Introduction

The latter half of the twentieth century has been marked with amazing changes in technology, transportation, and communication and, in varying degrees, a spread of geo-political stability that has accompanied economic affluence for many citizens in industrialized and developing countries throughout the world. These changes have triggered the development of a number of new industries and the substantial evolution of existing industries to address the needs of increasingly prosperous, educated, and sophisticated post-industrial societies. One of these industries, tourism, has quietly emerged to become an important force in many societies and economies in various parts of the world.


Though not usually thought of as a single cohesive industry, the growth of tourism since World War II has nonetheless been dramatic. Higher discretionary incomes, smaller family size, changing demographics, lower transportation costs, improved public health standards, infrastructure development, and hospitable environments for tourists in many destinations have made tourism, especially long-distance tourism, an activity within the reach and desires of many members of many nations. Furthermore, developments in marketing, management, vertical and horizontal integration, pricing, and tour packaging, as well as capital investments in physical facilities — “bricks and mortar” — and public infrastructure, have provided tourism with the necessary framework to allow the tremendous growth it has experienced over the past half century. Thus, tourism has indeed emerged as an “industry” which, according to the World Tourism Organization, in 1989 generated approximately 74 million jobs in its direct and service-related industries, such as airlines, hotels, travel services, and publications.


Educational Tourism


Tourism became a major industry in the nineteenth century. The Dictionnaire universale du XIXe siécle of 1876 (quoted by Sigaux 1966:7) defines tourists as “people who travel for the pleasure of travelling, out of curiosity and because they have nothing better to do” and “even for the joy of boasting about it afterwards.” Construction of railroads and the innovations of Thomas Cook and George Pullman created new forms of “mainstream” tourism such as group tours. In his first nine years in business (1857-1866), Thomas Cook alone handled more than a million customers, building an economic empire in mainstream tourism with his hotel vouchers, rail tickets, traveller’s cheques, and a global travel agency network. As Dennison Nash (1979) details, European aristocracy together with the gamblers, ne’er-do-wells, and voyeurs who followed them created at Nice the first European winter resort where a cluster of palatial hotels with ballrooms and adjoining concert halls provided annual recreation for some 60,000 hivernants (winter visitors) amidst opulence, indoor toilets, and a discriminating hotel staff. And tiny adjacent Monaco attained its fame with the establishment of resplendent casino to serve the so-called “international set.”


But “alternative” forms of tourism also developed in Europe during this same period, as reported in the 1985 Special Issue: The Evolution of Tourism, of the Annals of Tourism Research. Noteworthy is the article on “tramping” by members of the British working classes for whom these “tramp trips appear to have become rites of passage to full male adulthood” (Adler 1985:339). The similar French Tour de France and the German Wanderpflicht provided European journeymen with an opportunity to gain work experience away from home, and thereby served to “regulate competition by geographically dispersing workers and delaying entrance to master craftsman status” for as long as four to five years. Compagnonnage as a rite of passage into manhood is said to have been one of the most powerful working class institutions ever developed in France (Adler 1985:340). For domestic tourism, Fichtner and Michna (1987) trace the rise of Europe’s famous amusement parks, the forerunners of today’s theme parks.


Many of the curricula involved in travel and tourism on both national and international bases are constantly seeking new forms of instructional methodology to increase their effectiveness. (Koh, 1995; Schubert, 1996.) Many of the travel and tourism programs are located in a variety of academic disciplines and units. This makes any discussion of instructional methodology more difficult because of the indigenous nature of the methodology of the discipline where the travel and tourism program is housed. Another common element of travel and tourism academic programs is that there is usually a practical base to most instructional methodologies. (Koh, 1995; Ryan, 1996.) This is what they coined as Educational Tourism.


Moreover, educational tourism is also considered as an experiential education. Experiential education process has to be built on a sound theoretical foundation. (Michelson, 1996.) The student has to have a firm foundation in travel and tourism parent sciences in order to perform effectively in experiential education. (Kolb, 1984; Hooks, 1994.) This may require several foundation courses before experiential education can be effective. Experiential education may be more effective in graduate education because the foundations for content as well as the necessary quantification skills for the manipulation of data are part of the student’s repertoire. (Parson and McKay, 1985.) Some programs are inductively based, and that the experiential methodologies are the first experiences of the travel and tourism student. What is being suggested is that the approach outline where the informational base is first in forms of foundation is probably the more effective of the methodologies. When students are innately curious, the inductive approach may be the best method because it is a form of learning that stimulates the intellectually curious to new heights. (Powell, 1996.) There have been little data available on experiential education as an effective methodology in travel and tourism in order to examine its effectiveness and potential motivation. More data are needed to support theory to be related to the practical world so that competencies can be developed and be directly applied to real world problem solving. (Washbourne, 1996; Taylor, 1994.) Travel plans now include options to acquire new skills; they involve community projects, trips to the rural landscape and interaction with villagers, etc. Activity-oriented travel schedules are the latest trend, where students are expected to take full-charge of their personal growth. The outdoors thus, is emerging as an alternate teacher. The fact that students can learn so much from Mother Nature is being brought home to schools, which are responding by making it mandatory for students to take up one outdoor activity as part of the regular curriculum.


