Course Outline
Learning Outcomes
The aim of the course is to impart knowledge and understanding of the necessity for planning and managing tourist destinations at different stages of their lifecycle, in order to mitigate identified impacts and achieve sustainable tourism development. The theoretical framework and practical applications are examined through case studies from Greece and other countries. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand the theoretical approaches to the tourism planning of tourist destinations.
- Be familiar with the empirical context of tourism management in tourist destinations.
- Handle methodological tools for tourism planning.
- Know and apply the institutional and regulatory framework of tourism planning.
- Be familiar with the unique characteristics of Greek destinations, within the context of European destinations.
- Understand key issues for integrating sustainability into the planning and management of tourist destinations.
- Know and apply strategies for destination planning and management, illustrated through international and European examples.
General Competencies
Upon successful completion of the course, graduates will have acquired a broader range of skills that will provide them with a competitive edge in either tourism research or in the management of tourist destinations and businesses. Specifically, the graduate will have developed the following abilities:
- Approaching and managing complex and intricate issues.
- Promoting free, creative, and inductive thinking for the development of original ideas.
- Researching, analyzing, and synthesizing data and information, using modern scientific tools for problem-solving in specialized applications.
- Working independently.
- Collaborating effectively in team settings.
- Functioning in an interdisciplinary environment.
- Generating new research ideas.
- Designing and demonstrating originality in the development of programs and projects.
Syllabus
- Developments and trends highlighting the importance of planning and managing tourist destinations.
- The concept of the Tourist Destination.
- The life cycle and factors shaping the stages of development of a tourist destination.
- Typologies of tourist destinations.
- Introduction of sustainable development principles in the planning and management of tourist destinations.
- The concept of planning tourist destinations.
- Planning Stages. The process of analyzing the existing situation. The process of developing policies, plans, and proposals. The process of implementation and monitoring/control of the project.
- The concept of Sustainable Management of the tourist destination.
- Local governance and participatory processes.
- Management Organizations of Tourist Destinations and Tourism Observatories.
- Innovation, technology, and sustainability in destination management (“Smart”, “Green”, “Accessible” and “Resilient” tourist destinations).
- Good examples of destination planning and management from international literature