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Americans Abroad Heritage Tourism

a picture of green cliffs by the ocean in Ireland

By Rachel Berry

The Americans Abroad Heritage Tourism program studies history, identity politics, and culture through the lens of tourism.

Students spend a month traveling between three or four countries in Western Europe. The locations change every year, but past countries have included Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and Paris.

Class times are mainly spent discussing readings to give students background on landmarks before visiting. The class will go on tours and then debrief afterward to think critically about how the tour went and how the tour guide presented certain issues. Throughout the month they’re abroad, the program makes sure students see a large number of museums, landmarks, and historical sites.

Students are given free time in the afternoons or on weekends to explore on their own, and some students use these weekends to visit neighboring countries. Since tours are part of the class, though, many students feel like they don’t need as much free time because they are seeing everything as a group.

“All of our class programming was kind of the big touristy sites, so we had access to all of these things done for us like I did not have to try to arrange to get myself to Westminster Abbey or Windsor Castle or the Cliffs of Moher,” said Katelyn Redelman, a former student on the program. “We were going there as a class, and then you get to spend time there and experience it as a tourist but then also as a student with that more analytical lens.”

The program brings together aspects of all of the students’ majors. In the past, tour guides have mentioned religious practices for a religion major, politics for a political science major, natural landmarks and habitats for science majors, and much more. The program attracts a variety of majors, so having an American Studies background isn’t required.

Near the end of the program, students will take what they’ve learned and give their own tour.

“You can go on your own, but it won’t be the same,” said Halie Barger, a former student on the program. “We picked up and gained skills that I probably wouldn’t have been able to do before going on this program.”

Are you interested in the Americans Abroad Heritage Tourism program?

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Eric Terry stands in front of the Eiffel TowerEric Terry

Year

Senior

Major

Human Capital Management and Leadership


Just stepping back … soaking everything in and remembering the trip, it was the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of, and definitely the best decision I made in my college career was doing this trip.

 

Halie Barger stands on Brighton PierHalie Barger

Year

Senior

Majors

Journalism and Political Science

I decided to do a program that strayed from my major because I wanted to broaden my horizons. I saw one that had opportunities for me to go to multiple places, and I didn’t have to do that by myself, so that stood out to me.

 

Katelyn Redelman stands in front of Buckingham PalaceKatelyn Redelman

Year

Junior

Majors

Anthropology and Global and Intercultural Studies

I probably wouldn’t have gained anything about the politics of tourism and the really key difference and the way that information—especially regarding the way that nationalism and globalism were expressed through these things—without the classroom portion of it, and it really enriched my experience all around. If I had just gone by myself as a tourist, I think I still would have enjoyed it a lot, but it was so much richer with the context in the classroom.

Eric

Eric Terry stands in front of the Eiffel TowerEric Terry

Year

Senior

Major

Human Capital Management and Leadership


Just stepping back … soaking everything in and remembering the trip, it was the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of, and definitely the best decision I made in my college career was doing this trip.

 

Halie

Halie Barger stands on Brighton PierHalie Barger

Year

Senior

Majors

Journalism and Political Science

I decided to do a program that strayed from my major because I wanted to broaden my horizons. I saw one that had opportunities for me to go to multiple places, and I didn’t have to do that by myself, so that stood out to me.

 

Katelyn

Katelyn Redelman stands in front of Buckingham PalaceKatelyn Redelman

Year

Junior

Majors

Anthropology and Global and Intercultural Studies

I probably wouldn’t have gained anything about the politics of tourism and the really key difference and the way that information—especially regarding the way that nationalism and globalism were expressed through these things—without the classroom portion of it, and it really enriched my experience all around. If I had just gone by myself as a tourist, I think I still would have enjoyed it a lot, but it was so much richer with the context in the classroom.