Thesis

Thesis Examples

In general the following research themes, inspired by the trajectory a student follows, are covered during the thesis process:

Tourism & Development

• Examining the complex relations between stakeholders involved in tourism development in "The 'unpaved' roads to development: change and continuity in the tourism development trajectory of Lake Sandoval”.
• Researching in which ways (dominant) discourses interrelate with tourism development in "They just don’t get it: Local discourse dynamics around tourism development on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica."

Tourism & Natural Resources

• Studying the interplay between climate change and tourism in "The role of weather and sea-ice information in Arctic expedition cruising."
• Understanding human-wildlife dynamics in “A lion for some cows: Policy Arrangements in the Payment for Environmental Services at Mbirikani, Kenya”.

Tourism & Global Change

• Studying the dynamic interplay between mobilities and socio-cultural transformations in “Does travel provide transformation? Transformative travel experiences of gender perspectives: Latin American women in solo, independent and cross-cultural travel”.
• Researching the ways in which (im)mobilities affect tourism in "Setting sail: an exploratory expedition towards understanding disability, holidays and happiness."

Tourism & Experiences

• Analysing the sense of place of different tourists in "Differences and similarities in the use and experience of place between hotel guests and Airbnb guests in Amsterdam: an interpretation of the relationships between tourist trajectories, sense of place and host-guest interaction."
• Examining the interrelations between cultural heritage and identity formation in "Heritage as an invigoration of self-identity: a quantitative analysis of the raison d’ être of heritage in Western societies."

Supervision

The first step in working on the MSc thesis is the selection of a topic and a supervisor. Within the fields that are mentioned above students have to choose their own topic. In this decision process it is very beneficial to consult the study advisor and the thesis coordinator. The final decision to accept a MSc thesis topic is made by the supervisor. The research is concluded by writing a thesis, which is graded by the supervisor, together with another independent staff member (examiner). Every student also presents his/her (preliminary) results in a colloquium.