Why do humans travel? What motivates us to leave home, explore new places, and move across borders? This interdisciplinary course examines travel as both an industry and a cultural practice societal force, exploring the motivations behind travel decisions, how destinations are branded and marketed, and the policies that enable movement. Students will explore how tourism and migration shape destinations and opportunities, investigating who benefits and who does not. Drawing on Danish and European examples, we will explore the forces that influence where we go, why we go there, and how communities, industries, and places are shaped by global mobility.
Syllabus
Draft syllabus
This is a draft syllabus. The final syllabus will be available here a few days prior to the new course’s first start date.
Master of Teaching (Secondary) and Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Monash University. Former Academic Manager, Lecturer and Foundation studies Program Coordinator at Deakin College 2019 – 2022. Lecturer and Unit Leader for Marketing 1: Theory and Practice and Consumer Behaviour at Monash College 2016 – 2019. Previously involved in various marketing initiatives including: product and brand launches with Grey Group, brand redesign at Mentholatum Australasia and event activation for National Australia Bank (NAB), Flight Centre Travel Group and Monash University. With DIS since 2023.
Teresa Imaya Bengtsson
Cand.mag. (Advanced Migration Studies, Copenhagen University). B.A., in Global Humanities (Communications and Cultural Encounters, Roskilde University Center). Conference Coordinator, 21st Nordic Migration Research Conference, Copenhagen University, 2022. Consultant, M.A. in Advanced Migration Studies, Copenhagen University, 2021. Faculty, DIS, 2021-present. With DIS since 2013.
Long Study Tour
About this tour
Why do people move and travel to Mallorca, Spain? Mallorca is a prime destination for this summer course to investigate some of our main topics and questions: How is Spain as a country, and Mallorca as a destination, marketed to different people? What motivates people to travel there, and what motivates locals to live and work here? Which policies attract, enable, or limit different forms of movement to the island?
Mallorca is known as a Mediterranean paradise of turquoise waters, golden beaches, dramatic mountains, charming villages, and vibrant, unique island culture. This is a source of pride for many locals, but also part of what attracts the many foreigners who travel to the island. The island offers rich questions to investigate, from contentious tensions between residents and tourists, to the growing number of seasonal workers who support its expanding tourism industry, to its position within wider patterns of migration along the Western Mediterranean route, and to the role of foreign-owned businesses seeking to capitalize on these intersecting dynamics.
Together, these dynamics make Mallorca a dynamic destination for investigating who moves, why they move, and who benefits from or is affected by mobility.
Learning outcomes
Investigate the different forms of mobility to the island and analyze which policies, economic structures, and motivations influence the various movements through visits and small field research-based products
Evaluate the social, cultural and economic impacts of travel on local communities
Examine how Spain as a country and Mallorca as a destination has branded itself to attract different groups of people
Possible activities
Meet with Mallorca’s tourism authority to learn how the island is marketed to global audiences and examine the opportunities and challenges created by a tourism-dependent economy
Speak with migrant and seasonal workers and the organizations that support them to explore why people move to Mallorca for work and how mobility shapes opportunity, identity, and belonging
Engage with local housing and community stakeholders to examine how tourism, migration, and population growth are reshaping housing access, communities, and everyday life on the island
Looking for some advice? We’ll support you every step of the way.
