Education for sustainable tourism development: an exploratory study of key learning factors

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to identify the main facilitating factors in learning sustainable tourism development from the perspective of tourism students.Design/methodology/approachAn inductive qualitative approach was applied. Focus group data collection and content analysis were used to gather and interpret the data obtained from tourism students.FindingsThree major problems prevent tourism students from learning; consequently, three solutions emerged to encourage them to learn about sustainable tourism development. The problems are (1) the complexity of the topic, (2) the applicability of the subject and (3) pessimism about the future. The solutions are (1) implementable sustainable approaches/ideas for the future, (2) the learning process needs to combine field observation and creative approaches and (3) digital tools and video material should be integrated with the learning process.Originality/valueThe presentation of sustainable tourism development for tourism students has received relatively limited attention in the literature. For Northern Cyprus as a study setting, this study is one of the first attempts to contribute to education for sustainable development and its implementation.