Tourism Products Management

Objectives

The main objectives are:

1. Asses the main trends of tourism demand since the beginning of the 21st century and understand the meaning of special interest tourism as an element of differentiation of the destinations’ supply;

2. Analyze the positive and negative impacts of special interest tourism in local communities and tourism destinations;

3. Promote the conception and development strategies of tourism products;

4. Discuss the approaches and tools of visitors’ management and the monitoring and assessment of their impacts;

5. Identify the critical aspects of conception and management of tourism products, especially in small and medium firms (SME);

6. Understand the structure and the development of tourism products in order to compete with sustainability in the target markets;

7. Study and discussion of practical case studies.

Program

1st Part – The Meaning of Special Interest Tourism

Definition

Main trends of tourism demand

Main challenges for the visitor economy

2nd Part – Practical Implementation: Assessment of the potential impacts of the different types of tourism

Potential impacts of the different types of special interest tourism

Key concepts of the practical implementation and of the structure of tourism products

Tools to manage visitors’ impacts

3rd Part – Entrepreneurship and special interest tourism

Approaches to identify and assess the opportunities for SMEs in special interest tourism

Structure and development of tourism products and competitiveness in the global market

4th Part – Special interest tourism: case studies

Teaching Methodologies

The teaching methodology is based on the exposition of the topics covered in the syllabus and on the discussion of case studies. Slides are used during the oral exposition of the topics covered and bibliography references will be indicated and provided as well as the case studies. All relevant information about the unit is available online through the platform MOODLE. Students are expected to develop a group project on the topics covered on the syllabus, allowing them to apply the theory to a specific case study.

Bibliography

Ceballos-Lascurain, H.(1996) Tourism, Ecotourism and Protected Areas, Gland, Switzerland, IUCN, World Conservation Union

Douglas, N., Douglas, N. E Derret, R. (eds)(2001) Special Interest Tourism: Context and Cases, Queensland, Wiley

Gartner, W.C.(1996) Tourism Development: Principles, Processes, and Policies, NY, Van Nostrand Reinhold

Middleton, V.T.C., Fyall, A., Morgan, M. e Ranchhod, A.(2009). Marketing in Travel and Tourism (4th ed.). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann

Moutinho, L.(2000) Strategic Management in Tourism, Oxon, CAB International

OMT (1998b) Introducción al Turismo, Madrid, OMT

Ritchie, J.R.B. e G.I. Crouch(2003) The Competitive Destination: A Sustainable Tourism Perspective, Wallingford, CAB International

Swarbrooke, J.(2002) The Development and Management of Visitor Attractions. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann

Tinsley, R. e P. Lynch(2001) Small tourism business networks and destination development, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 20(4), 367-378