Tourism & Destination Development
Open to All Majors
TOUR 2103: Foundations of Tourism:
Three hours lecture. This course explores destination development by leveraging community assets to attract travelers. Students examine tourism’s role in economic growth, community engagement, and viability while analyzing attraction management, cultural tourism, and outdoor recreation to craft experiences, promote destinations, and drive regional development.
TOUR 2613: Foundation of Tourism Internship:
Students gain entry-level experience in the tourism industry, focusing on customer service, professionalism, and communication skills within real-world settings such as visitor centers, hotels, or event planning organizations. This internship provides hands-on learning to build essential skills by supporting daily tourism operations, engaging with guests, and developing an understanding of leadership and teamwork with diverse groups.
TOUR 3203: Visitor Experience Design:
This course explores the strategic process of designing visitor experiences that generate positive economic outcomes and enhance quality of life in tourist destinations. Students will learn to craft, operate, and evaluate memorable experiences in settings such as historic sites, festivals, museums, arts venues, short-term rentals, agritourism farms, and nature-based attractions. The course provides practical skills in economic impact analysis, revenue management, business planning, and visitor experience design, while highlighting sustainable and inclusive approaches to destination management.
TOUR 4103 Digital Storytelling/Tourism:
Three hours lecture. This course examines tourism marketing with a focus on digital strategies, including data analytics, social media, branding, and content creation. Students will develop and execute campaigns for sectors such as sports, outdoor recreation, and cultural tourism, building a professional portfolio and mastering impactful, real-world marketing techniques.
TOUR 3613: Community and Economic Development:
This internship offers hands-on experience in tourism with a focus on community and economic development and destination management. Students will actively participate in planning and managing events, engaging communities, and developing strategies for destination or product development to enhance tourism experiences.
TOUR 4613: Advanced Marketing and Communication Internship:
Students will immerse themselves in content generation, digital media, and public relations to improve marketing strategies for a product, destination, business, or message. They will analyze data, identify target markets, and develop digital campaigns, gaining valuable experience in economic development and place-making to drive sustainable growth.
Minor in Tourism & Destination Development
The Minor in Tourism and Destination Development (TOUR) is an interdisciplinary program designed to develop future leaders in the tourism and service sector industries. Integrating expertise from multiple colleges, the minor offers a broad understanding of visitor experience design, destination operations, and tourism development. Students will gain essential skills relevant to the tourism industry, including visitor management, community tourism development, and digital marketing, with a unique focus on attracting, engaging, and meeting the needs of travelers while building community economies.
Course Requirements for the Minor in Tourism & Destination Development