Education through Tourism: A Path to Experiential Learning and Social Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14798958Keywords:
Educational tourism, experiential learning, global competencies, social development, higher educationAbstract
This article analyzes the role of educational tourism in the comprehensive training of higher education students, highlighting its ability to foster key competencies such as critical thinking, cultural empathy and global citizenship.
The methodology is qualitative and includes an exhaustive review of the literature and practical analysis implemented in various educational institutions. The cases reviewed, as documented by Prieto and Ruiz (2015) and Richards (2018), reveal that educational tourism not only strengthens cognitive and socio-emotional competencies, but also promotes deeper cultural and social awareness. These experiences allow students to critically reflect on global and local challenges, facilitating the transfer of theoretical knowledge to practical situations, as highlighted by Ma (2016) in his analysis of tourism as a promoter of intercultural competence.
However, challenges are also identified, such as the need to structure activities that avoid a superficial immersion in the communities visited. This study concludes that the implementation of educational tourism in higher education offers an innovative and sustainable approach to prepare students for the challenges of a globalized world. Additionally, recommendations are proposed to structure these experiences more effectively, based on the principles of social and environmental sustainability outlined by Sharpley (1994) and Weaver (2001).
Future research should focus on evaluating the long-term effects of these initiatives, exploring their impact in educational and cultural contexts, and how they contribute to the development of essential global competencies in the 21st century.
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