GEOGRAPHY AND SOCIOLOGY OF TOURISM

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Academic Year of enrolment:

2015/2016

Academic Year of provision:

2017/2018

Degree:

Bachelor's Degree Programme in BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Language:

Italian

Grouping:

SOCIOLOGY OF TOURISM
Credits: 5 - Related/Supplementary
GEOGRAPHY OF TOURISM
Credits: 4 - Related/Supplementary

Grouping credits:

Grouping type:

Attendance grouping

Programme Year:

Cycle:

Second four months

None

Educational Goals

Geography of tourism:
Knowledge and understanding
After studying this module students should be able to:
a) Understand the basic mechanisms and conclusions of models regarding geography of tourism.
b) Develop critical perspectives on sustainable tourism.
c) Reflect on actions and behaviors to improve the competitiveness of the company operating in the tourism sector.
d) Examine the role of the company operating in the tourism sector in supporting local development.

Skills, qualities and attributes
After studying this module students should be able to:
e) Apply the principal techniques of geography of tourism and sustainable tourism analysis and discuss their utility in a local context.
f) Demonstrate enhanced analytical skills, oral and written communication skills in address the improvement of the competitiveness of the company operating in the tourism sector according to an integrated approach based on a systemic view and on long term objectives.
g) Demonstrate enhanced analytical skills in creating synergies between the company operating in the tourism sector and the local stakeholders.
Sociology of tourism:
Knowledge and understanding At the end of module II students should be
able to: a) Have an overview of the role played by sociology of tourism is
the study of the link between tourism and socio-economic phenomena; b)
Understanding the dynamics that allow representing the heterogeneity of
tourism experiences both on micro and macro level; c) Identifying the key
elements that can be framed as key variables explaining the various
districtualization features at the regional level. Skills At the end of
module II students should be able to: d) Know how to employ the
acquired notions in order to represent the crucial features of the
relationship between tourists and other relevant socio-economic actors in
different scenarios; e) Use the acquired notions to specify reference
models that can properly represent the relationship between the dynamics of tourism and the socio-economic territory as a whole; f) Show capability for critical analysis about the role of the most important actors in the districtualization tourism processes.

Content

Geography of tourism:
The module is focused on sustainable tourism as a guiding principle to improve the competitiveness of the company operating in the tourism sector. Starting from the increasing competition among tourism destinations the module also highlights the vital role of the company in supporting local development.
The module offers a systemic view based on an integrated and multidimensional approach and on long term objectives.

PART I – INTRODUCTION
1) Course description
2) Proper and Improper tourism
3) Tourist-receiving regions. Configurations
4) Models to interpret touristic territories
5) Geographical tools applied to tourism: Geographic Information Systems

PART II – SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
1) The debate on sustainable tourism
2) International resolutions
3) EU sustainable tourism policies
4) The substitutability between economy and environment
5) Strategies to improve competitiveness:
- The role of stakeholders in favouring local development
- The role of the company operating in the tourism sector in favouring local development
- Tourist-receiving activities, environment and sustainability. Strategies for improving attractiveness
6) Proactive tools for the company:
- EMAS
- Ecolabel
- FEE tools
- Socioeconomic and environmental indicators
- Environmental Accounting Systems
- Ecological Footprint Analysis
7) The organization of a Universal Exposition: Expo Milano 2015.
8) Climate change and tourism
9) Case studies:
- Lake Garda
- European Green Capital Award
Sociology of Tourism:
The module of "Sociology of Tourism",
is focused on tourism relatedprocesses on two sides. The first level is the micro one concerning
the analysis of the defining needs of tourist, where the second level is
macro driven and it is grounded on the socio-economic dynamics in their
link with tourism as a whole.
I – PROTO-TOURISM IN A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE 1)
Taxonomy of the tourist according to traditional operational criteria 2)
Proto-tourism in a sociological perspective: - The wandering artisan - The pilgrim - The Grand Tour (three main reference actors);
II - SOCIOECONOMIC SCENARIOS BEHIND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND THE EVOLUTION OF SUBJECTIVE MOTIVATIONAL (AND COGNITIVE) PATTERNS
1) The most significant socio-economic changes related to tourism
development over time (mass tourism and post-industrial tourism): the
remodeling of collective needs and agents’ wishes in the information
society 2) The relationship between the tourist needs and those of other
key agents involved in the the socio-economic system: (a) in the mass or
Fordist environment along with the emergence of “demonstrative” consumption; (b) In the postindustrial
milieu 3) The evolution of subjective patterns of individual motivations: - the shape of authenticity in experiential tourism; - push and pull determinants in the tourist behavior; - the construction of the inner "pseudo-environment" as a representation of tourist experience.
III -TOURISM AND TERRITORIES AS COMPLEX SYSTEMS
1) The approach towards tourism as a complex system and the notion of
territory as a multi-dimensional space, starting from the main building blocks
(cultural, artistic, environmental assets, and the local touristic
supply system); 2) The new socio-organizational territorial models: the
local system of tourism and the “districtualization” of tourism and culture (theoretical and empirical implications) in comparison with economic districts: link between the lifecycle of tourism and crowding-out. 3) The study of the most relevant factors within cultural and tourism
districtualization: - The relational networks and social capital.

Extended Syllabus

Recommended Bibliography

Geography of tourism:
Attendant students:
1. Materials made available during the course (Slide)
2. lectures notes
Further complementary reading will be suggested during the classes.
Sociology of tourism:
For attendant students, lectures notes and slides are compulsory resources (handbooks can be used for additional knowledge), while for non-attendant students the texts knowledge is required.
-Savelli, A. (2012), Sociologia del turismo, Hoepli, Milano [ISBN] 978-88-203-5188-5
(except chapters 2, 14, 15)
-Sainaghi, R. (2006), La gestione strategica dei distretti turistici, CUSL, Milano, [ISBN] 88-8132-414-8 (except chapters 2, 3)
For Erasmus students: - Yiorgos Apostolopoulos, Stella Leivadi, Andrew Yiannakis (eds.), The Sociology of Tourism: Theoretical and Empirical Investigations (Routledge Advances in Tourism), Routledge,
New York,[ISBN] 0-415-13508-7

Non attendant students:
Handbooks:
- Piero Innocenti, Geografia del turismo, Carocci, 2014, ISBN 9788843040650
- Patrizia Romei (a cura di), Turismo sostenibile e sviluppo locale, Cedam, 2008, ISBN 9788813295943

For Erasmus students:
- Piero Innocenti, Tourism studies. The emergence of a new systemic approach. Examples from the United States and Europe, Lulu, 2011, SBN 9781446617564

Methods of Provision

Conventional

Teaching Methods

Geography of tourism:
Front classes will be given by the lecturer and special seminars devoted to particular topics will be given by external experts (35 hours – 14 meetings). Exercises (15 hours – 8 meetings)
Sociology of tourism:
Frontal lectures (30 hours - 12 meetings)
Special seminars devoted to particular topics will be given by external experts.

Assessment Methods

Geography and sociology of tourism:
Students will be asked to answer three open written questions (lasting 1 hour). The examination can be integrated with an optional research previously defined. The research will be presented in the classroom. The “Mid-term test” is allowed both for attendant and for non attendant students.

Assessment:

Final Mark

Programme of Educational Activities

Start date of teaching period:

Monday, February 12, 2018

End date of teaching period:

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Other Information

Geography and sociology of tourism:
Tutorship is available in English.
Non-compulsory attendance.

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