Course 2025-2026 a.y.

The course is structured around the following modules to provide a comprehensive, interconnected perspective.

Module 1 – Understanding Tourism Trends and Scenarios

• Overview of the tourism system: key players, industry structure, and emerging global trends.

• Managerial challenges and frontier issues shaping competitiveness and innovation.

• Demand evolution and segmentation (i.e. cultural, creative, luxury, food, wellness, and sports tourism).

Module 2 – Business Models, Value Chains and Performance in Tourism

• Mapping tourism value chains and analysing interconnections among sectors.

• Roles and collaboration mechanisms between private and public stakeholders.

• Business models and managerial issues across hospitality, travel intermediation, transportation, events, and attractions.

• Fundamentals of pricing strategies, dynamic pricing, and revenue management in hospitality and related services.

Module 3 – Destination Management and Sustainability

• Sustainable practices across tourism sectors.

• Sustainable tourism and destination impacts: frameworks and tools for assessment.

• Models of destination governance and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

• Destination strategy and governance: the role and performance of destination management organizations.

• Analyse the structure, interrelations, and evolving dynamics of the tourism industry within the visitor economy.
• Evaluate trends, competitive factors, and governance frameworks shaping tourism development and sustainability.
• Understand how business models and collaboration mechanisms contribute to value creation across sectors and destinations.
• Acquire conceptual and practical tools proper of the tourism industry.

• Critically assess and compare different tourism business models and destination strategies.
• Develop actionable strategies for sustainable tourism initiatives at destination and industry levels.
• Craft innovative proposals for tourism companies and destinations, balancing competitiveness with sustainability.
• Interact professionally with industry stakeholders, demonstrating advanced knowledge and problem-solving skills.
• Apply concepts and tools in a real-world setting through group projects and field assignments.

• Lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Company visits
• Individual works / Assignments
• Collaborative Works / Assignments

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 in the tourism industry.

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 group 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. The field project is developed in collaboration with L’Albereta Relais & Châteaux and Bellavista Wine (Franciacorta) and focuses on developing a concrete and implementable project to integrate the resort’s hospitality and dining offer with the winery and the wine territory, enhancing their overall coherence, positioning, and value.

Grades for attending students are computed as follows:

• Individual essay (50%) – assesses the student’s ability to analyse and critically discuss key issues addressed during the course that provide the foundational knowledge for the development of the field project. The essay evaluates analytical reasoning, conceptual understanding, and the ability to apply theoretical frameworks to practical contexts.
• Group field project (50%) – developed in collaboration with L’Albereta Relais & Châteaux and Bellavista Wine, The project assesses the students’ ability to analyse the company and its context, envision future scenarios, and propose a consistent and feasible project.

Both evaluations must be passed (grade ≥ 18).

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 issues treated in the books for non attending students. It tests the ability to interpret and apply frameworks to industry and destination cases.

The exam covers the full syllabus.

No oral integration.

Slides and class materials/readings. In addition a recommended reading list is provided in the syllabus at the beginning of the course. It includes both academic and professional readings.

The mandatory reading list is provided in the syllabus at the beginning of the course. It includes readings from academic journals, reports, and book chapters.