Educational tourism advocates meaningful and balanced integration of the current curriculum by providing opportunities for field surveys and case study modules on environmental, social and cultural issues. Likewise it instils a greater sensitisation to the self and the environment by involving students in decision-making activities and honouring their choices at every level. Moreover, there are linking workshops to ongoing development and nature programmes at the grassroots level such that to ensure continuous learning through fun-based activities, which sustain the interest of participants. Similarly, educational tourism creates informal and exciting settings for stimulating creativity through the facilitation of peer interaction.


Moreover, trips help bridge formal and informal learning, and prepare the tourists for lifelong learning. Research has long demonstrated that using a variety of instructional strategies optimises the effectiveness of teaching and learning. These trips are one way of adding variety to instruction, thus optimising teaching effectiveness while motivating student learning (Hofstein & Rosenfeld, 1996; Ignatiuk, 1978).


As education becomes more relevant and nearer to the inner perceptions of students, it will produce more meaningful learning, be more likely to change behaviour, and improve the retention of students/tourists (Gillani, 2000). Actual trips designed to connect practical topics to real world contexts provide direct learning experiences, adding realism and relevancy to studies. In addition, informal learning environments appeal to various learning modes. They have a positive effect on learning (Berliner & Pinero, 1985; Disinger, 1984; Krepel & DuVall, 1981) because they are able to provide concrete sensory input and help students derive meaning from information (Hofstein & Rosenfeld, 1996; Woerner, 1999).


Orion (1993) also claims the trips “should be a learning experience. This criterion may seem trivial but in reality, most field trips can be summarized as adventure-social events.” (p. 326). Orion (1993) states that a trip should be placed at the early stages of the learning process to focus on activities that cannot be adequately addressed in the classroom. This would seem to follow the logic of Berlyne (1960) as the field trip (nonformal setting) could be used as a novel stimulus to produce a desire in the participant to continue processing information (through informal exploration or formal settings) to reduce arousal and restore equilibrium.


 


Educational Tourism in North West United Kingdom


The United Kingdom is a rich example of a place where educational tourism could effectively prosper. The history and legacy of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would take an existence to discover. Thousands of momentous locations catch the attention of millions of visitors. Among these includes the Royal palaces, abbeys, museums and cathedrals of London and the regions; the Tower of London; Warwickshire, Carmarthen, Fyvie and Beaumaris castles, among many wonderful castles; many fine country houses; Hadrian’s Wall and Offa’s Dyke; the Georgian crescents and Roman bathing facilities of Bath; the original Cutty Sark and earlier 16th century Mary Rose sailing ships; prehistoric Stonehenge and countless cromlechs, standing stones and other ancient sites; whisky distilleries in Scotland; tin and lead mines in Cornwall. Among these stated areas are to be learned and discovered.


Furthermore, individuals are continuously unbolting their eyes to the tradition that lies at their own midst. It may be the breakthrough of renowned writers, poets and inventors who bring into being their motivation here or the comprehension that a good number of the Victorian bridges, railways, banks and municipal buildings are in spite of everything, operational today. The structures and spaces of the UK’s towns and cities divulge generations of event and evolution: war, strife, prosperity, invention and cultural influence. Immensely many division of the UK are like this, with primordial, old and contemporary blending impeccably collectively.


Specifically, a richer subject of educational tourism could be found on the North West part of the country.  The region includes the districts of Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and Cheshire. There could be various activities that could be done in this region. To illustrate, Cheshire is a wonderful, varied county, stretching from the internationally important Dee estuary, to the windswept moors of the Peak District. In between there is a rich mosaic of agricultural land, woodland and lowland heath interlaced with rivers and canals. One could explore country parks such as Anderton Nature Park, Astbury Mere Country Park, and Brereton Heath Country Park. Smaller parks are also available in the area including Caldy Nature Park, Delamere Forest Picnic Areas, Farndon Picnic Area, and Mersey Forest Woodlands in Ellesmere Port which are all suitable for relaxation and discovering the greenery of the area.


