HISTORY OF TOURISM

Consistently with the objectives of the program in Tourism Management and Sustainability, the course offers students a historical and critical approach to the study of the evolution of tourism and its governance.

In this perspective, the didactic objectives of the course are: 1) to acquaint students with the historical debates on tourism; 2) to provide them with the tools to place economic theories on tourism in the appropriate historical context; 3) to understand the conditions that limit the scope of application of the theories; 4) to understand how the interpretation of the past influences destination policy choices.

The course will proceed in chronological order by examining the historical evolution of tourism and the theoretical debates of the time. Some lectures will be devoted to the presentation and discussion of case studies, particularly concerning Venice and the overtourism issue.

Knowledge and understanding:
Knowing the main discontinuities in Tourism history, from preindustrial times to the scientific and industrial revolutions.
Understanding the main issues of the debate on tourism history.
Understanding the peculiar character of historical research vs social sciences.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
Ability to provide a historically consistent definition of tourism in different periods.
Ability to set correctly in the historical context the debates on Tourist practices and their governance.
Ability to define the scope limiting conditions of economic theories on tourism.

Judgment ability:
Ability to distinguish the forms of Tourism following the historical context.
Ability to identify the influence of the interpretation of the past on destination policies.

Communication ability:
Ability to publicly present research and to discuss it.

Learning ability:
Ability to read and critically discuss a historical text.
Ability to distinguish between historical rigour and scientific rigour.

Basic knowledge of general history at high-school level.

1. Pre-industrial forms of 'tourism': Venice as a stopping place for pilgrims.
2. The grand tour and European society in the 18th century: the case of Venice.
3. Elite tourism and the industrial revolutions.
4. The transformations of the holiday in the age of mass consumption: the Lido.
5. Global tourism and overtourism: Venice

R.C. Davis, G.R. Marvin, Venice, the Tourist Maze: A Cultural Critique of the World’s Most Touristed City, Berkeley, Ca: University of California Press, 2004

Further materials Will be suggested during the course

The written exam (100% of the final grade) will be based on the course slides and ALL reference texts. Both slides and texts will be made available online. The exam will be with open books and will include an open question on a transversal theme. Students will have an hour to answer on paper. They will be allowed to use books, notes, digital and online materials. However, they are required to answer on the course contents. An antiplagiarism check will be applied to the answers.

written

As for the final grade (how grades will be assigned), regardless of the attending or non-attending modality:
A. Scores in the 18-22 range will be awarded in case of:
- sufficient knowledge and understanding applied to the programme,
- limited ability to collect and/or interpret data, making autonomous judgments;
- sufficient communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language pertaining to the history of business forms.
B. Scores in the 23-26 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- discrete knowledge and applied understanding of the programme;
- discrete ability to collect and/or interpret data, making autonomous judgments;
- discrete communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language relating to the history of business forms;
C. scores in the 27-30 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- good or excellent knowledge and understanding of the programme;
- good or excellent ability to collect and/or interpret data, making autonomous judgments;
- fully appropriate communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language relevant to the history of business forms.
D. Honours will be awarded in the presence of excellent knowledge and understanding applied in relation to the program, judgment skills and communication skills.

Frontal lessons with slideshow, interactive discussion on readings and team works.

Slideshows and all the texts will be made available online.

Ca’ Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). If you have a disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Cities, infrastructure and social capital" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development