20806 - TOURISM INDUSTRY AND SUSTAINABLE DESTINATIONS
Department of Social and Political Sciences
Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 31
Course Director:
MAGDA ANTONIOLI
MAGDA ANTONIOLI
Mission & Content Summary
MISSION
The tourism industry is globally recognized as a key economic sector with a potential for further growth both in the short and in the medium-long term. Tourism is quickly recovering in the post-pandemia and companies and destinations are going through significant transformations in their strategies and business models, thus requiring new competences and professional profiles. The program is designed for students who wish to pursue a career in the industry, or work in companies that advise or support the sector, and for students who want to leverage on sustainable tourism for enhancing cultural and natural resources, tourism connected industries (culture, fashion, design, wine and food, events,...), and places.
With regard to the industry level, students will understand tourism as a very diversified sector, made of various complementary industries that need to act in a systemic way to maximize their potential. The course provides students an understanding of the players of the sector, of the relevant supply trends, and of the functioning and interactions of the tourism value chains.
Tourism is also a territorial activity and can contribute to community well-being, and quality of life. It has positive synergies with the local values of a place and it has sizable impacts on the environment. The course provides competences of sustainable destination marketing and management and of networking processes that generate sustainable and successful tourism destinations.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The course is structured in three modules.
The first module introduces tourism and its relevant trends and scenarios
- An overview of the tourism market: main players, industry structure, drivers and trends
- A rapidly changing industry: managerial challenges, frontier issues and tourism competitiveness
- Mainstream tourists, travelers, temporary citizens: the multifaceted aspects of tourism segments
The second module concentrates on key business models of the tourism industry and on the interconnections of its value chains
- Mapping the tourism value chains: players and interactions
- Private and public sectors in tourism: networking processes, tools, and success factors
- Focus on new business models and managerial issues in the tourism and travel industry: hospitality and complementary services, travel intermediaries and b2b and b2c platforms, transports, events and attractions
Meet the industry: guest speakers form different tourism industries plus visits to urban luxury resorts (e.g. Chateaux Monfort, Portrait/Ferragamo,..) to understand the contest of the luxury hospitality and related experiences (accommodation, spa, food, shopping,...)
The third module focuses on the role of destinations and on the transition towards sustainable development and management at territorial level
- Sustainable tourism and tourism impacts at destination level: definitions, frameworks and assessment
- Green and social initiatives and ethical decision-making throughout the various tourism sectors
- Destination strategy, destination management, and DMMOs (destination marketing and management organizations)
Meet the industry: case studies of different destinations and DMMOs plus a workshop with 'Langhe Monferrato Roero' as a leading UNESCO and wine and food destination
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
- Understand and predict tourism market trends and interpret different scenarios at national and international level.
- Acquire conceptual and practical tools proper of the tourism industry.
- Get a thorough understanding of specific tourism segments (i.e. culture, creativity and luxury; food and wine; ...).
- Understand the essential tenets of sustainable tourism, destination management and community-based cooperation processes.
- Recognize the role of destination marketing and management organizations in facilitating sustainable tourism development.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
- Analyze and compare different business models and destination management approaches to tourism.
- Equip tools to help implement sustainable tourism initiatives at destination level.
- Develop market strategies for the tourism industry and for tourism destinations.
- Interact with tourism actors in a constructive and professional way.
- Gain real-world business experience through guest speakers, company visits, and the development of a field project.
Teaching methods
- Lectures
- Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
- Company visits
- Individual works / Assignments
- Collaborative Works / Assignments
DETAILS
The course is based on a mix of lectures, speeches from guest speakers, company visits and a group assignment (group project). The mix enables students to apply concepts to real-life situations and deals. Students are expected to actively participate to class.
Guest Speaker's talks provide the students with the opportunity to get a first hands-on approach on specific tourism managerial issues and challenges faced by professionals and managers.
Company visit/workshops are a chance to see the backstage of some key players and the places where management decisions happen within the tourism industry.
Case studies and class discussions are fundamental to achieve a better knowledge of the topics covered within the course and ensure a proper understanding of different methodologies. They support the students in achieving better interaction in a multi-cultural context and develop critical thinking over the topics.
A field project is developed over the course and it aims at practicing and verifying students’ ability to deal with future scenarios and build a consistent and feasible proposal for a tourism company. The filed project will be developed in joint with Lungarno collection (Ferragamo) and will tackle brand extension strategies of the fashion industry in hospitality as an emerging trend (see LVMH, Bulgari, Armani,...).
Assessment methods
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ATTENDING STUDENTS
Grades for attending students are computed as follows:
· Individual essay (50%) The essay assesses the ability of students to analyze and critically discuss issues treated over the course through a specific case.
· Group assignment (50%) The group project aims to deal with future scenarios and build a consistent and feasible proposal for a tourism company/destination.
Both evaluations must be sufficient (grade ≥ 18). Note: the exam as attending student can be taken until the end of 2024.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Written exam (100%). The written exam for not attending students consists of a short answer-essay exam. Students are required to analyze or compare-contrast or express a documented opinion on some of the issues treated in the books for non attending students. No oral integration.
Teaching materials
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The reading list is provided in the syllabus at the beginning of the course. It includes readings from academic journals, reports, and slides/other class materials.
In accordance with intellectual property rights rules, different materials are available in different ways:
On the Bocconi Bboard platform of the course.
On the ad hoc web course reserve, provided by the Library
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The reading list is provided in the syllabus at the beginning of the course. It includes readings from academic journals, reports, and book chapters.
In accordance with intellectual property rights rules, different materials are available in different ways:
On the Bocconi Bboard platform of the course.
On the ad hoc web course reserve, provided by the Library
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