Through excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, service, and scholarship, we inspire individuals and groups to use recreation and tourism to foster healthy and resilient individuals, communities and environments.
This Department is located within the Faculty of Management and is one of the largest faculty grouping of its kind in Canada. We offer not only a diverse and strong academic program, but also opportunities for students to go beyond the classroom with many and diverse experiential education options including cooperative education, education abroad, student employment (on campus) and student research opportunities. Working with our experienced and dedicated faculty, students in our department can participate in active research projects, conferences, community initiatives, special event planning and international projects.
We also have a diverse student group with some students who attend straight from high school while others are more mature students who maybe working a new career. The Canadians come from Nanaimo to Newfoundland. A number of our students are aboriginal and as many as 30% of our students are international and come from around the world, including China, Germany, Holland, India, Japan, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Pakistan etc. If you are from Nanaimo, meet people from around the world without leaving home!
The BC Regional Innovation Chair in Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development, enables an interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach to the issues and challenges facing communities in developing tourism and she is located and teaches in our department.