Ateneo - UPO

The course provides students with the fundamental concepts of tourism geography, covering its main theoretical, conceptual, and methodological approaches. It examines the evolution of tourism, the principal forms and typologies of tourism, and their spatial dynamics, with particular attention to the relationships between tourism, cultural and natural heritage, and sustainable development.The course also explores the analysis of tourism systems, the use of tourism data, indicators, and statistical sources, as well as the basic principles of tourism planning and destination development. Particular emphasis is placed on garden tourism as a form of cultural and sustainable tourism, focusing on historic gardens, botanical gardens, and botanical landscapes as valuable cultural and environmental resources for territorial enhancement and sustainable destination management.

Bagnoli Lorenzo (2022), Manuale di geografia del turismo: Dal Grand Tour al Covid, Torino, UTET.
Cerutti Stefania, Roxana Popusoi (2026), Giardini in viaggio. Paesaggi, esperienze e sfumature del garden tourism, Milano, UNICOPLI.

Learning Outcomes – Basic Level Knowledge and Understanding At the end of the course, students will: demonstrate knowledge of the main conceptual and theoretical foundations of tourism geography and its basic terminology; understand the fundamental dynamics of tourism (demand/supply relationships, flow structures, key indicators, product and destination definition); become familiar with the main interpretative models of tourism geography (location models, system approaches, destination life-cycle models, etc.); recognize and classify different types of tourism in relation to their territorial contexts. Applying Knowledge and Understanding At the end of the course, students will be able to: carry out an initial descriptive and critical reading of territories from a tourism perspective; use basic statistical data and sources (UNWTO, Eurostat, ISTAT, regional observatories) for elementary analyses of tourism phenomena. Learning Outcomes – Advanced Level Knowledge and Understanding At the end of the course, students will: gain in-depth understanding of the systemic and evolutionary dynamics of different types of tourism, considering socio-economic, cultural, environmental, and political factors; develop critical awareness of advanced databases and tourism indicators, with the ability to select and evaluate the most relevant sources. Applying Knowledge and Understanding At the end of the course, students will be able to: apply theoretical and methodological models to concrete case studies and comparative territorial analyses; design and manage tourism products and destinations with a focus on sustainability and innovation; analyze and re-elaborate case studies and best practices, translating them into feasible project proposals; work effectively in teams, producing and presenting reports, maps, and project outputs.

None.

Teaching activities include face-to-face lectures, case study analysis and discussion, practical exercises, and synchronous and asynchronous learning activities designed to foster the development of project ideas through a workshop-based approach, primarily by means of individual project work.
The course may also include workshops and/or project challenges connected to research and territorial cooperation initiatives in which the University of Eastern Piedmont (UPO) is involved, such as projects funded under the Interreg programme.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learningdisabilities.Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Assessment Methods and Evaluation Criteria The final assessment offers two alternative options, at the student’s choice: Final Project preparation and presentation of a project (preferably in PowerPoint format) to be submitted in advance to the instructor, following the guidelines provided during lectures; oral discussion of the project during the exam session, with possible additional questions related to course contents. Written or Oral Exam: response to 6 open-ended questions on topics covered during lectures, in slides, and in the reference texts indicated in the bibliography; in the case of the oral exam, the questions will be equivalent in content and level of difficulty to those in the written test. Requirements for Passing To obtain a passing grade, students must: demonstrate acquisition of the basic knowledge (terminology, concepts, models) of tourism geography; show the ability to apply such knowledge to concrete examples or territorial contexts, including the elementary use of data and statistical sources; in the case of the project, demonstrate the ability to develop a coherent, motivated, and well-structured project idea, connected to the course objectives. Evaluation Criteria Assessment is based on four main dimensions, directly linked to the course learning outcomes: Knowledge and Understanding: mastery of concepts, models, and interpretative categories (max 30% of the grade). Application Skills: conscious use of models and data, ability to read and interpret concrete cases (max 30%). Analytical and Critical Skills: autonomous re-elaboration, comparison of types and contexts, ability to propose solutions (max 20%). Communication and Clarity: organization of the presentation/project, appropriate use of disciplinary terminology (max 20%). Grade–Achievement Correlation Pass / Minimum (18–22/30): the student demonstrates knowledge of the basic concepts and the ability to apply them in an essential and guided manner. Intermediate Level (23–26/30): the student shows good mastery of the contents, the ability to critically re-elaborate knowledge, and to apply it to different contexts. Excellence (27–30/30 with honors): the student demonstrates advanced critical skills, complete mastery of models and data, strong autonomy of judgment, and clarity of presentation.

The course is organised into thematic modules, each combining theoretical content with laboratory-based activitiesaimed at developing analytical, critical, and project design skills through the application of concepts to real-world case studies.1. Foundations of Tourism GeographyIntroduction to Tourism GeographyDefinitions and key conceptsTheoretical, methodological, and historical perspectivesLaboratory activity: critical analysis and discussion of case studies2. Tourism Products, Experiences, and DestinationsTypes of tourism (cultural, coastal, mountain, food and wine, urban, nature-based, garden tourism, etc.)Garden tourism: historic gardens, botanical gardens, and cultural landscapes as resources for sustainable territorial developmentRecent trends and transformations in tourism demand and supplyLaboratory activity: comparative analysis of tourism destinations and products3. Tourism Data, Sources, and Flow AnalysisNational and international tourism trends and forecastsTourism statistics, indicators, and data sourcesTourist profiles and tourism flow analysisLaboratory activity: interpretation and analysis of tourism datasets and statistical indicators4. European Policies and Project Design for TourismEuropean tourism policies and strategic frameworks (Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs)The role of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and European funding programmesAnalysis of exemplary projects and best practicesLaboratory activity: development of a tourism project proposal inspired by European cooperation programmes (e.g. Interreg)5. Gender and Inclusive TourismGender-sensitive tourism and emerging market perspectivesWomen and tourism: challenges and professional opportunitiesPolicies and practices promoting gender equality (SDG 5)Laboratory activity: discussion of case studies and identification of best practices6. Final Project LaboratoryDevelopment of an individual territorial tourism development projectApplication of the concepts and methodologies acquired throughout the course, with particular emphasis on cultural and natural heritage, garden tourism, and sustainabilityPresentation, peer discussion, and critical evaluation of project outcomes

Knowledge and understanding: knowledge of basic theoretical and methodological concepts of the geography of tourism. Ability to understand and contextualize the relationship between geographical dimension and tourism. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: ability to identify and develop the territorial components for project of creation/enhancement of tourism products/destinations. Autonomy of evaluation: ability to analyse tourist data and contexts. Communication skills: ability to communicate and present a tourism project. Learning / studying skills: ability to find and access to additional bibliographic and data sources. Ability to combine theoretical and methodological concepts with the direct observation of tourist and territorial data.