Transformation of Perceptions through Experiential Learning: A Comparative Analysis of Tourism Students' Views on Sustainable Tourism Utopias

Despite the increasing emphasis on sustainability in higher education curricula, many students enter programs with superficial understandings. Experiential interventions such as model making hold promise for bridging the gap on sustainability issues by encouraging deeper cognitive and emotional engagement. This research aims to address this gap by analyzing the pre- and post-model-making responses of tourism students who designed “sustainable tourism utopias.” Data from tourism students revealed a deepening awareness of the multifaceted nature of sustainability (e.g., environmental, cultural, and economic dimensions), a shift from the abstract to the concrete, and increased emotional engagement, including increased motivation for sustainable careers.