BS in Geotourism and Historic Preservation

Eastern Michigan University

Tourism stimulates the global movement of people and impacts national, regional, and local economies and environments. It creates relationships between people and the places they visit. National Geographic defines geotourism as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place-its environment, geology, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. Academic institutions, tourism bureaus, the hospitality industry, regional and national governments have begun to adopt this new concept in tourism development. Historic Preservation trains professionals who utilize best practices to ethically steward, preserve, and interpret our diverse cultural heritage. As cohorts of the only Historic Preservation program embedded in geography, students learn to document, preserve, and interpret historic structures, objects, and places within the context of their cultural landscape setting. The study of geotourism and historic preservation represents an excellent example of applied human geography. Upon completion of the concentration, students will be well prepared as geography specialists. Career opportunities for graduates include: City, state, and national tourism and preservation offices City planning and community development Convention and visitor bureaus Entrepreneurship Event planning Festival Organization Museums Non-governmental organizations Recreation and leisure management Travel agencies, airlines, and accommodation providers U.S. National Park Service World tourism organizations

College of Arts and Sciences