Designing an Action Plan for Implementing the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for

Tourism in an Undergraduate Tourism Education Program

Sultan Qaboos University

“one cannot demand greater clarity than a subject allows; ethics are not discernable per

se.”

“ethics reside between the “is” and the “ought”; ethics- and the feelings and values on

which they are based-are subjective.”

(John Hultsman, 1995)

Introduction:

“Tourism as an industry and a sociocultural phenomenon is rapidly expanding. With this tremendous growth and transformation has

come a relatively recent interest in the ethical conduct of the tourism industry”

(Fennell and Malloy, 1999)

“In regard to education, it was mentioned that the encouragement of an awareness of the

importance of personal and professional ethical principles ought to be a prime goal of

any higher education program”

(Glenn F. Ross, 2004)

Significance of the study:

(1) Ecological issues.

(2) Marketing issues.

(3) Sustainable development issues.

(4) Humanistic and social issues.

(5) Tourism education issues.

(John Hultsman, 1995)

Tourism and Ethics in the Literature

Established in 2004, the World Committee on Tourism Ethics is the impartial body responsible for

interpreting, applying and evaluating the provisions of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for

Tourism.

The tasks assigned to the Committee include the promotion and dissemination of the Code of Ethics,

as well as the evaluation and monitoring of the implementation of the principles.

The World Committee on Tourism Ethics

The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET) is a comprehensive set of ten principles

whose purpose is to guide stakeholders in tourism development: central and local

governments, local communities, the tourism industry and its professionals, as well as

visitors, both international and domestic.

The UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

Article 1: Tourism's contribution to mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies

Article 2: Tourism as a vehicle for individual and collective fulfillment

Article 3: Tourism, a factor of sustainable development

Article 4: Tourism, a user of the cultural heritage of mankind and contributor to its enhancement

Article 5: Tourism, a beneficial activity for host countries and communities

Article 6: Obligations of stakeholders in tourism development

Article 7: Right to tourism

Article 8: Liberty of tourist movements

Article 9: Rights of the workers and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry

Article 10: Implementation of the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

The Code’s 10 principles

The Sultanate of Oman’s renaissance was accompanied by an incremental interest in enhancing the tourism

industry. Thus, Sultan Qaboos University aimed to contribute to

the on-going interest in tourism by establishing the Tourism Department in the College of Arts and Social

Sciences in 2001.

Such program graduates qualified Omani human resources to work in the various fields of tourism and

hospitality. The Tourism undergraduate program awards the

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Tourism Management and Hospitality Management. The average enrollment is

about 200 students for the four years.

The Undergraduate Tourism Education

Program

The Department of Tourism at the College of Arts & Social Sciences – SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY -was the first institution in the MIDDLE EAST to receive UNWTO

TedQual certification for its undergraduate tourism program in May 2013.

The UNWTO TedQual certification system contributes to the quality and efficiency of tourism education, training, and research. It proposes a methodology and voluntary standards with universal scope to more clearly define

the quality of tourism education systems.

TedQual CERTIFIED

The UNWTO TedQual certification system is a quality assurance system for tourism education, training,

and research. The specific aims of the UNWTO TedQual certification system are to:

(1) establish a quality standard for tourism education and training systems, and

(2) smooth the way towards greater pedagogic productivity in tourism.

The UNWTO TedQual

Several preliminary meetings were held at the department level to introduce and discuss the global code of ethics for

tourism ten principles.

To inform the students and professors about the principles of the global code of ethics for tourism, the program has invited

a UNWTO representative to conduct a workshop about the principles for everybody.

Five faculty members were directly involved with the goal of designing an action plan for the implementation of the global

code of ethics in five major areas of concerns; the management, the curriculum, the employers, the students,

and the faculty.

Methodology:

Each faculty member was in charge of accomplishing the task in one of the five areas mentioned earlier.

These same faculties were the members of the TedQual Committee in the department. The main goal was to

design clear set of actions that could be implemented, controlled, and evaluated by the program

administration.

One major challenge was the transformation of some of the articles into applicable actions in the tourism and

hospitality higher education setting.

Results:

It is hoped that this study could share and disseminate some useful guidelines for

hospitality and tourism students, faculty and administrators who sincerely seek ways to

integrate the ten principles of the global code of ethics for tourism in their academic life and

careers.

The finding of this study will be of value and use for hospitality and tourism program

administrators who intend to prepare and plan for the process of self-assessment for

obtaining the UNWTO TedQual certification.

Implication / application for hospitality & tourism

education:

The aim of this paper was to add to the new but growing body of literature on

implementation practices of ethical issues in tourism higher education.

It was attempted to provide a humble and novel efforts of five faculty members of tourism and hospitality management education program and convey their

interpretation of what should be done in an academic tourism education program with

regards to the implementation of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism in their

undergraduate tourism education program.

Conclusion: