Unit2:Managing Your Money
WebQuests
Marathon Tourism
Introduction
Sports tourism is an important and growing business worldwide. Whether traveling to compete or simply to spectate, attending a notable sporting event is a fun way to see new places.
Marathons are major sporting events which attract increasing numbers of both professional and amateur athletes. Cities host marathons for civic pride and for the millions of tourist dollars they generate. With at least one marathon held in all 50 states, you can find a big race being run just about wherever you might travel!
In this WebQuest you will plan a detailed itinerary and budget for a trip to a big city marathon. Your itinerary and budget should include travel, accommodations, meals, and interesting activities for a group of running enthusiasts.
Task
A local running club is planning a trip to an out of town marathon. Your task is to select a race and organize an interesting itinerary and detailed budget for ten travelers. The budget for the trip is $1,300 per person and lasts four days.
Process
1. Your teacher will divide your class into groups of at least four.
- ING New York City Marathon
- LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon
- Honolulu Marathon
- Marine Corps Marathon
- City of Los Angeles Marathon
- Boston Marathon
- Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
- Walt Disney World Marathon
- Twin Cities Marathon
- Portland Marathon
4. Find convenient and affordable accommodations. Be sure the hotel is not too far from the race location or from the airport. For budgeting purposes, assume two travelers stay in each room.
5. Investigate local attractions for the group to visit before and after the marathon. Use the Web to research museums, historic sites, landmarks, and cultural centers in the city. Choose which attractions you think are convenient and would most interest the group.
6. Create a detailed itinerary for the trip. Your itinerary should include travel arrangements, the marathon itself, local attractions, and meal times. Be sure to leave time for the group to travel from one scheduled event to the next.
7. Based on the travel plans, accommodations, and itinerary you created, outline a budget for the trip. Remember, each person's budget is limited to $1,300. That includes meals and other incidental expenses like souvenirs and snacks.
8. Once you have completed your itinerary and budget and are back in class, you will need to form groups based on students' selected cities. In groups, students will discuss their research findings and itineraries. Then, each group will come up with a creative way to present their marathon as an attractive destination for other tourists. The presentation should cover that marathon's route, history, and interesting facts. It should also include local attractions that tourists might want to see while in town.
Each group may choose a presentation format from the following list, or create their own:- Brochure
- Poster
- Visual Collage
- Video
- PowerPoint
Here is a list of Web resources to use while planning your trip.
Travel Plans
AccommodationsLocal Attractions
Evaluation
Beginning | Developing | Accomplished | Exemplary | Score | |
Research | Information is inaccurate or inadequate | Information is complete but has little detail | Appropriate information has been gathered to satisfy the assignment | Clear and interesting information has been gathered and assignment is satisfied in detail | |
Itinerary Plan | Plan is incomplete, simple, or not organized | Plan is complete but includes limited detail | Plan is detailed, including timing and destination | Plan is organized, detailed, and chronological | |
Budget | Budget is incomplete | Budget includes only price information | Budget includes all costs and relevant details | Budget is organized, detailed, and under the target amount | |
Group Collaboration | No teamwork and bad use of time | Some teamwork, but not all team members put forth the same effort | Most team members contribute to the group task and are motivated | All team members work collaboratively and efficiently and are highly motivated | |
Creative Project | No signs of a unique presentation | Some unique elements but limited original work | Presentation shows original thought | Presentation stands out in its use of original thinking and visual creativity | |
Group Presentation to the Class | Not all team members participate in presentation | Presentation is given by the team, but presentation is not organized or clear | Entire team participates in an organized and clear presentation | Team works as a solid unit to make the presentation, using body language and good voice projection to address the class |
Conclusion
You have successfully completed an itinerary and detailed budget for a group trip to a big city marathon. Your assignment required in-depth Web investigation, thoughtful planning, and careful budgeting. You have also explored a new city and learned about the growing opportunities in sports tourism.
Organized planning and budgeting skills are important whenever you put together a complicated project. These skills help you make the most of your time and money.
