Course profile

Visitor Management (TOUR7031)

Study period
Sem 2 2024
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person

Course overview

Study period
Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
Study level
Postgraduate Coursework
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person
Units
2
Administrative campus
St Lucia
Coordinating unit
Business School

The course examines the design and management principles and practices of sustainable visitor experiences in tourism, hospitality and event operations and destinations. It will examine settings ranging from the global to local landscapes, streetscapes and servicescapes. Topics include visitor motives, decision making and behaviour; the experience economy; designing and staging experiences; orientation and place making; interpretation and visitor learning; and cross-cultural and social interactions. This course will enhance students' employability by giving them the skills and insights to systematically critique and improve visitor experiences offered at tourist attractions.

This course will provide students with an understanding of the dynamics of visitor behaviour and experiences across a range of visitor settings. Key areas of discussion include motivation, visitor learning, interpretation, managing visitor impacts, risk management and designing effective and enjoyable visitor experiences.

Course contact

Course staff

Lecturer

Facilitator

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Note:ﾠIt is the student's responsibility to attend classes and consult designated notice boards and websites for correct and up-to-date information regarding the course, including examination times. Relying on fellow students to pass on information may result in incorrect information for which the University will not be held responsible.

Please note: Teaching staff doﾠnotﾠhave access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you emailﾠbusiness.mytimetable@uq.edu.auﾠfrom your UQ student email account with the following details:

  • Full name,
  • Student ID, and
  • the Course Code
Aims and outcomes

Aims and outcomes

This course teaches students about theﾠprinciples and practiceﾠof designing and managing visitor experiences in a range of tourism settings. Through a variety of activities, students explore key aspects of visitor management including visitor learning, interpretation, visitor research and evaluation, orientation and way-finding, minimising negative impacts and risk reduction. Thisﾠcourse enhances students'ﾠemployability by giving them the skills and insights to systematically critiqueﾠand improveﾠvisitor experiences offered atﾠtouristﾠattractions.ﾠ

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

LO1.

Explain the dynamics of motivation and how this impacts on visitors' experiences in a range of tourism, hospitality and events settings

LO2.

Apply the key principles of visitor learning, interpretation and orientation to the design of visitor experiences

LO3.

Identify and manage environmental, social and cross-cultural impacts in visitor settings

LO4.

Develop strategies and recommendations for the management of visitor experiences in tourism, hospitality and event operations and destinations

LO5.

Critically evaluate a visitor experience using a range of evaluation tools and approaches.

Course overview
Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Category Assessment task Weight Due date
Essay/ Critique Critique of visitor site 50% Individual; Approx. 3,500 words;

2/09/2024 9:00 am
Paper/ Report/ Annotation Facility Design Proposal 50% Individual; Approx. 3,500 words

4/11/2024 9:00 am

Assessment details

Critique of visitor site

Mode
Written
Category
Essay/ Critique
Weight
50% Individual; Approx. 3,500 words;
Due date

2/09/2024 9:00 am

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L04, L05

Task description

Select a suitable visitor attraction and conduct a critique of the site in terms of visitor learning experiences and visitor management. 

You CANNOT choose the Queensland Museum as we will be visiting this site as a field trip.

 

You will be doing this from the perspective of ONE particular target market of your choice (eg. primary school children on excursions; families with teenage children; Australian retirees with an interest in history etc). 

You are required to:

  • Select a visitor site that offers some level or type of visitor learning. You will need to visit the site but can also use virtual tours and other online resources to inform your critique.
  • Using the guidelines from the Queensland Museum field trip, write a critique of the various visitor facilities and services offered at your chosen site.
  • Please include photographs to illustrate your points, including a selfie of you at your site.

 

PART 1: BACKGROUND (approx. 700 words)

  • Describe the site – what is it (museum, national park etc), where is it, how long has it been there etc.
  • Provide a map or diagram of the site
  • Identify ONE target market that you will be using as the basis of your report and briefly discuss their likely motives and interests.

