Hospitality & Tourism Management
Spring Quarter 2026
HOST 156: Travel Geography
Instructor: Dr. Se Lee (selee@highline.edu)
Appointments: Book appointments by email
Office Hours: By appointment
Class Schedule: Online
Text required: There is no textbook. All readings will be posted on Canvas free of charge
Highline College: 2400 South 240th Street
Des Moines, WA 98198
P: (206) 878-3710
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course offers students an introduction to world travel destinations from the traveler’s and travel counselor’s
perspectives. Topics include travel planning, sales & marketing, travel destination planning, unique cultural and
societal attributes, visitor activities, and use of the Internet for research.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Being aware of the course learning outcomes is paramount to success in all of your coursework. The learning
outcomes guide the material each of your courses covers and the manner in which the material is covered. Please
make yourself aware of the elements of this course and all other pertinent courses. The course learning outcomes
for all HOST classes can be viewed at this web address: http://catalog.highline.edu/
The Student Learning Outcomes for this course are as follows:
• Learners will perform effectively in situations whereby societal norms are different from their own.
• Learners will identify selling points for destination marketers and management organizations.
• Learners will formulate on-site tourist activities at destinations.
• Learners will accurately interpret travel itineraries from industry-standard codes.
• Learners will classify components of tourism infrastructure.
• Learners will interpret world health information from industry standard locations for tourist market
segments.
• Learners will identify major destinations within spatial geography contexts on maps.
PARTICIPATION
Active participation is necessary for learning in the hospitality and tourism field to occur. Therefore, you are
expected to participate in the course. If you fail to participate in the course it will be assumed that you are not
prepared. If you are consistently not prepared then a meeting may be required to discuss your lack of
Participation.
Student and Visitor Exchange Program
In compliance with the Student and Visitor Exchange Program (SEVP) requirements for F-1 international students,
this course has an in-person component, which is (all Tuesdays 1:30p-3:50p in 23-210). All students, regardless of
status, are invited to attend. The in-person component of this class is not required for any student.
ASSIGNMENT PROTOCOLS
All final exams take place face-to-face in courses that are scheduled face-to-face. Hybrid and online courses have
final exams that take place online. The time and location of your final exam will be dictated by the College.
Instructors cannot move final exam locations or times. You are responsible for knowing the time and location of
your final exam. This can be located on Highline.edu.
If you miss the final exam but complete the rest of the course then you may be assigned an Incomplete depending
on the situation. Incompletes can be made up at a later date in agreement with the instructor. You will not be
given an Incomplete if you simply choose to stop completing work. Also, flight dates are not a reasonable excuse
for missing a final exam.
Assignment Grading
All assignments are graded on a rubric. The rubric will be made available in Canvas prior to the due date.
Assignment Explanations
The date of the Final Exam for this course will be at a time identified by the College. You are responsible for
knowing the time for the Final Exam.
Table I. Assignment Grading
Assignment No. %/ea. Total
Quizzes 5(7) 10 50
Project/Paper
Exam
1
1
25
25
25
25
TOTAL 100
Quizzes: Students are responsible for studying weekly topics and completing the corresponding
quizzes in Canvas. Course materials are posted in Canvas. There are seven quizzes. You are required
to take a minimum of five quizzes. You can complete more than five quizzes. Only your five highest
quizzes will count toward your final grade in the course.
Project/Paper: You will need to write a paper regarding your international travel planning. You need to
choose an international destination and culture that you have not visited. This assignment can be
completed based on your overall understanding of our quarterly course materials. This assignment is
explained in detail on Canvas.
Exam: There is one Exam: A Final Exam. The Final Exam is cumulative for the quarter.