TOURISM, SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE - 1

The course is part of the core educational activities of the Master’s Degree Program in Tourism, Management, and Sustainability. This module, together with the one taught by Prof. Stefano Soriani, constitutes a single 12 CFU course, with shared objectives and teaching methods. The aim of the course is to provide conceptual knowledge to develop the ability to analyse and interpret tourist destinations, recognising their environmental and historical-cultural potential. It also seeks to illustrate how tourism can evolve to become sustainable from both an environmental and social perspective. Specifically, this first module aims to explore how tourism impacts the economy, society, culture, and environment worldwide, addressing the concept of sustainability primarily from a social and cultural perspective. The second module, on the other hand, will focus mainly on environmental sustainability.

1. Knowledge and Understanding:
1.1 Acquire key concepts for a critical approach to interpreting the places shaped by tourism.
1.2 Understand the concept of transformative/sustainable tourism through a series of concrete examples.
1.3 Understand best practices that can be adopted to make tourism a sustainable practice.

2. Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding:
2.1 Analyse contemporary tourist destinations.
2.2 Understand the social and cultural impact of tourism.
2.3 Recognise the dynamics of tourism development (past or ongoing) and identify the associated social, cultural, and environmental issues.

3. Critical Thinking:
3.1 Evaluate the economic, environmental, and socio-cultural factors that contribute to the sustainability (or unsustainability) of tourism at different scales.

4. Communication Skills:
4.1 Present acquired knowledge in writing in a logical, coherent, and concise manner.
4.2 Acquire key terminology related to tourism geography, the international Anglo-American academic debate, and best practices in sustainable tourism.

Being able to read, speak, and write in English.

Tourism and Geography
Tourism Demand and Supply
Cultural Geography and Tourism
Urban and Rural Areas as Resources and Obstacles for Tourism
Political Factors as Resources and Obstacles for Tourism
The Economic Benefits of Tourism
Tourism Products (e.g., beach tourism, nature and tourism, slow and wellness tourism, dark tourism…)
The Social Benefits of Tourism
The Social Costs of Tourism
Tourism, Representations of Places, and Social Media
Experiences of Place in Tourism
Transformative/Sustainable Tourism

Lectures' notes and selected chapters from the following texts:
Nelson, V. (2021). An introduction to the geography of tourism. Rowman & Littlefield.
Mason, P. (2023). Geography of tourism: image, impacts and issues.
Smith, J. (2017). Transforming travel: Realising the potential of sustainable tourism. Cabi.

The instructor will ensure that relevant materials from these textbooks are uploaded to Moodle after each lecture.

Each module includes a written exam consisting of 4 open-ended questions, each worth 4 points, for a total of 16 points. The written exam lasts a maximum of 60 minutes for each module. The maximum achievable score is 30 cum laude (only for those who achieve a total score between 31 and 34).

The exams for the first and second modules can be taken either separately (in a dedicated session) or simultaneously. If taken simultaneously, the maximum time allowed is two hours to complete both exams structured as described above.
The exam format will be presented in class during the first lesson, mid-course, and at the end of the course, and will be uploaded on Moodle.

The exam questions—and the corresponding answers—for this module are based on the notes taken in class during lectures, as well as on all texts and materials uploaded to Moodle by the instructor throughout the course.

written

Each module is assessed through a written exam consisting of four open-ended questions, each valued at 4 points, for a total of 16 points per module. The duration of the written exam is a maximum of 60 minutes per module.

The maximum score achievable for each module is 30/30 cum laude. The grading scale operates as follows:
• Total score 0-17: Fail
• Total score 18-30: Pass (where 18 is the minimum passing score and 30 is the highest standard score)
• Total score 31-34: 30 cum laude (awarded to students who exceed the maximum score due to excellent performance)
Total Score (out of 34) Italian Grade Description
0 – 17 Fail Insufficient
18 – 20 Pass Sufficient
21 – 23 Pass Fair
24 – 26 Pass Good
27 – 28 Pass Very Good
29 – 30 Pass Excellent
31 – 34 30 e lode Excellent with Honors (Cum Laude)

Frontal teaching followed and integrated with active participation in class encouraged by the instructor by asking questions, encouraging comments and suggestions.

It is recommended to enrol in the course’s Moodle page.

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