Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Tourism Management

Purpose

The primary purpose of this qualification, closely linked to the rationale, serves to consolidate, advance and deepen learner expertise and enable advancement in a career as a tourism manager. Furthermore, this qualification aims to develop skills and capabilities to conduct research in the area of tourism management.

The qualification also aims to develop entrepreneurial skills in postgraduate learners, enabling them to start their own businesses and create jobs. In this regard the qualification serves to educate and train researchers who can potentially contribute to the development of the profession at postgraduate level leading to enhanced career and employment prospects. The qualification provides qualifying learners with a comprehensive and in-depth knowledge base; as well as theory and methodology of tourism management that enables them to demonstrate initiative and responsibility in an academic and professional context.

Rationale

The Rationale for the qualification is to provide in-depth, specialised education, training and scholarship in the field and practice of tourism management at postgraduate level. Tourism is one of the country's most dynamic and lucrative sectors. However, the ever changing needs that characterise dynamic and turbulent societies with their demands and growing competition world-wide are putting pressure on South Africa to have skilled managers who are able to plan and implement strategic management and responsible tourism practices. Therefore, there is a demand from both the private sector and public sector for this postgraduate qualification in Tourism Management.

The qualification aims to improve the learner's ability to research, analyse and deal with complex real world problems, as well as identify global trends and tourist needs and motives in the specialist areas. The need for research is highlighted in the National Tourism Sector Strategy. The requirement to develop specific skills in tourism management and to prepare learners to conduct research is the primary reason for offering this qualification. These skills are also crucial prerequisites for admission to Master's Degree studies in this field.

Learners accessing this qualification should also

• Be able to read and critically evaluate academic text in English and communicate information as well as their own ideas orally and in written text that is grammatically correct, well structured, clear and concise, using accepted standards of scientific and academic writing.
• Be able to independently and responsibly plan, schedule and take responsibility for the success of their learning in a structured and Open Distance Learning (ODL) tuition environment and appropriately manage their time according to required outcomes.
• Be able to identify access, retrieve and integrate information from scholarly or professional literature.
• Be able to use technology to such an extent that they can access and participate in the various modules that comprise the qualification by means of online delivery and also use the library and other electronic services in support of the learning and any other additional resources related to the qualification modules.
• Have access to the South African media.
• Have well-rounded knowledge about the theoretical and practical aspects of the field of tourism management.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The learners who do not meet the minimum requirements can gain access to the qualification through the Recognition of Prior Learning and credits will be granted where competency in a specific module is established by an assessor.

Access to the Qualification

Applicants who are in possession of a Bachelors Degree: Tourism Management or any equivalent qualification may be granted admission.

This qualification consists of 120 Credits at NQF Level 8.

Compulsory modules

• Advanced Strategic Tourism Management, 24 Credits.
• Research methodology, 12 Credits.
• Research proposal: Tourism Management, 12 Credits.
• Research project: Tourism Management, 24 Credits.

Optional modules (choose two)

• Advanced Tourism Development and Ecotourism, 24 Credits.
• Advanced Events and Attractions Management, 24 Credits.
• Advanced Destination and Marketing Management, 24 Credits.
• Advanced E-Travel and E-Tourism, 24 Credits.

The qualifying learner will be able to

• Develop a comprehensive knowledge base of tourism related theories in the different sectors of tourism management such as tourism development and ecotourism, events and attractions, destination marketing, e-travel and e-tourism and strategic tourism management.
• Demonstrate a coherent and critical understanding of the application of tourism related theories in the different sectors of tourism management such as tourism development and ecotourism, events and attractions, destination marketing, e-travel and e-tourism and strategic tourism management.
• Demonstrate coherent and critical understanding founded on a comprehensive and systematic knowledge base of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in economic and management sciences, theory and paradigms, professional practice and ethical standards in the field of tourism management.
• Apply the theory and demonstrate advanced scholarship in the various specialisation areas by critically and systematically reviewing knowledge and processes of knowledge production and interrogating multiple sources of knowledge in the field of tourism management.
• Use a range of specialised skills to identify, analyse and address complex, abstract and/or real-life problems in the workplace, drawing systematically on their knowledge of ethical standards, theory and paradigms, research methods, techniques and technologies in the field of tourism management.
• Apply their knowledge of and insight into the theory and principles of research and the process of conducting research to a particular complex and/or real-life problem in a selected area of specialisation in the form of a research proposal.
• Use a range of specialised knowledge, skills, research methods, techniques, technologies and ethical standards relevant to the profession in planning and implementing a research project in a selected area of specialisation; and, using the resources of an academic/professional discourse, write up a research report under supervision which meets the standards of scholarly/professional writing.
• Demonstrate capacity to manage and self-assess learning tasks autonomously, professionally, responsibly and ethically.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes include those specified in the Exit-Level Outcomes of the qualification and those specified in the learning outcomes for approved modules for the coursework and research option and as appropriate to the student's field of practice.