In Cumbria, one could discover the heritage of old England with the town’s museums and other exhibitions areas such as Abbot hall. At Abbot Hall art gallery one can relax in the coffee shop where a mouth-watering menu of locally produced food is freshly prepared daily. One can view changing exhibitions of artists’ prints with a cappuccino or a specialty tea. In summer tables are available outside near the banks of the river Kent and against the backdrop of the ruins of Kendal castle. The changing menu of homegrown specials includes chicken and fennel bake, spinach & egg gratin and soups range from minted carrot to cauliflower & blue cheese. Another area of interest is the Derwent Bay Bears where daily chainsaw carving demonstrations are conducted. They make a whole family of bears and other animals all hand carved from solid timber for garden or patio. Furthermore, the town of Cumbria prides itself in the craft of glass making. One could be acquainted with the process of making glass in Heron Glass. A wide array of glass products is displayed and an opportunity to make one’s glassware is also provided by the said company.


Additionally, famous by its soccer team and by its vibrant and revolutionary musical scene, Manchester offers to the visitor all the glory and splendour of its past as the first industrial city. Among the many attractions that this city offers to the visitor, there’s the exciting nightlife, one of the greater Chinese communities in England, and a great centre full of shops, reconstructed after the IRA attack in 1996. Proud of its musical heritage, one could discover the Manchester mystique by the side of the canal, is the magnificent Bridgewater Hall, home of the Hallé Orchestra and the perfect place to enjoy classical music all year round. With one of the best restaurants in The Charles Hallé Room and a bar with incredible views of the city centre, one will probably need to be priced out of your seat and into the auditorium. With a mix of classical and modern music, performed by some of Europe’s most celebrated musicians, one will still be humming as you decide which of the selection of celebrity chefs in the city will be cooking dinner. Furthermore, it’s also advisable to visit Manchester’s action-packed Museum of Science & Industry. Using hangars rather than galleries, the exhibits here are very much on the large side (planes, trains, automobiles and steam trains). Other free galleries are open throughout the day, including the newly reopened Manchester Art Gallery and the celebrated Whitworth Art Gallery. In all, there are 200 free museums in Greater Manchester.


Similarly located in the northwest coast of England, the Merseyside offers a great variety of attractive places for the visitor. Liverpool, located in the heart of this region, is one of the few cities of truly worldwide fame, especially because of The Beatles and soccer. The city also offers an extraordinary tour by its historical legacy, from the Albert Dock to the two cathedrals located in Hope Street. Liverpool has the bigger Anglican cathedral in the world, whereas the Metropolitan cathedral, with a more modern aspect, offers a memorable inner design. In the outskirts is the Knowsley Safari Park, where the visitor can approach lions, giraffes or elephants, and see specimens of little common species.


In Lancashire on the other hand, a wide array of English culture particularly with the industrial aspect of the country with a touch of true blue English heritage. An example is the unique survivor of the textile industry, Queen Street Mill represents the last commercial steam powered textile mill in Europe. The mill closed in 1982 but is today preserved as a museum offering a unique experience to re-live the days when steam ran the world. Recently given a government designation as a museum with an outstanding collection, one of only fifty-three in the country, this evocative museum gives you a real taste of the era when cotton was king. Another is Ribchester Roman Museum. It is located on the north bank of the beautiful River Ribble, has recently reopened after major development of its facilities and displays. Roman Ribchester is brought to life by dramatic displays including a life size cavalryman and Roman legionary. Columns have been erected for the first time in 2000 years and there are wonderful objects, which have never been seen before alongside favourites like the replica of the Ribchester Parade helmet. Remains of the granaries, rampart and bathhouse are visable outside the museum. Another is Century Mill. Housed in a 19th Century mill owner’s mansion set in pleasant parkland, this museum includes a Victorian drawing room, displays of fine and decorative art, natural history, costume and local and social history galleries. Temporary exhibitions are held during museum opening periods.


Conclusion


Because of the growing awareness of tourism as an activity, an industry, and a catalyst for economic growth and development, competition for the tourist and for tourism expenditures has been significant in recent decades. One result has been market segmentation and a considerable broadening of the perceived and actual opportunities available for potential tourists. Thus tourists can choose from “sun and sand” holidays, “adventure travel,” “theatre tours,” “shopping sprees,” summer or winter sports vacations, cultural immersion, historic re-enactments, and various other tourism experiences. All of which are an opportunity to gain education and knowledge.


As with many other aspects of modern life, tourism has brought with it benefits and costs, blessings and curses. Reflecting people’s inherent curiosity, hedonism, desire for adventure and excitement, or just a need to change the pace and setting of everyday experiences, tourism has opened the door to many to seek out and fulfil their vacation as well as educational needs. Furthermore, tourist industries have been the willing suppliers of the demanded services. But all of this has not come without dissatisfaction. Perceived difficulties with educational tourism have encouraged planners, researchers, and social critics to rethink the logic of traditional tourist development, to examine the alternatives to mainstream or mass tourism, and to begin formulating better ways to integrate tourism into a broader range of values and social concerns that traditional tourism development has somehow put at risk. Fully understanding the benefits educational tourism, especially in North West UK, in terms of their sources, possibilities for mitigation, and implications of “alternatives” will we hope play a major role in correcting the mistakes of the past.


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