Ecotourism Management
If you love authentic destinations and richly biodiverse natural landscapes, then move into ecotourism. Choosing this form of hotel development means working for a more responsible kind of tourism that is also more respectful of local people and the environment.
The MBA specialization in Ecotourism Management teaches you how to run an ecotourism establishment in line with sustainability rules. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the cultural heritage and ways of life of communities are the challenges facing tomorrow’s operations directors.
Its purpose is to limit the environmental impact of tourism and minimize its carbon footprint, but that’s not all: it also aims to encourage the discovery of the surrounding flora and wildlife and play an active role in the economic and social development of local communities.
The first reality checks about the need for responsible tourism date from the 1970s. Since then, the concept of ecotourism has been enriched and formalized.
Offering a responsible trip means taking into consideration:
In summary, experiences must be as positive for the host populations as they are for the visitors.
To train in Ecotourism Management, you must know the basics of Hospitality and Tourism Management. You must also have acquired certain technical skills to do with running a business:
- Employee management
- Fluent business English
- Commercial and business law
- Basic communication and marketing techniques
- Accounting and sales management
These skills aside, ask yourself questions about your plans. For what reasons are you more interested in running a responsible business? Do you adhere to the core principles that this involves? Will you be up to the challenge of this MBA specialization? To help develop responsible tourism, it is advisable to possess the following attributes:
- Believe in and be committed to environmental issues, which are the basis of a responsible attitude;
- A good listener and sharer, to foster a healthy climate between visitors and local people;
- Curious, to be constantly hungry to learn and gain experience;
- A good teacher – a real advantage for spreading important values;
- Open-minded and agile, to adapt to environmental, economic and social constraints.
To do the MBA specialization in Ecotourism Management, you must also want to discover the world and travel.
This specialization is followed by a six-month management internship, to consolidate the skills you have acquired. The term “sustainable tourism” does not relate directly to a specific business function, so you can do your internship in a wide range of activities:
After your MBA specialization in Ecotourism Management, you can take up positions such as:
Another option is consulting: helping organizations who have taken no or few steps on the issue to move towards a more sustainable approach. If you want to join the stakeholders shaping a brighter future, read our brochure!
