MANAGEMENT DELLE IMPRESE NEL TURISMO

The Tourism Business Management (MIT) course deals with the issues of tourism business management, approaches and strategic analysis tools for  acquiring and maintaining a competitive advantage over time. Particular attention is given to the competitive differentials of tourism firms, such as tour operators, hotels, transport companies, catering, cruise sector,  MICE business, and to their ways of competing in a sector that is increasingly open to digitalization and increasingly attentive to the sustainability issue. The course highlights the role of innovation in the tourism management as a competitive source based on innovative and digital tourism products.

Knowledge and understanding: The course aims to provide theoretical and practical knowledge of the main elements of the tourism firms. At the end of the course, students will understand the strategic choices and the tools adopted by the tourism firms to acquire and maintain a competitive advantage. Students will understand the changes taking place in the tourism sector as a result of digitalization and  environmental and social sustainability and how companies are reconfiguring their business in a digital and green way. Finally, students will understand the importance of  collaborations, alliances and interactions between the players operating in the same tourism system.

Applying knowledge and understanding: The course aims to develop students' critical and analytical skills on management of firms in the tourism sector. At the end of the course, the students will be able to apply the concepts learned and the analysis tools to entrepreneurial contexts (travel, hotel, restaurant, transport, cruise, congress) and to address the main strategic and operational management issues. The approach adopted is inductive. By examining case studies, testimonials from entrepreneurs, managers, operators in the tourism sector and institutional actors and company tours (if possible), the students will be able to reconstruct the conceptual categories and apply them correctly in the various business contexts. Practical activities, individually and in groups, and the presentation of reports in the classroom will allow these activities to be further reinforced.

Making judgments: At the end of the course, students will be placed in the conditions to evaluate business opportunities and competitive dynamics. They may address typical issues of business management as well as assess the nature of the strategic choices made by entrepreneurs and managers in the tourism sector. They will also be able to compare and evaluate theoretical models and strategic approaches emerging in the tourism management and propose solutions.

Communication skills: Students will be able to effectively communicate ideas in written and oral form, to use appropriate technical language and to critically evaluate issues related to tourism management. They will be able to communicate in an appropriate way with the professional players they will meet in the job market. Students will be encouraged to use digital tools and create content to be shared online.

Learning skills: At the end of the cycle of lectures, students will have acquired specific knowledge and critical evaluation skills that will allow them to explore the issues of business management independently. They will acquire the ability to critically read and summarize articles and case studies and will be able to select further training in master and bachelor's degree programs. Learning skills will be stimulated during the lessons through active and participatory involvement of students, research, laboratory activities and field observations. Learning will be gradual and will be favored by the analysis of experiences and examples, case studies, applied activities, in-class presentations and discussions with experts, start-uppers, entrepreneurs, and a thorough knowledge of the teaching material. Companies tour are also planned (if possible). Reports, individual and group assignments, and project works will further support the learning process and of understanding. Students will present and discuss case studies, papers and project work, developed by working in small groups.

• Lectures
  
• Applied Activities, Case Studies, In-Class Presentations
  
• Discussions with Executives, Managers, Start-uppers and Entrepreneurs
  
• Individual and Group Assignments.
  
• Final tests.
  

Pre- requisites: None. 

Attendance: Strongly recommended

Class discussion is a central part of the learning experience. Students are expected to actively participate in the classroom, read the teaching material in advance, and  discuss cases and readings. Classroom interventions are expected to be constructive, articulated, documented and well motivated. 

• Della Corte Valentina, Imprese e Sistemi Turistici, III edizione, Egea Milano, Capitoli: 1  (excluding par. 1.3),  2 (pp. 57-78, par. 2.1-2.5), 3 (excluding par. 3.7), 4 (pp.154-162, par. 4.3 e 4.4; pag. 176-188, par. 4.6 e 4.7), 5  (excluding par. 5.5, 5.6, 5.7 and 5.8), 6 (excluding par. 6.5), 7 (excluding 7.7), 8, 9. Chapter 10 is not included.
• Supplementary teaching materials used during the course (slides, case studies, book chapters, scientific articles and other readings) available on Studium 

Attending Students

• Ongoing individual and/or group activities (40% of the final grade)
  
• Individual written exam (60% of the final grade), based on the syllabus provided by the instructor during the course.
  

Ongoing individual or group activities (40% of the final grade). These activities, assigned during the course, include writing reports, in-depth readings, PowerPoint presentations in class, and case study analyses related to the topics covered. The activities, carried out mainly at home or as classroom exercises, must be submitted on Studium by the specified deadlines and will be discussed in class. The evaluation is expressed in thirtieths.

The written exam consists of true/false, multiple-choice, and semi-open questions and lasts 20 minutes. The grade is expressed in thirtieths.

Assigned readings, topics covered during company testimonials, and materials distributed in class are part of the required content for attending students. The written exam will take place exclusively during the first exam session scheduled in January–February. The date will be announced by the instructor at the beginning of the course. Registration on the student portal is mandatory to participate. To pass the final exam, students must achieve a passing grade in both the ongoing activities and the written exam.

Assessment Criteria: The evaluation of the assignments will consider the relevance and understanding of the topic, the quality of the work, the appropriateness of technical language, the critical and logical ability to argue the topic, oral presentation skills, and active participation in class.

Non-Attending Students

• Written exam (100% of the final grade). The grade is expressed in thirtieths.
  

The written exam focuses on the contents presented in the required textbooks, including teaching materials, as outlined in the syllabus. The written exam consists of true/false, multiple-choice, and semi-open questions and lasts 35 minutes. The grade is expressed in thirtieths.

Assessment Criteria: The evaluation of the assignments will consider the relevance and understanding of the topic, the quality of the work, the appropriateness of technical language, the critical and logical ability to argue the topic, oral presentation skills, and active participation in class.

If remote examination is authorized, the instructor reserves the right to revise the exam format (written test structure, oral exam) and the time allocated for each part, for both attending and non-attending students.

1. What are the main configurations of the tourism product.
   
2. Explaining the main characteristics of the integrated tourism system.
   
3. How digitalization represents new sources of competitiveness for the tourism firms.
   
4. Which traits characterize sustainability-oriented tourism firms. 
   
5. How the value chain makes it possible to evaluate the tourism product competitiveness.
   
6. Which elements characterize the smart hospitality firms.
   
7. Which logics push transport companies to adopt overbooking policies.
   
8. What are the advantages and limitations of advanced booking and last minute policies.
   
9. Why the catering companies represent a relevant player in tourism
   
10. What are the tools for the performance evaluation of the hospitality firms.