 

PART 2: CRITIQUE (approx. 2,000 words)

  • Drawing from relevant lecture content and using the checklist provided, note how well the site is likely to meet the needs and interests of the ONE target market you have identified. In particular, you should discuss:
  • Entrance/welcoming area
  • Visitor facilities
  • Visitor comfort
  • Orientation (both internal and external directional signs)
  • Visitor engagement
  • Interpretive signs
  • Exhibit design issues
  • Maintenance
  • Highlight the areas and aspects that are done well and those that could be improved. Justify this with your on-site observations and photographs.


PART 3: RECOMMENDATIONS (approx. 800 words)

  • Provide suggestions/recommendations for improvements to the identified weaknesses. You can also provide suggestions for how the site can further improve their strengths. 


Recommendations should clearly link to the needs and preferences of the ONE target market you have selected.  Clearly state what is recommended and how to achieve this. For example, it is insufficient to say there are no multi-lingual signs so the recommendation is to install multi-lingual signs. Rather, you should be stating WHY multilingual would be beneficial, WHERE they should be placed and WHAT specific languages should be considered.


This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.

A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.

Submission guidelines

The assignment must be submitted electronically via Turnitin located in the Blackboard Assessment link.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Facility Design Proposal

Mode
Written
Category
Paper/ Report/ Annotation
Weight
50% Individual; Approx. 3,500 words
Due date

4/11/2024 9:00 am

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03

Task description

FACILITY DESIGN PROPOSAL (50%) 

Word Count: Approx. 3,500

This is an individual assignment that requires you to design an ORIGINAL tourism/event or hospitality facility. Choose from one of the following categories:

  • a theme park, zoo, or cultural attraction
  • a museum, art gallery or historic building
  • a resort, health spa, hotel/casino complex (NOT A GYM)
  • an entertainment complex

 

PART 1: Introduction (approx. 600 words)

Overview of proposal (approx. 300 words):

  • an overview of the design concept.
  • brief background information about the location of your facility and its surroundings.
  • explanation of facility name.

 

Target Market, motives & interests (300 words)

In this section you should identify ONE market segment that you feel will be particularly attracted to the facility that you are proposing:

  • Who are they, what are they interested in?
  • Why is your facility likely to attract this market? Why do you think your proposal will be successful? Here you should briefly justify with literature dealing with the type of facility that you are proposing. The literature can include trade journals, media reports and non-academic sources if relevant.

 

PART 2: Design elements (2,800 - 3,000 words)

Theme (200 words)

  • What are the underlying concept or ideas linking the elements together?
  • What is the key thing you want visitors to think, feel or do as a result of visiting your facility?

 

Layout and Orientation (800 – 1,000 words)

  • Design a map or site plan of the facility. Describe and justify your layout.
  • Describe the different ‘areas’ and explain how the site has been designed to facilitate visitor use, flows and movement.
  • If relevant, explain how you would manage queues, crowding and capacity issues.

 

Design elements (Approx. 1,500 words)

  • Describe how you intend to use ambient features (lighting, music, colour, décor) to support your theme and enhance your visitors’ experiences.
  • Describe the activities and experiences that will be offered. Explain how these support your theme.
  • Provide photos and diagrams to illustrate your design ideas.

 

Managing Impacts (300 words)

Describe how you will manage the on-site visitor experience:

  • Identify one environmental impact and one socio-cultural impact that your facility could create. These can be both positive, both negative, or one of each. Any combination is permissible, but please only identify two in total.
  • Explain what visitor management strategies you would use to minimise/maximise the two identified impacts.


REFERENCE LIST 

APPENDICES (OPTIONAL)

Please insert illustrations into the text of your assignment. The appendices is for diagrams, graphs or tables you would like to refer to as supporting information. Appendices and references are not included in the word limit.


This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.

A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.

Submission guidelines

The assignment must be submitted electronically via Turnitin located in the Blackboard Assessment link.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Grade Cut off Percent Description
1 (Low Fail) 0 - 29

Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.
2 (Fail) 30 - 46

Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.
3 (Marginal Fail) 47 - 49

Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes
4 (Pass) 50 - 64

Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes.
5 (Credit) 65 - 74

Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes.
6 (Distinction) 75 - 84

Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes.
7 (High Distinction) 85 - 100

Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes.

