Abstract

Increasingly tourists are seeking learning and educational holidays. This interest has led to the provision of tourism product with some form of learning or education as an integral component, including cultural heritage tourism and ecotourism. The growth of offshore education and lifelong learning has stimulated cross-border movement for language learning, school excursions and university student travel. Reflecting this growth in educational tourism types, the author outlines the main forms of educational tourism, their demand and supply characteristics, their impacts and the management issues associated with them, taking a holistic systems-based perspective. The book argues that without adequate research and appropriate management of educational forms of tourism, the potential regional development impacts and personal learning benefits will not be maximised. The book highlights the need for collaboration and networking between both the tourism and education industries to adequately manage the issues surrounding the growth in educational tourism.

Dr Brent W. Ritchie is Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management at the University of Brighton, England and also Lecturer in the Tourism Program at the University of Canberra, Australia. He has undertaken university research and consultancy examining educational tourism segments and has an interest in tourism and regional development as well as niche tourism markets such as ecotourism, rural tourism, bicycle tourism, sport and events tourism.