20807 - DIGITAL INNOVATIONS IN TOURISM
Department of Social and Political Sciences
Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 31
Course Director:
CRISTINA MOTTIRONI
CRISTINA MOTTIRONI
Mission & Content Summary
MISSION
"Digital disruption is fueling innovation in the travel space right now and for years to come" says the Senior VP of Mastercard. Digital innovations in tourism does not happen just in the search and reservation phase but in all stages of the production, distribution and delivery of tourism experiences, making the entire travel journey frictionless and easy and impacting tourists’ expectations and behaviors. In addition, frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots, real time data, blockchains and NFT, gaming are increasingly adopted by tourism players.
Tourism organizations of all sizes are facing opportunities and challenges of digital innovation in terms both of new strategic tools and skills. Many tourism companies are leveraging on digital innovations to secure tourist loyalty and grow their business. Others - leading companies (such as Airbnb, Expedia, Booking), but also startups and smart destinations - have digital innovation at the core of their business model. The high interdependency of the tourism and digital sectors require a multidisciplinary approach to educating the next generation of managers called to implement and safeguard it.
The course aims to grow the students’ skills in understanding digital innovations and their applications and impacts for the tourism sector (industry and destinations). The course has an experiential learning approach based on real cases and active participation of companies and institutions.
CONTENT SUMMARY
- DigitaliInnovation in tourism: key features
- Digital transformation in the tourism and travel industry: conceptual frameworks and domains
- The customer travel journey in the era of digital disruption: digital tourists’ behaviors and the impacts of digital transformations
- The economy of platforms and the sharing economy in tourism industry
- Smart tourism destinations and Destination Management Systems (DMS)
- Challenges and opportunities for tourism companies and destinations in addressing innovation issues (e.g. big data analytics and cybersecurity in tourism)
- Latest technological advances in tourism (i.e. AI, blockchains and NFT, gaming, …): characteristics, applications and implications
Meet the industry: guest speakers from different tourism industries and destinations and from digital and tech companies who are contributing to driving innovation in the tourism sector
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
- Acquire conceptual and practical tools proper of the digital tourism context (demand and supply)
- Understand the pillars of digital transformation in tourism and its challenges
- Gain a comprehensive vision of the stakeholders involved and the opportunities derived from digitalization for smarter, more responsible, and sustainable management of destinations
- Acquire hands-on knowledge in identifying physical and cybersecurity concerns in the essential tourism services (principal threats and challenges, who owns them, and risk assessment and mitigation)
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
- Learn the customer travel journey and how to use the most appropriate technological tools available to meet the needs and expectations of increasingly hyperconnected and interactive visitors
- Use the technology to facilitate and improve the visitor experience before, during, and after the trip.
- Understand how different tourism players and destinations have implemented digital and technological innovations
- Analyze trends in the global system connected to the evolution of cyber risk, interpret how they affect government activities and define policies, programs and road maps for governing it
- Discuss directly with experts in the tourism sector and digital business the practical implications and the best practices of tourism companies and destinations in the digital environment
Teaching methods
- Lectures
- Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
- Practical Exercises
- Collaborative Works / Assignments
DETAILS
- Guest speaker's talks provide focused perspectives on specific opportunities and challenges of digital innovation in tourism
- Case studies, incidents and group assignments encourage open discussion in class, analytical skills, and problem solving
- A practical mock with a travel tech company puts students in a real-life context
Assessment methods
| Continuous assessment | Partial exams | General exam | |
|---|---|---|---|
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x | ||
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x |
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Grades for attending students are computed as follows:
- Written exam (50%) The written exam consists of a mix of open-ended and close-ended questions: students are required to show competence on key concepts/models discussed in class and their application. No oral integration.
- Group assignment (50%) The group assignment is based on a real case.
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 consists of a mix of open-ended and close-ended questions: students are required to analyze or compare-contrast or express a documented opinion on some of the issues treated in the materials for not attending students.
No oral integration.
Teaching materials
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The reading list for attending students 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 for non attending students 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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