The module of “Information and Communication for sustainable Tourism” (cod. 44165-MOD1), 6 cfu, is part of the course “Digital strategies for sustainable tourism” (cod. 44165-ENG ), 12 cfu.
The course aims to provide an overall understanding of trends, challenges, ethical issues and responsibilities of the tourism industry in a globalized world, its impacts on the societal and natural systems, its use of land and resources, its relationship with sustainability and local development. Moreover, students will learn about the main research approaches within the sociology of tourism field.
After completing the course, the student has acquired skills relating to concepts and methods of sociological analysis to interpret the emergence, spread and changes of tourism. In particular he/she knows the various theories and techniques for the analysis of tourism demand (motivations, attitudes and dispositions of the "new" tourist); he/she is able to grasp the evolution of the relationship between social systems and their environment, in its natural and social components; he/she is able to identify the factors of alteration of the balance between human societies and the ecosystems of which they are part. In particular, the student will have acquired the ability to develop original ideas about the social and environmental context pertaining the design, planning and management of tourism systems.
Knowledge of the basic concepts of tourism.
The ability to understand texts and articulate a synthesis of the acquired concepts.
Lectures, with discussion of concrete cases application and direct dialogue with the students, who will be invited to publicly formulate proposals for further study or debates.
The exam of the course “Information and Communication for sustainable Tourism” is divided in two parts.
For the first part of the module:
- Attending students: students are required to prepare a 2,000-word essay, following the lecturer’s indications. The essay must be delivered to the lecturer by email. The lecturer will give students’ a deadline by which the exam needs to be turned in.
- Non-attending students: written exam
For the second part of the module:
- Attending students: students are required to complete a group assignment, prepared in accordance with the lecturer’s guidelines, and present it during the final class session.
- Non-attending students: written exam
The final grade of the examination is calculated as the arithmetic mean of the two modules.
The exam aims at verifying: the level of knowledge achieved by the student; his/her skills in critical understanding and reasoning; his/her skill in composing a well-structured text. Evaluation criteria include: relevance and completeness, clarity, original thinking, mastery of language and disciplinary lexicon.
This module centers around the “Sociology of tourism” and looks at how social changes and social issues influence the tourism sector. The course will provide a sociological overview on leisure and the main research approaches within the sociology of tourism field. Students will learn about how the main sociological classical and contemporary theories apply to the travel sector, with the exploration of some case studies.
The first part of the module focuses on different relevant topics: 1. Introduction to the sociology of tourism; 2. Sociological research methods within tourism; 3. The concept of authenticity and the host-guest relationship; 3. Environmental sociology and the travel market; 4. Tourism and social problems; 5. Media/celebrity culture and tourism; 6. Globalization and tourism; 7. Critical theory and the sociology of tourism.
The second part of the module aims to provide theoretical and empirical insights into different forms of communication in the tourism sector from a sociological perspective, introducing the topic of emotional labour.
The required readings and study materials for the examination vary according to students’ attendance status (attending or non-attending).
Following the written assessment, the instructor may require an additional oral examination, where deemed necessary, to verify the achievement of the course learning outcomes and to ensure the accurate assessment of student performance.
