Examine both general and specific approaches to destination planning including an assessment of the tourism plan and consideration of the principles of sustainable tourism.

For one urban destination in the UK, examine both general and specific approaches to destination planning including an assessment of the tourism plan and consideration of the extent to which these have achieved success in terms of the principles of sustainable tourism.

Be sure to work within the word limit. Only the first 2000 words of the essay will be considered in the marking process. N.B. The list of references does not count toward the word limit.

The essay is an individual assignment so you should not co-operate with anyone in preparing it. Do not show anyone a draft or final copy of your work. You are expected to read widely and draw from academic sources when providing evidence and/or supporting statements in your essay. It is recommended that you use at least five text books and five journal articles to support your essay. Always attribute sources properly using the Harvard style of referencing.

Unfair practice will be dealt with severely. Further guidance on unfair practice appears on the BSU web site. When in doubt, ask your tutor.

An academic essay contains continuous prose and is written using the third person so you should not refer to yourself or the reader in a direct manner. A strong essay will incorporate discussion of all key concepts and themes set out in the topic. Very strong essays will incorporate relevant information gained from governmental tourism reports and plans. Strong essays will do more than simply describe the current state of play with respect to the destination management plans in these locations.

A comprehensive reference list is essential. Be sure to number the pages of the essay and provide a complete reference list on a separate page at the end of the work. References should be single spaced with double spacing between references and placed in alphabetical order in the Harvard style.

The following space allocations are provided as a guideline for this assignment:

Introduction, set out the purpose of the essay and your approach to the topic, what you plan to cover – 1 page
Establishing the nature of the tourism planning approach concerned along with definitions of any key terms used in the essay – 2 pages
Body of the essay, development of key themes for the topic – 4 pages
Conclusion – 1 page
Assessment criteria for the essay
1. Essay layout and standard of presentation: The essay must be typed or word-processed in 12 point Arial font, contain no more than 2000 words*, be double-spaced; have numbered pages; use a logical format; and be well presented, carefully edited and checked for spelling.
(* Note that the list of references does not count toward the word limit and should appear single spaced on a separate page. Place all references in one list in alphabetical order by author surname and do not use bullet points.)
2. Standard of English: Proper grammar, spelling and punctuation should be employed. Work should be clearly written using continuous prose (do not make lists or bullet points or use subheadings), write from the third person perspective (avoid first and second person i.e. I, me, we, our, you) and employ a varied and appropriate vocabulary (avoid slang and informal expressions, repetition and contractions).
3. Structure: Is it clear and logical? Does the essay contain an introduction, body and conclusion? Does the introduction set out the purpose of the essay in a concise manner? Does the conclusion contain a summary of the main arguments together with key concluding statements? Does the essay flow well? Is the line of argument coherent and well balanced?
4. Content/Discussion: The essay should demonstrate an appropriate depth of knowledge and understanding of relevant concepts, issues and trends; employ relevant data; possess clarity and quality of expression and explanation; develop a coherent line of argument, an ability to address the set topic; be accurate; reflect critical awareness; contain citations of appropriate literature; compare and contrast material effectively; employ a balanced use of evidence and relevant supporting statements. The work should avoid rambling, vague and unsupported statements.
5. Sources: Is the essay well researched? Are a wide range of relevant sources used to support the essay (e.g. plans, books, journals, reports)? Is material cited accurately and used to best effect? Are page numbers provided for quotes, data and specific ideas? Is a complete bibliography provided on a separate page at the end of the essay using the Harvard style of referencing with accuracy?
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