Sustainable Tourism Management students discover hidden secrets of World Heritage site

Students studying Sustainable Tourism Management BA(Hons) have been learning the practical skills required to guide engaging tours while exploring Portreath, one of ten Cornish Mining World Heritage sites.  

The students got tips on how to write scripts and deliver expertly curated tours from an established Blue Badge guide; the official tourist guide group of the United Kingdom. Learning how to deliver impactful tours forms an important part of protecting Cornwall’s rich cultural history, as it helps pass on knowledge of the region’s history to visitors from across the world.  

Dr Donna Poade, Senior Lecturer in Experience Design (Tourism), believes the trip was an invaluable experience that showed students how to bring the history of an area to life. “This trip gave students the opportunity to experience a live guided tour from an established Blue Badge guide, who engaged us with an expertly delivered and inspiring tour, offering highlights of the port such as Dead Man’s Lookout and Giant Ralph’s Hideaway. 

“The field trip was a wonderful opportunity for students to experience first-hand how their skills and knowledge acquired through the Sustainable Tour Guide module weave into a live experience that creates a lasting memory of their studies."

It was great to experience and learn tips from a Blue Badge tour guide. It has definitely inspired me running up to the deadline!

Sustainable Tourism Management student Maddy Blunt – who has been crafting her own virtual tour this year – was inspired by the outing. “From creating a tour over the past few weeks, it was great to experience and learn tips from a Blue Badge tour guide. It has definitely inspired me running up to the deadline!” 

Her classmate Annie Nicholls was also full of praise for the trip. “It was useful to see how technology can play an important role in the delivery of a tour. It was lovely to get out and about as a group before the term finishes, and thankfully we were very fortunate with the Cornish weather too! I would definitely recommend going on this tour if you want to see beautiful scenery and learn about the wonderful county of Cornwall!” 

Find out more about Sustainable Tourism Management BA(Hons)