The University of Guyana (UG) has announced the launch of a new Bachelor of Sciences in Sustainable Tourism Management programme.
In a statement, UG explained that the programme is intended to replace the Bachelor of Arts in Tourism and the Associate of Arts in Tourism Studies programmes.
Classes for the new programme are scheduled to commence virtually next month. It comprises 126 credits to be completed over four years (eight semesters), and lectures will be conducted both virtually and face-to-face.
Offered by the institution’s School of Entrepre-neurship and Business Innovation (SEBI), the programme is among several new programmes being introduced by the university at both the Undergraduate and Post-graduate levels for the 2021/2022 academic year.
Interested persons can apply via https://sebi.uog.edu.gy/academic-programmes for the new degree or for any of the programmes offered by SEBI.
According to the release from the University, the programme seeks to prepare students to be entrepreneurs and for positions such as: Sustainable Tourism Consultant; Sustainable Tourism Researcher; Sustainable Tourism Policy Analyst; Sustainable Tourism Advi-sor; Educator; Destination Development Manager; Eco Tourism Development Specialist; Tourism Project Manager; Tourism Product Development Specialist; Sustainable Tourism Manager; and Hotel/ Restaurant Manager.
The release said that the new degree is geared towards addressing the growing needs of Guyana and the Caribbean region by creating a new group of graduates who will possess the competence, knowledge, and practical skills to aid in a number of areas.
These include: viewing sustainable tourism as a vital mechanism to the economic development of Guyana, appreciating the imperativeness of balancing tourism, the protection of the physical and social environment and economic development, and respecting the historical importance and knowledge of indigenous communities and valuing their contributions to development.
According to the release, the programme capitalises on Guyana’s competitive advantage of being the world’s number one ecotourism destination and the uniqueness of Guy-ana’s tourism resources, while satisfying the demands of the industry.
It added that it incorporates a strong combination of SEBI’s foundational courses and specialist tourism courses. Some of the specialist tourism courses include: Eco-Tourism Development; History and Culture Tourism; Indigenous Peoples and Tourism; Community Based Tourism; Facilities & Attraction Management; Facilities & Attraction Management; Tourism Planning & Policy; Tourism Entrepreneurship & Events Management; Eco-Tourism Operations Management; and Market-ing Sustainable Tourism.
Providing an overview on the prospects of the programme, the release quotes Head of Department of Entrepreneurship and Management, Evelina Singh, under whose leadership the degree was crafted, as saying, “The BSc in Sustainable Tourism Management is like no other tourism programme in the region. It is truly in a league of its own. The programme is robust and satisfies the demands of both industry and academia; it is aligned with international and regional standards; it is grounded in the protection of the environment – both physical and social; the protection of indigenous cultures and communities; and best practices in business. The future of the tourism industry is already here and it is sustainable tourism.”
The release noted that the new degree was drafted by a team from SEBI under Singh’s leadership. The core drafters, it said, included Singh as well as Aletha Connelly, Camille Ishmael and Shenera Sam; while the process was supported by Tracy Alves, Academic Advisor, and Tamika Profitt, Adminis-trative Officer.
The University has indicated in the release that prospective students can also choose from over 140 programmes, including those offered at the PhD, Masters, Postgraduate, Undergraduate, Associate Degree, and Diploma and Certificate levels.
UG adds that it has instituted a rolling application process for the first semester of the new academic year and that applicants can also apply for admission pending their results.
It says, too, that due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education sector, there is a choice of online or blended learning with the use of state-of-the-art technologies.
A full list of programmes offered by the University can be accessed at: https://www. turkeyenonline.uog.edu.gy/srms/student/prospective/about_applying/offeredprogs.php
