Module Directory

This module will critically explore contemporary and unique tourism topics to identify the niche market for international destinations.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide students with the ability to critically explore unique tourism types of travel activities and interests that go beyond standardised and mundane travel experiences.


• To allow students to critically analyse how international niche tourism contributes to local and global economies.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Interpret the depth and breadth of niche tourism markets, activities, and typologies.


2. Identify special interest tourists’ needs, motivations, and behaviours.


3. Critically evaluate socio-cultural, economic, and environmental effects of niche tourism.


4. Critique unethical tourism activities involving vulnerable populations including marginalised groups, communities, and individuals.

Indicative Content

Niche tourism markets, activities, and typologies.

• Concepts of carrying capacity and sustainable tourism development


• Over-tourism.


• The role of government intervention in managing tourist flow (i.e. Tourist Tax).

Special interest tourists’ needs, motivations, and behaviours.

• Cultural heritage – risks of cultural commodification and loss of authenticity.


• Dark tourism.


• Event tourism – penetrating foreign markets; the global market for international events; destination branding.


• Sex tourism.


• Film tourism – case studies of successful film locations (i.e., Harry Potter, Game of Thrones); the role of film in shaping destination identity and branding.


• Medical, wellbeing and health tourism – market trends and consumer behaviour.


• Religious tourism (Pilgrimage).


• Volunteer tourism.

Socio-cultural, economic, and environmental effects.

• Crowd control, infrastructure development, maintaining sacred sites.


• Socio-professional constructs of event tourism markets.


• Cultural exchange among diverse populations as well as potential conflicts that may emerge.


• Sustainable tourism and SDGs


• Social implications of increased visitor numbers to film sites.


• Psychological and sociocultural factors motivating / driving interest in dark tourism.

Ethical / unethical tourism activities.

• Ethical and moral implications (i.e., issues of representation, sensitivity, and exploitation) of dark tourism.


• Dependency, exploitation, and ethical implications, legal and regulatory approaches (i.e., human trafficking laws and policies, protecting vulnerable populations), cultural differences and local perceptions of sex tourism.


• Ethical issues surrounding patient safety and potential impacts of medical tourism.


• Regulatory frameworks that govern medical tourism.


• Impact of gaps in the marketplace of risk, service, quality, and experience of event tourism.


• Behaviour impacts on local environments and communities.


• Legacy impacts

This module will be delivered via:

• One 2-hour lecture per week
• One 1-hour seminar per week

Lectures, seminars, and workshops will form the main methods for the delivery of this module and students will be expected to access and prepare for such sessions using the EHS online virtual learning environment and resources. Where relevant, both operational and management information derived from the Wivenhoe House and local tourist destinations such as Colchester Castle will be used in academic sessions.

Students are expected to undertake the reading before classes and be prepared to engage in discussion.