TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

The Geography of Tourism course lies within the bachelor’s degree Programme in
International Trade and Tourism

The course aims to illustrate how tourism can transform itself and become environmentally and socially sustainable. It also offers knowledge and theoretical tools useful for interpreting the geographical dimension of tourism phenomena, discussing some of the ways in which places are shaped by tourism.

1. Knowledge and understanding:
1.1 Introduce the notion of transformative tourism
1.2 Discuss a number of concrete examples of best practices adopted and adoptable to make tourism a sustainable practice
1.3 Acquire the key notions for a critical approach to the interpretation of geographies shaped by tourism

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:

2.1 Understand the environmental and social impact of tourism
2.2 Use the key concepts and best practices of sustainable tourism
2.3 Recognise the dynamics of tourism development (past or current) and be able to identify the social, cultural and environmental issues associated with them

3. Judgement skills
3.1 Assess, on a case-by-case basis, the factors, economic, environmental and socio-cultural that contribute to the sustainability (or unsustainability) of tourism at different scales

4. Communication skills:
4.1 Explain acquired knowledge in writing in a logical, coherent and concise manner
4.2. Acquire the key terms of the concepts used in the geography of tourism of the Anglo-American international academic debate and best practices of sustainable tourism

To have passed the exam of Political Economy.

Introduction to the environmental and socio-cultural impact of tourism
What is Transformational Tourism
Hotels as complex hubs in the tourism supply chain
Transforming travel experiences: sustainable and accessible holidays and tours
Sustainability of tourism destinations
Socio-cultural relations and experiences in tourism
The notion of tourist gaze
The 'invented' places of tourism
The thematisation of the urban landscape
The past is a foreign land: the concept of heritage and tourism

Smith, J., 2017. Transforming travel: Realising the potential of sustainable tourism. Cabi.
Williams, S. and Lew, A.A., 2014. Tourism geography: Critical understandings of place, space and experience. Routledge.
Gössling, S., Fichert, F. and Forsyth, P., 2017. Subsidies in aviation. Sustainability, 9(8), p.1295.

Students will have around 2 weeks for writing an essay at home on one of the topics developed in class. The essay will have to be sent to the teacher via email as a Word document. The full instructions to write the essay will be explained in class and written in a document that the teacher will upload on Moodle.

Lectures with facilitation of class discussion of the topics and concepts covered
Active participation in class with questions, comments, suggestions is encouraged.

Italian

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Climate change and energy" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development