man made attractions? Events? Particular types of tourism (eco tourism,
adventure tourism, honeymooners, sun, sand and sea tourism, dive tourism)? Please do not use flowery ‘tourism
brochure speak’ in this section (it drives me nuts). Remember this is a business report not a travel guide, sales brochure,
or travel influencer blog.
b) International arrivals & source markets
How many international tourists visit the destination? Where do the tourists come from? How is the destination
rebounding as tourism builds back up? The UNWTO and CTTC websites will be useful for this section and subsequent
sections.
c) Tourism’s contribution to GDP – economic significance of tourism to the country.
How important is tourism to the destination? How large is the industry?
d) Trends in the tourism industry in the country
Challenges, opportunities, emerging markets, declining markets.
e) Issues of concern
Are there any issues specific to this country that a trip of this nature will need to take into consideration? E.g., safety
issues, health issues, transport issues, accommodation issues, food issues, communication issues. How can these be
addressed by the tour organizers? US State Department and even CIA websites will be useful.
f) Sustainability
What opportunities and/or challenges does the destination provide for incorporating the principles of sustainable
tourism into the product you are designing? (e.g., are there many sustainable products already in existence to choose
from? Is the country’s power grid already based on renewable energy sources? If not, what challenges are there and how
will you get around these issues?)
IX. Tour Sustainability Considerations
Outline all the measures your group has taken to ensure that your product is as environmentally, socio-culturally and
economically sustainable as possible. You may want to break this down by the different sectors of the tourism industry that
you use (e.g., transport, accommodation, food & beverage, tours, entertainment, souvenirs etc.) – this approach is a
suggestion rather than a requirement. Another approach would be to integrate this into the itinerary, showing how each
inclusion in the trip relates to sustainable tourism principles. An excellent report will demonstrate how each inclusion and
decision relating to the tour links back to principles of sustainable tourism. At a minimum your report should contain at least
one thoroughly researched great example of each of the following topics:
a) how you plan to minimize or offset the trip’s carbon footprint
b) sustainability driven transportation decisions
c) sustainable accommodations
d) sustainable food & beverage/restaurant choices
e) sustainable tours/attractions.
X. Itinerary
Present the itinerary of the tour. Link the itinerary to the results and recommendations of the market research (e.g., types of
activity, budget etc).
XI. Costing
Provide a thorough and accurate costing of the tour including the considerations outlined in the brief/SOW.
XII. Conclusion
Present the conclusions of your group’s investigation of ‘the brief’. Summarize your findings/results. This section does not
need to be extensive.
XIII. References (APA format)
XIV. Appendices