Tourism, cultural capital and the transformational power of education: Lessons from the Children’s University Tasmania

This tourism research project focuses on the local community rather than on tourists. It explores links between cultural capital, tourism and education in the community. Focusing on the Children’s University Tasmania and its programs, this study looks at how tourist sites are transformed into learning destinations for residents. The goal of the programs is to enhance the cultural capital of children in less privileged segments of Tasmanian society. The initial results are promising. In the context of tourism studies, this study shows that the narrative of travel can stimulate the imagination of locals. The benefits of learning through (local) tourism experiences can be harnessed to support the broader social and economic goals of improved educational attainment for the young. This study essentially demonstrates how tourism resources are used for local and community development. Tourism should be better integrated to serve the social and educational needs of society.