Diploma in Ecotourism

Ecotourism is about the joys of visiting unspoilt places in various beautiful and inspiring parts of the world, leaving as little environmental impact as possible and in doing so, helping to contribute to conservation and the local economy.

This course asks whether the travel and tourism industry is really as "green" as it appears when it comes to sustainable tourism, and seeks to define what true sustainable development in tourist hotspots means for business, local people and for holidaymakers.

There are special sections studying the ecotourism industry and its impact on the local environment and economy in the following areas: The Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, South Africa and the United States.

This course will appeal to people involved in the tourism, hospitality and travel industries, travellers themselves (both actual and armchair), those considering an investment in an ecotourist venture, those interested in wildlife management and those wishing to know more about the infrastructure, financing and politics of the ecotourism industry.

The course uses a core textbook of over 500 pages. Students will need to write essays/reports based on the textbook, and to do a final essay/mini-project on any aspect of ecotourism or sustainable development, based upon either fieldwork or literature research.

This course is accredited by the Institute of Hospitality Management Ireland (www.ihmi.org.uk) and graduate are eligible to apply for membership.

Holders of the diploma will also be able to apply direct for a Master's degree in Ecotourism with Calamus International University (www.unicalamus.org) - note: CIU is not a UK university.