Geography of American tourism and sport 4219-SH0033
The course focuses on the impact of tourism and sport on the American society, economy and environment from a spatial perspective. It presents the causes and effects of changing leisure patterns observed in the United States in the last century, and how in turn they change individuals, communities and the environment. The course is divided into two main parts: the first one discusses the general evolution of tourism and sport, both professional and amateur, on a national scale. The second one invites students to explore case studies of tourism hotspots and sporting events, and to consider their local, national and global importance.
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge:
- The student has knowledge of the theory of tourism geography.
- Knows the main spatial patterns of tourism development in the United States.
- Knows the positive and negative effects of tourism development on the society, economy and environment of the United States.
- Knows the major tourist attractions of the United States and their tourism resources.
- Understands the importance of professional and amateur sports in shaping the culture of the United States at the federal, regional and local scale.
- Understands the variation in popularity of sports according to spatial, social and economic conditions in the United States.
Skills:
- The student is able to recognize, analyze and present the impact of tourism development on selected areas of the United States.
- Distinguishes between primary and secondary tourism resources.
- Analyzes quantitative and qualitative data on tourism in the United States.
- Analyzes the causes and effects of differences in access to amateur and professional sports for different groups in American society.
- Describes the importance of professional sports teams on local and regional communities.
Social competences:
- The student uses the acquired knowledge and skills to critically analyze content and form their own opinions about the tourism and sports industry in the United States.
- Deepens their knowledge of tourism and sports in the United States and strives to confront it with their own experiences.
- Collaborates with other students during discussions and group work.
Assessment criteria
- Group presentation (30%).
- Essay (30%).
- Final test (30%).
- Attendance and active participation (10%).
Grading: <50% - 2, 50-59% - 3, 60-69% - 3,5, 70-79% - 4, 80-89% - 4,5, 90-100% - 5
Bibliography
Belarmino, A. (2021). The sharing economy in tourism cities. In A. M. Morrison J. A. & Coca-Stefaniak (eds.). Routledge handbook of tourism cities (pp. 65-75). Routledge.
Boniface, B., Cooper, R., & Cooper, C. (2021). Worldwide destinations: The geography of travel and tourism. Routledge.
Brand USA. (2024). Visit the USA: Guide to USA holidays & travel around America. https://www.visittheusa.com/
Davies, R. O. (2017). Sports in American life: A history. Wiley Blackwell.
Day, J. (2021). Sustainable tourism in cities. In A. M. Morrison J. A. & Coca-Stefaniak (eds.). Routledge handbook of tourism cities (pp. 52-64). Routledge.
Dubois, D. (2023). American sport in international history: The United States and the world since 1865. Bloomsbury.
Schiavone, M. (2015). Sports and labor in the United States. State University of New York Press.
Spirou, C. (2021). Tourism cities in the United States. In A. M. Morrison J. A. & Coca-Stefaniak (eds.). Routledge handbook of tourism cities (pp. 436-445). Routledge.
Wike, R., Fetterolf, J., Fagan, M., & Gubbala, S. (2023). Attitudes on an interconnected world. Pew Research Center.
Williams, S., & Lew, A. A. (2014). Tourism geography: Critical understandings of place, space and experience. Routledge.
World Tourism Organization. (2023). International tourism highlights, 2023 edition: The impact of COVID-19 on tourism (2020–2022). UNWTO.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: