Popular master programme in “sustainable destination development”

– This programme is filling a gap when it comes to sustainability challenges. It’s interdisciplinary and several institutions work together. This makes us unique in the world, says Ulrika Persson-Fischier, the one responsible for the programme.

The master programme belongs to the department of Engineering science but also contain courses offered by anthropologists, geologists, technicians, ethnologists, historians and economists. In this way the students get a broad understanding on how to work with different actors. The programme is very “hands on” and the students are expected to collaborate with different local actors at Gotland. For example, students may engage with companies in the tourism business, people who organize guided tours, some public actors, the museum of Gotland and the Swedish church.

– At first the students will take interdisciplinary courses in destination development and thereafter they can choose to focus between applied heritage politics, sustainable nature-based destinations or entrepreneurship for destination development. In this way the student will be prepared for what he or she would like to work with afterwards, for example cultural heritage tourism or entrepreneurship, explains Ulrika Persson-Fischier.

She thinks there is a need of knowledge within the tourism sector, and after the master programme the students will be able to work as a middle manager, have their own company or work in different administrations.

30 students will attend to the programme this year, and Ulrika Persson-Fischier is hoping for the double next year.

–  It’s been very exciting and challenging to create the programme since there is no model to lean back on.

In September Ulrika Persson-Fischier arranged an event at campus Gotland where students from the new programme and other different science fields got together for three days to explore sustainability. The event was recognized by Radio P4 Gotland.

You will find more information about the master programme in sustainable destination development here.  

Anna Ciabuschi Eriksson