This qualification promotes, in particular, the following Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

• Identify and solve challenging, complex and real-life human behaviour problems in an organisational context and make decisions using advanced critical and independent thinking.
• Autonomously collect, analyse, research, organise and critically evaluate information and make sound judgements, reflecting critical self-reflection and a consideration of consequences and ethical standards.
• Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation or community by taking full responsibility for their own work, decision making and use of resources.
• Organise and manage themselves and their own activities responsibly and effectively, develop their own learning strategies which sustain independent learning and academic or continued professional development and interact effectively within the learning or professional group as a means of enhancing learning.
• Communicate effectively using visual and/or language skills in the written presentations. This includes researching, reviewing, evaluating, producing and communicating information in specialised contexts in order to develop creative responses and insights, rigorous interpretations and solutions to problems and issues appropriate to the context.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem solving contexts do not exist in isolation. This includes operating effectively within a system, or managing the system based on an understanding of the roles and relationships between elements of the system.
• Develop sensitivity to diversity and individual uniqueness and understand similarities shared with others. This includes identifying and addressing ethical issues based on critical reflection on the suitability of different ethical value systems to specific contexts.
• Promote responsible citizenship by contributing towards the psychological well-being of others and quality of work life within the organisation, including the full personal development of individuals and the social and economic development of society at large.
• Develop a comprehensive and systematic theoretical knowledge base in the areas of specialisation and practical macro vision, taking into account socio-economic, socio-political, legal and multicultural factors influencing economic, business and people management internationally, nationally and locally.

The following Assessment Criteria are used in an integrated manner to determine competence against the Exit Level Outcomes:

• Current research and multiple sources of scholarly or professional literature are reviewed, critiqued and evaluated in an independent manner and sound theoretical judgements are made by using well-reasoned, theory-driven and evidence-based arguments.
• Complex problems related to the field of tourism management are accurately identified, formulated, critically reviewed, evaluated and interpreted; taking into consideration the socio-economic, socio-political and legal contexts.
• Standard procedures, processes or techniques to theoretically deal with or empirically investigate unfamiliar, complex, abstract or real-life world problems in the field of tourism management are appropriately applied.
• The analyses and interpretation of theoretical, quantitative and qualitative data and information are independently conducted.
• Coherent and critical insight, by means of well-rounded, theory-driven, evidence-based arguments and self-reflection, is demonstrated.
• Judgements and conclusions based on collected data are clearly articulated in their writing.
• Critical self-assessment reflecting an awareness of their own activities, ethical behaviour and continued professional development, in the field of tourism management, is demonstrated.
• Viewpoints, insights and ideas of scholars and professionals that operate in the tourism management environment are reflected on.
• Ethical decisions which affect knowledge production or complex organisational or professional issues are acknowledged and the awareness of the consequences of such decisions is recognised.

Integrated Assessment

For the qualification to be awarded, a learner must have successfully achieved the outcomes of each of the compulsory/core and elective modules that constitute the qualification and have completed an approved research proposal and research report under guided supervision in an elected area of specialisation in Tourism Management.

Evidence of learning competency (knowledge, skills, attitudes and expertise) and of the learner's ability to achieve the purpose of the qualification as a whole at the time that the qualification is awarded is required by means of comprehensive and integrated assessment (constituting a range of formative and summative assessments). Continuous formative and summative assessment methods are used in the form of written assignments, portfolios, examinations and the supervision of a research proposal and project.