TOURISM MANAGEMENT
Prof. Giacomo Cavuta
Master’s degree Course: CLEC/M (9 ECTS)
Department of Economic Studies (DEc)
Phone number: +39 085 4537579
Email: giacomo.cavuta@unich.it
Days and office hours: Friday 09:30-11:30
Semester: first

Aims: The course is proposed to provide the theoretical and methodological instruments for understanding the processes of organization and planning of tourism. A first section dedicated to the study of the geography of places will permit, through a series of case studies, to understand what the spatial typologies of tourist destination are, by highlighting the main models for the organization of the territorial areas. In the second section more emphasis will be addressed on the tourism marketing management techniques for the planning of territorial attraction strategies, by individuating the characteristics, roles of operators and critical points in defining programs and marketing plans for the management of tourism product. The ongoing and increasing evolution of the hospitality sector, characterized by deep changes in the processes of provision and consumption of the tourism products and services, suggests a wider reflection about the digitalization and distribution processes of the information related to the destination and to the sector players. In these regards, a section is dedicated to deepen the role of social media, as an instrument for the continuous value co-creation, deriving from the interchange between customers and operators. Lastly, a focus will be dedicated to the main restructuring and rebalancing processes of the peripheral inner areas, in the view of a tourism development of the destination.

Program:

First section:
The polyvalent tourist spaces
The specialized tourist spaces
The typologies of regional tourist spaces: bases and definitions
Naturalistic and human issues
Spaces and tourism policies

Second section:
Introduction: the tourism marketing
The services in the tourism marketing
The role of marketing within the strategic planning
The marketing environment
Information systems and marketing researches
The purchasing behaviour of consumer markets and organizations
Segmentation, choice of target markets and positioning
Planning and management of products and brands
Pricing strategies and techniques
The distribution channels
Communication and promotional mix
Direct and digital marketing
Word-of-mouth, social media and customers’ reviews
The destination marketing
The marketing plan

Third Section:
Typological classification of inner tourist spaces
Tourism in inner areas: the main indicators
The peripheral and polyvalent lacustrine tourist spaces
The rural tourism in peripheral areas
The community-based tourism

Reference books:
1. Lozato-Giotart J.-P., "Geografia del Turismo", (Italian Edition edited by Fiorella Dallari), Milano: Hoepli, 2008. (only for chapters 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9).
2. Kotler P., Bowen J. T., Makens J. C., Baloglu S., "Marketing del Turismo", Seventh Edition, (Italian Edition edited by Aurelio G. Mauri), Milano-Torino: Pearson Italia, 2018.
Available in English as: Kotler P., Bowen J. T., Makens J. C., Baloglu S., “Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism”, Seventh Edition, Harlow: Pearson, 2017.
3. Cavuta G., Ferrari F., "Turismo e aree interne. Esperienze, Strategie, Visioni", Roma: Aracne editrice, 2018, in corso di stampa. (during the classes the Professor will indicate the suggested chapters).

Didactic methods: Front-facing didactic, exercises and case studies, seminars. At the descretion of the student, the elaboration of a deepening short essay on a case study basing on one of the topics provided in the program is expected, in agreement with the Professor.

Evaluation methods: The evaluation of knowledge will include a final oral assessment, which will focus on the topics addressed during the course and as indicated in the program. The students who will develop the deepening short essay will be given the opportunity to discuss and present the main results of their case study, during the early part of the final oral assessment.