DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The course is part of advanced studies in tourism economics and management, with a focus on destination management and tourism governance. It integrates interdisciplinary perspectives from economics, management, geography and political science, providing analytical tools to understand decision-making, institutional and strategic processes shaping tourism development. Consistent with the degree programme, the course contributes to training professionals able to plan, manage and evaluate tourism policies in complex environments.

1. Knowledge and understanding. Students are expected to acquire knowledge of the fundamental concepts of destination management and to understand how the underlying mechanisms of strategic choices related to tourism policies development.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding. Students will develop their capability to apply concepts and theoretical models proposed during the course to specific examples, often based on in-depth case studies, and to reason critically on the assumptions underlying such concepts and the limits of their applicability.
3. Judgmental capabilities. Students will learn to compare critically alternative explanations of phenomena related to destination management, and to develop their own analysis and suggest solutions in case studies.
4. Communication abilities. Students will learn to communicate with groups through in-class groupwork opportunities and to discuss their ideas with a broader audience in the classroom.
5. Learning abilities. The course will enhance the ability of students to make a critical use of the textbook and on theoretical models it presents, to look into integrative readings and empirical examples, and to integrate different forms of learning, in particular integrating text-based learning with case studies discussion.

Basic knowledge of tourism economics, management and public policy is required. Familiarity with sustainability and regional development concepts is recommended.

• Introduction to destination management and tourism governance
• Theoretical models of tourism governance
• Role of public and private actors and stakeholder engagement
• Strategic planning and destination management
• Tourism policies and regulatory tools
• Sustainability, climate change and responsible tourism
• Resilience and crisis management in tourism systems
• Tourism, socio-economic impacts and territorial justice
• Multilevel governance (local, national, international)
• Innovation, digitalisation and smart destinations
• International case studies and empirical applications

• Saarinen, J., Hall, C.M. (eds.), Handbook on Tourism Governance, Edward Elgar, 2025 (Specific chapters from the reference textbook will be indicated at the beginning of the course.)
• Additional academic articles and teaching materials provided during the course.

Written exam, no books or notes allowed. The exam will be written, consisting of 15 multiple-choice questions (duration 15 minutes). Questions will assess knowledge of key concepts, ability to apply them to examples, and critical understanding.
The maximum grade obtainable through the written exam alone is 26/30. Students who achieve at least a pass (18/30) may take an oral exam, which allows grading up to 30/30 cum laude but may also lower the written exam grade.
The final grade may include up to 2 additional points based on voluntary group work or case study assignments.

written

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

A. grades in the 18–22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
• sufficient knowledge and applied understanding of the course contents;
• limited ability to apply knowledge and formulate independent judgments;
• sufficient communication skills, especially with regard to the use of appropriate terminology in destination management and tourism governance;
B. grades in the 23–26 range will be awarded in the presence of:
• fair knowledge and applied understanding of the course contents;
• fair ability to apply knowledge and formulate independent judgments;
• fair communication skills, especially with regard to the use of appropriate terminology in destination management and tourism governance;
C. grades in the 27–30 range will be awarded in the presence of:
• good or excellent knowledge and applied understanding of the course contents;
• good or excellent ability to apply knowledge and formulate independent judgments;
• fully appropriate communication skills, especially with regard to the use of appropriate terminology in destination management and tourism governance;
D. honours (cum laude) will be awarded in the presence of excellent knowledge and applied understanding of the course contents, as well as excellent judgment and communication skills.

The course will be based on classroom teaching, with material used during classes made available to students through the moodle platform.
During classroom hours there will be activities of case studies discussion, used to apply theoretical concepts presented during the week's classes to empirical cases.
Additional readings and materials will be available to attending students on the course moodle page.

Attendance is recommended. Guest lectures by industry experts may complement the course activities.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Circular economy, innovation, work" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development