This is an introductory course that focuses on the travel, tourism and hospitality industry as a whole with interrelated components, not individual, independent businesses in search of a center. Operating as a part of the entire travel product production and distribution system, each industry component must not only understand its own products and services, but also the products and services of every other industry partner. Emphasis is placed on the identification of the producers and sellers of the travel products, their products, methods of product distribution and the interdependency needed in order that a unified travel product is offered to the consumer. Employment opportunities and job skill qualifications are also examined in depth.

The course work will be administered using a CD-ROM, textbook reading assignments, internet research, and e-mail communication.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Explain why Travel and Tourism is an industry.
• Explain why Travel and Tourism is a career and profession.
• Explain why the study of Travel and Tourism is a discipline.
• Identify the components and products of this industry.
• Identify channels of product distribution.
• List career opportunities and their required job skills and qualifications.

Text:

Howell, David C., Passport, An Introduction to the Travel and Tourism Industry, 2nd edition., Southwestern Publishing Co., Cincinnati, OH

Compact Disk:

Introduction to Travel and Tourism, TAT 150 Independent Study, Ohio University Southern Campus, Ironton, Ohio

See the "Internet Course Handbook" for information about ordering the textbook and CD. The CD is available in Windows format only.

Campus Website:

BlackBoard website for classroom course at Ohio University--Southern Campus. This site allows interaction between the students and instructor. Once you enroll in the course, your instructor will e-mail you instructions concerning accessing and using the BlackBoard site.

These World Wide Web sites provide good background information for the course. Browse these sites for content, ease of use, mode of distribution, booking capability, and especially career/employment opportunities.

Each lesson will have a written assignment. The instructor will give you suggestions and tips to guide you through your writing and even let you know how long (words/pages) each assignment should be. Please gather your data or information, prepare a position paper and submit it. Assignments should be typed and double spaced. You may use the suggested format when the instructor makes one available.

Each lesson has a value of 10 points.

This course has no supervised examination. Your grade will depend on your responses to the writing assignments.

How you will be graded and evaluated:

Grading Scale: