For the workshop “Tourism, luxury and local community in fragile environments” see below.

Sustainable Tourism in Fragile Environments

The main purpose of the workshop is to study the environmental, social and cultural characteristics of the Maldivian Tourism System. A specific focus is dedicated to the “One Island – One Resort” model and to the national policies concerning community-based and sustainable tourism. The course is divided into a series of lectures and field activities (visits to resorts, site inspections and meetings with the local management) coordinated by Italian researchers and professors. Lessons are held at the Marine Research and High Education Center. All field activities in the sea are carried out in snorkelling and it is not expected for the students to use SCUBA equipment.

Tourism, luxury and local community in fragile environments

The main objective of the workshop is to explore the possibility of developing sustainable forms of tourism, in terms of ecological, economic and social, in the context of particularly fragile ecosystems such as tropical islands and atolls. The tourism models of Magodhoo and Rinbudhoo and the surrounding resorts will be discussed and are one of the main focuses of this workshop. A particular attention will be dedicated to the analysis of luxury tourism and its management in order to develop practices that are not only sustainable, but also capable of generating economic growth for the local population. This workshop is aimed at students who already have relevant tourism geography knowledge and wish to enrich their curriculum with this experience. The course is divided into two series of lectures and field activities in two different Maldivian islands (visits to different local guesthouses, site inspections in luxury resorts and meetings with the local management). Activities are coordinated by professors who are experts in the sector at an international level. The first section of lessons and fieldwork is held in Rinbudhoo, located in Dhaalu Atoll, which hosts the first guesthouse open in the Maldives and is close to many luxury resorts. The second section is held at the Marine Research and High Education Center (Magoodhoo, Faafu Atoll). All field activities in the sea are carried out in snorkelling, and the students are not expected to use SCUBA equipment.