Additional course grading information

Grades will be allocated according to University-wide standards of criterion-based assessment.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Aims and outcomes
Learning resources

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Weekly readings and other course materials will be provided on Blackboard.

Blackboard is an online course tool.ﾠIt contains our course profile, materials, announcements, intra-course email facilities, discussions and other resourcesﾠsuch as assessment criteria. You should visit the course Blackboard site regularly to check announcements, email, and read and contribute to any online activities and discussions.ﾠNB The “Discussions” feature should be used to communicate with other students and staff about course related matters only.ﾠYou are remindedﾠthat "Discussions" is a public venue and inappropriate comments or language when using either this resource or email is not permitted.

Blackboard is an online course tool. It contains our course profile, materials, announcements, intra-course email facilities, discussions and other resources such as quizzes and assessment criteria. You should visit the course Blackboard site regularly to check announcements, emails, and read any online activities.

Learn (Blackboard)

All courses are supported by the UQ Learning Management System, Blackboard Learn, which provides an interactive environment for the students and teachers. This is accessible via PC or Mac or Mobile (Apps) environment.

To log on to Blackboard, go to https://learn.uq.edu.au.

Sustainable Development Goal

This course integrates the following Sustainable Development Goals through lectures and assessment.

Goal 3: Good health and well-being

Goal 4: Quality education

Assessment
Learning activities

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

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Learning period Activity type Topic
Week 1
Lecture

Introduction: What is Visitor Management?

Learning outcomes: L01
Workshop

Introduction: The challenges of managing visitors in TH&E contexts

Learning outcomes: L01
Week 2
Lecture

Understanding your visitors: Motives and target markets

Learning outcomes: L01
Workshop

Understanding visitors: Designing engaging and memorable experiences for different target markets

Learning outcomes: L01
Week 3
Lecture

Interpretation: Principles and practices of interpretation

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Workshop

Interpretation: Exploring the principles and practices of interpretation and their impact on visitor learning

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Week 4
Lecture

Designing Interpretive Signs: Principles & Pitfalls

Royal Queensland Show Public Holiday - Wednesday 14 Aug 2024 - Check Blackboard for announcements about affected classes.

Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L05
Workshop

Designing Interpretive Signs: Critically evaluating the suitability and effectiveness of signs in different TH&E contexts

Learning outcomes: L02
Week 5
Lecture

Visitor Studies: Evaluating visitor experiences

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Workshop

Visitor Studies: Evaluating visitor experiences

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Week 6
Lecture

Principles of Design: Colour, soundscapes, textual factors & spatial design

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Workshop

Principles of Design: Exploring the impact of colour, soundscapes, textual factors & spatial design on the visitor experience

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Week 7
Lecture

Maps & Way-finding; Visitor Learning: 'Best practice' principles of map design; Appealing to different learning styles

Learning outcomes: L02, L05
Workshop

Maps & Way-finding; Visitor Learning: Identifying elements of effective maps; designing experiences for visitors with different learning styles

Learning outcomes: L02, L05
Week 8
Lecture

Designing Visitor Experiences: Multi-sensory experiences & theming

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Workshop

Designing Visitor Experiences: Creating effective multi-sensory & themed tourist spaces and attractions

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Week 9
Lecture

Managing crowds, queues & risks: Strategies for managing large numbers of visitors

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Workshop

Managing Crowds, Queues and Risk

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Mid Sem break
No student involvement (Breaks, information)

In-Semester Break
Week 10
Lecture

Managing Socio-cultural Impacts: Managing visitors’ impacts on communities

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Workshop

Managing Socio-cultural Impacts: Examining effective approaches to managing visitors’ impacts on communities

Learning outcomes: L02, L04
Week 11
Lecture

Managing Environmental Impacts: Managing visitors’ impacts on the built and natural environment.

Learning outcomes: L03
Workshop

Managing Environmental Impacts: Changing visitors' environmental behaviour: The role of zoos

Learning outcomes: L03
Week 12
Lecture

Future Trends in Visitor Management: Future trends and challenges; the role of technology

Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L05
Workshop

Future Trends & Technology: Visitor management challenges of the future; Digital Escape Box

Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L05
Week 13
Lecture

Assessment Consultations
Learning resources
Policies and procedures

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

Learning activities