Learning Processes towards Destination Development

¹ Uppsala University - Campus Gotland Department of Engineering Sciences, SE-621, 67, Visby, SWEDEN
² The Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, 236041 Kaliningrad, Russia

^* Corresponding author: ribnikoff@yandex.ru

Abstract

Sustainable development of tourist destinations is based on the key principles of sustainable development in general taking into consideration the characteristics of tourism as an activity, in particular. In the event that a tourist destination has an island location, this becomes an additional factor imposing even more stringent requirements for sustainable development due to even greater vulnerability of isolated ecological systems. At the same time, the human factor becomes decisive, because the development of a tourist destination depends on how the providers of tourism services comply with the principles of sustainable development. The purpose of our study is to identify the willingness to follow the principles of sustainable development of a tourist destinations among entrepreneurs providing tourism services, using innovative methods of problem-solving learning. During the study, the following methods were used: bibliographic, analytical, in-depth survey method, etc. The methodology implemented for this study was qualitative survey where students reflected on their learning processes. The results show the importance of university students cooperating with actors within tourist destination on both theoretical and practical issues of sustainability to develop the destination. This cooperation enables the most important learning outcomes for both parties on sustainability. Heterogeneity of the group, and methodology of Design Thinking increases the creativity in problem solving.