87081 - DESTINATION MANAGEMENT

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

This course provides an overview of the key principles of management with a introductive application to tourism destinations. More specifically, it introduces the challenges that managers and entrepreneurs in the travel, leisure and tourism industry face in the current fast-changing economic environment. The student will learn how to interpret global phenomena affecting tourism demand and supply, through the application of key management theoretical frameworks, and by means of field materials and cases. At the end of the course, the student is expected to comfortably handle the understanding of management principles and their application to tourism demand and supply trends, with specific focus on destinations, attractions and tourism infrastructures.

Contenuti

The course illustrates the major characteristics of tourism destinations with a managerial perspective. More specifically, it deals with Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) such as Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs), with an emphasis on their organizational features and functions. Topics that will be discussed include the following ones:

1) Tourism destinations and markets: facts, figures, relevant phenomena and ongoing trends

2) Concepts and definitions of destination management and marketing

3) Destination Management Organizations (DMOs)

4) Destination competitiveness

5) Destination planning and destination marketing planning

6) Destination Management research

7) Destination Product Development and staging tourism experiences

8) Destination branding

9) Destination Integrated Marketing Communications

10) Destination Information and Communication Technologies

Testi/Bibliografia

• Crouch, G. I., & Ritchie, J. B. (1999). Tourism, competitiveness, and societal prosperity. Journal of Business Research, 44(3), 137-152.
• Mariani, M. M., Buhalis, D., Longhi, C., & Vitouladiti, O. (2014). Managing change in tourism destinations: Key issues and current trends. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 2(4), 269-272.
• Mariani, M. M., Di Felice, M., & Mura, M. (2016). Facebook as a destination marketing tool: Evidence from Italian regional Destination Management Organizations. Tourism Management, 54, 321-343.
• Morrison, A. (2013) Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations. London: Routledge.
• Pine, J. & Gilmore, J.H. (1998). Welcome to the Experience Economy. Harvard Business Review, July-August 1998.

Metodi didattici

The course has three main components: lectures, written exam, students' group presentations.

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

The final mark is based on written exam and students' group presentations.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

All materials can be found on https://virtuale.unibo.it/

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Marcello M. Mariani