Course code VadZ3043

Credit points 4.50

Rural Tourism Business

Total Hours in Course120

Number of hours for lectures32

Number of hours for seminars and practical classes16

Independent study hours72

Date of course confirmation19.12.2018

Responsible UnitInstitute of Business and Management Science

Course developer

author Sociālo un humanitāro zinātņu institūts

Dace Kaufmane

Dr. oec.

Prior knowledge

VadZ3054, Tourism Legal Order

VadZ3055, Tourism and Recreation

Course abstract

Students gain an understanding of the essence of business, its content, the economic activity system in Latvia, knowledge about rural tourism, its essence and development. The coursefocuses on the identification and evaluation of rural tourism resources andan analysisof the rural tourism product and its diversity. Students gain insight into the business environment in rural tourism, as well as practical skills in setting up and closing a business.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

KNOWLEDGE:
Students will be able to:
demonstrate the knowledge and understanding of resources, products and services of rural tourism (test).
Demonstrate the knowledge and understanding of the economic activity system and a specific knowledge of how to start up and close a business in rural tourism (test).
Demonstrate the knowledge and understanding of rural tourism development, the entrepreneurial environment and cooperation (test).
SKILLS
Professional skills:
Independently generate and substantiate a business idea and do necessary activities to start up a business in Latvia (practical assignments).
Analyse the entrepreneurial environment and perform a SWOT analysis (practical assignments).
Independently design a complex tourism service for a particular target audience (individual independent work).
Soft skills:
Responsibly plan the completion of the assignments given (practical assignments).
Reasonably explain and justify the choice made (debates).
Reasonably discuss and explain issues related to the assignments given and the results (discussions in classes).
COMPETENCE:
Independently start up a business in rural tourism and find solutions to solutions to designing a tourism product (tests, practical assignments).
Independently make decisions on how to apply rural tourism resources for a particular target audience and comprehend the overall situation in rural tourism (tests, individual independent work, discussions, an examination).

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Introduction to rural tourism.
2.Rural tourism resources.
3. Rural tourism product.
4. Rural tourism accommodation facilities.
5. Catering at rural tourism accommodation facilities.
6. Offers of rural tourism products.
7. Supply of environment-friendly rural tourism products.
8. Starting up a business in rural tourism.
9. System and performers of economic activity in Latvia.
10. Establishment and registration of a firm.
11. Firm and its formation.
12. Liquidation of a firm.
13. Entrepreneurial environment.
14. Need for cooperation in rural tourism.
15. Tourism business clusters.
Topics of practicals/seminars
1. Specifics of and demand for rural tourism in Latvia (1 hour).
2. Nature of rural tourism resources (1 hour).
3. Rural tourism product. Innovative rural tourism products in Latvia (1 hour).
4. Popular rural tourism products in Latvia(1 hour).
5. Test 1: rural tourism resources, products and services (1 hour).
6. Practical assignments: innovative rural tourism productsin Latvia (2 hour).
7. Starting up a business: the generation of ideas in rural tourism(2 hour).
8. Firm and its formation: establishing a firm for the business idea generated (1 hour).
9. Establishment and registration of a firm: drawing up registration documents for a firm to be started up (1 hour).
10. Closure of a business (1 hour).
11. Test 2: starting up and closing a business in rural tourism.
12. Analysis of the entrepreneurial environment: a SWOT analysis (1 hour).
13. Cooperation in rural tourism. Competent authorities involved in rural tourism development and cooperation partners. Tourism business clusters (1 hour).

14. Test 3: rural tourism development, the entrepreneurial environment and cooperation in rural tourism(1 hour).

Requirements for awarding credit points

Examination.
Tests (within the timespecified); a maximum score of 30.
Independent assignments (during the entire semester); a maximum score of 10.
Examination(within the timespecified); a maximum score of 60.
A score of 10 is equal to one point on a 10-point marking scale

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Independent assignments have to be submitted and presented within the specified time

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Students earn a pass mark in a test if at least 50% of the questions are answered correctly.
Independent assignments are assessed in terms of whether they meet quality requirementsfor the specific tasks performed.
Discussions are assessed in terms of skills to reasonably explain and discuss the issues pertaining to rural tourism business.

Compulsory reading

1. George E. W., H. Mair, Reid D.G. Rural tourism development: localism and cultural change. Bristol, England: Buffalo, NY, Toronto: Channel View Publications, 2009. 276 p.
2. Rural Tourism and Sustainable Business (Aspects of Tourism). Edited by D. Hall, I. Kirkpatrick, M. Mitchell. Clevedon; Buffalo; Toronto: Channel View Publications, 2005. 370 p.
3. Viesmīlības rokasgrāmata. Rīga: Tūrisma attīstības valsts aģentūra, 2010 [tiešsaiste]. Pieejams: http://www.tava.gov.lv/lv/viesmilibas-rokasgramata

4. Komerclikums. Par Latvijas Republikas Uzņēmumu reģistru. Patērētāju tiesību aizsardzības likums. Reklāmas likums. Tūrisma likums. [tiešsaiste]. Pieejami: http://likumi.lv/

Further reading

1. Balode I. Tūrisma un viesmīlības uzņēmējdarbība: tālmācības studiju kurss. Biznesa vadības koledža. Rīga: SIA "Biznesa vadības koledža", 2009. 281 lpp.
2. Goeldner Ch., Ritchie J.R.B. Tourism: principles, practices, philosophies. 11th ed. 624 p.
3. Holloway Ch., Robinson C. Marketing for tourism. 3rd ed. 286 p.

4. Forands I. Biznesa vadības tehnoloģijas. Rīga: Latvijas Izglītības fonds, 2004. 330 lpp.

Periodicals and other sources

1. Asociācija "Lauku ceļotājs". „Lauku ceļotāja" e-avīzes izdevums [tiešsaiste]. Pieejams: http://www.celotajs.lv/lv/news/topic/view/e-avize 2. Tūrisms Latvijā. Statistikas datu krājumi. Rīga: Latvijas Republikas Centrālā statistikas pārvalde.[tiešsaiste] Pieejams:www.csb.gov.lv/

Notes

Field professional specialization course (Part B3) for the ESAF professional Bachelor programme Entrepreneurship and Business Management, specialisation Rural Tourism Management