Bachelor of Arts in Global Sustainable Tourism

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Worldwide, the impacts of tourism on the natural environment are under increasing scrutiny and demand for restraint and solutions. The World Tourism Organization, as well as the World Travel and Tourism Council, have explicitly called for increased focus on sustainability when creating policies and managing global tourism. There is an urgent need to protect the resources that attract tourists to destinations around the globe. The recent pandemic has caused the world to notice that destinations such as Venice and Amsterdam if allowed to recover from over-tourism through more sustainable practices, can and will do so. In our state of Florida, there is increased pressure to protect our natural attractions which include the state’s 825 miles of beaches, the Everglades, the Keys, coral reefs, springs, and mangroves. Other alarming events such as red tide, climate change, and sea-level rise, and extreme storm events have all raised awareness of the vulnerability of the tourism industry both locally and abroad.

This innovative degree recognizes the importance of sustainable operations in the tourism industry today, its impacts on the planet, and the increasing demand for a more sustainable approach to managing hospitality and tourism businesses. This unique program, offered through the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, is an interdisciplinary collaboration with the Department of Earth and Environment of the College of Arts, Science, and Education and features a blended curriculum composed of the most-relevant existing courses from each department as well as a host of new courses specifically designed for the degree.

Students pursuing this degree will acquire the knowledge and tools needed to become industry leaders in the management of sustainable tourism standards that will help protect the world’s natural and cultural resources and maintain them intact for future generations. Students will learn to apply these skills and lead through advocacy, conservation, and community partnerships. Topics covered include socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural impacts with respect to responsible business practices and local governance. In a nutshell, the overarching thrust of the program is to teach students how tourism can adapt to and mitigate climate change and become a key sector in the transition to low-carbon economies.

Highlights

• Every student is paired with a success coach
• Program starts: Fall, Spring, Summer
• Become part of an exceptional community and make the most of your education. Join the Honors College.
• This program grants you access to Career Engage and associated scholarships.

Why Apply?

Major American hospitality and tourism corporations including Hilton, Carnival, and others, have aligned their sustainability programs with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), making 2030-target commitments to reduce their environmental footprints and setting social-impact goals. Other global brands like Inter-Continental, Air France/KLM and Sodexho rigorously compete for highest positioning on the annual Dow Jones ranking of SP 600 corporations for their environmental sustainability leadership. The need to balance environmental protection with human recreational use has become urgent and requires a workforce that is trained in understanding the business of tourism as well as how to think long-term to conserve spectacular natural places for future generations of tourists.

The primary purpose of the B.A. in Global Sustainable Tourism degree program is to provide the global hospitality and tourism industry with sustainability-oriented managers who will know how to balance travelers’ desires for memorable experiences while protecting nature, culture, communities, and the planet. Students will emerge prepared to work in promoting transitions to sustainability in tourism for business, government and non-governmental organizations anywhere in the world.

Partnerships

The Chaplin School, named for Mr. Harvey Chaplin, Chairman of Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, annually co-produces the Food Network and Cooking Channel South Beach Wine and Food Festival (SobeWFF) along with Southern Glazer’s. The event, largest of its kind in the U.S., generates experiential learning opportunities for as many as 1200 FIU students each year. Additionally, the Chaplin School has developed many other long-standing relationships with major global hospitality and tourism corporations such as Carnival Cruise Lines (funder of the Carnival Gold Scholars and the Carnival Student Center on our BBC campus) and Marriott International (namesake for the school’s Marriott Tianjin China Program), along with some well-known names among food and beverage producers to the industry such as Bacardi, Badia and Quirch that have greatly contributed to the school’s Restaurant, Culinary and Spirits Management programs. Global corporate partners have been central to efforts to expand funding opportunities to students, serve the local community, provide employment experiences, and deliver the resources needed to advance the quality of education and service provided to students and alumni. Building meaningful relationships with industry organizations has been an integral part of the Chaplin School’s highly-successful existence, earning the #1 ranking for U.S. online hospitality and tourism programs for six years in a row.