Instructional goals
The course aims to provide students with a wide knowledge of tourism management in an international business context.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites required. Preferable to review principles of business strategy and marketing
Intended learning outcomes
1) Knowledge and understanding: Understanding the complexity of tourism industry and its main challenges, and the issue of sustainable tourism. Developing a destination-based perspective in the design of tourism strategies
2) Applying knowledge and understanding: Identifying the main KPIs and propose solutions to attract tourists in an international context in a sustainable way
3) Autonomy in making judgements: on the basis of the knowledge acquired, and thanks to the use of methodological tools learned, ability to detect and understand the main challenges about tourism management
4) Communication skills: communication and interpretation skills, processing and synthesis of data relating to the problems under study, acquisition of tourism and hospitality-related terminology suitable for the explanation and interpretation and communication of business choices.
5) Learning skills: articulated and organic learning skills that will allow the breakdown of problems in their complexity and to manage their solutions in specific applications.
Course Contents
The content is divided into two parts:
In the first half of the course, students will learn about industry dynamics and key players with a major focus on hospitality firms, business models, innovation and on the latest challenges in the industry.
The second half is focused on sustainable tourism and on how to manage the destination and its stakeholders to attract tourist demand while creating value for the community.
Reference Books
Slides, academic papers and business cases.
Suggested Book: Tourism Management, S. Page, Routledge
Teaching Methods
The course will combine lectures, seminars and business case discussions, in which dialogue between the teacher and the students will be necessary.
Students’ attendance and active participation is extremely important and will be valued by the teacher
Assessment Method
Project work
Attendance
Final written exam
Thesis assignment criteria
To pass the exam with a minimum of 27/30
Week 1
1. Introduction
2. Basic concepts of tourism management
Week 2
1. Cultural tourism
2. Event tourism
Week 3
1. Tourism industry
2. Tourism industry: trasportation sector
Week 4
1. Tourism industry: hospitality business
2. Tourism industry: Tour operator
Week 5
1. Business model and innovation in tourism industry
2. Business case study
Week 6
1. Service quality in tourism industry
2. Tourism product
Week 7
1. Introduction to the second part of the course
2. Destination management 1
Week 8
1. Destination management 2
2. introduction to project work
Week 9
1. Overtourism
2. DMOs and destination management plans
Week 10
1. Sustainable tourism 1
2. Project work in class
Week 11
1. Sustainable tourism 2
2. Seminar from the industry
Week 12
1. Project work final presentation
2. Project work final presentation