Bringing Reality T.V. into the Classroom

Abstract

In developing a more student centered and engaging approach to teaching an introductory tourism course, the reality television show The Amazing Race was incorporated into the curriculum. Students integrate book chapters and class lectures into researching how locations create tourism destinations through a series of ten weekly assignments. The weekly detours allow students to connect book chapter information to real world destinations. They gain a deeper knowledge of how tourism destinations market, create policies, enhance communities, and benefit tourism areas socially and economically. These weekly assignments are treated as check-in points during the race where students compete with other groups to win. This semester--long race allows students to learn about new destinations while integrating chapter topics and real world tourism strategies into weekly “legs of the race.”