Ateneo - UPO

THE GEOGRAPHY OF TOURISM: FROM THEORY TO PROJECT.

ATTENDING STUDENTS:
- E-learning lessons and documents uploaded on DIR - digital teaching platform

NON ATTENDING STUDENTS:
1) Stefania Mangano, Geografia del turismo. Nuovi turismi per nuovi mercati, Mondadori Università, Milano, 2026.
2) Dino Gavinelli, Giacomo Zanolin, Geografia del turismo contemporaneo. Pratiche, narrazioni, luoghi, Carocci, 2019.

Students enrolled in the 8-credit course are also required to study the following articles available in Open Access:
1) Afferni R., Ferrario C., Giordano F. (2025), Strategie di valorizzazione dei siti UNESCO: l’esperienza dei Sacri Monti del Piemonte, in S. Benetti, S. Cerutti, G. Pettenati (a cura di), Geografia e patrimonio, Società di Studi Geografici. Memorie geografiche NS 27, 2025, pp. 257-262 (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CqbJRf5HcM54_418eOo4cm3nLJxx5v2H/view)
2) Caravello E. (2024), Viaggi nell’immaginario: il turismo virtuale nel sito UNESCO di Tarragona, in De Spuches G., Mercatanti L. (a cura di), Viaggiare nell'immaginario. Immaginare il viaggio, Palermo University Press, Palermo, pp. 89-108 (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Emanuela-Caravello/publication/369453923_Viaggi_nell'immaginario_il_turismo_virtuale_nel_sito_UNESCO_di_Tarragona/links/641c3c4192cfd54f8421629b/Viaggi-nellimmaginario-il-turismo-virtuale-nel-sito-UNESCO-di-Tarragona.pdf?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIn19)
3) Bagnaresi, D., Battilani, P., Gasparini, M.L., Mariotti, A. (2024). Addressing Over and Under Tourism Along Cultural Routes. Lessons Learned from the H2020 Project rurAllure. Cham : Springer (https://cris.unibo.it/retrieve/4c3bd8a1-c0ad-43f9-a8d7-9374013b4ce1/1368-9254-1-DR%282%29%20rev%20AM.pdf)

At a basic level, the student will be able to identify, learn and evaluate the characteristics of the tourism system and the tourism supply chain, the tourism products and tourist destinations; to understand the complex tourism dynamics played out on different levels (global, supranational, national, regional and local). Critical understanding of the texts studied, the basic skills of bibliographical research and the main topics related to tourism geography (the main conceptual nodes, the use of technologies and the specific role of the teacher).

At a more advanced level, the aim of the course is to acquire: - an in-depth and full knowledge of the most relevant topics of tourism geography. The course aims to enable the student to analyse tourism as a geographical phenomenon, to use the theoretical knowledge acquired appropriately and to apply design projects aiming at local development and regional tourism promotion. The aim of the course is also to acquire the ability to express critical judgements on the topics discussed, also as the result of a personal re-elaboration of students.

The measurement of the mentioned objectives will be possible during the examination.

The credits for classroom teaching are divided between lectures and interactive teaching in the following ratio: Lectures: 1 credit and Interactive teaching: 0.2 credit.
The course requires 4.8 credits for individual learning activity at home.

Basic knowledge of human and economic geography

Lectures (in class and itinerant lessons), slides, powerpoint presentations, materials and link on case studies and discussions in class and in the DIR platform.

This course gives 6 credits in the GEOG-01/B (former M-GGR/02) sector. These credits are essential for access to teaching Geography in secondary school. 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-learning-disabilities. 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.

The exam is written and will last one hour. For those attending the test will cover the topics proposed during the course. For non-attending students, the test consists of six questions and the requirement to answer five of them on the following points: 1) checking the acquired knowledge on topics treated in bibliography proposed on tourism geography; 2) check of the ability to apply knowledge and its understanding, by contextualizing the main examined phenomena in an appropriate geographical framework; 3) check of the ability in expressing critical opinions on tourism projects, also through an analysis of the bibliography proposed; 4) check of the ability in communicating acquired knowledge and in organizing a synthetic presentation of the main problems. The grade is expressed in thirtieths and the evaluation is carried out according to the following parameters: 1) knowledge and understanding of the basic notions and contexts treated in the course and their clear exposition: 18 points out of 30 (sufficiency); 2) ability to frame the tourism geographical literature and tools for teaching the discipline with particular reference to the main conceptual nodes, the use of technology and tourism projects: 6 points out of 30; 3) adequate skill in connecting subjects and methodological approaches as well as in using scientific terminology associated to the discipline: 6 points out of 30.

Lecture's contents will cover the following topics: Introducing the Tourism-Geography nexus; the historical development of tourism; residents and travellers in contemporary society, tourism typologies; defining and measuring the tourism industry: tourism and leisure; a matter of scale: global issues in local contexts; tourism destinations; stereotypes, images, imaginaries and representations; tourism policy in Italy: from framework legislation to regional autonomy; stakeholders and the “power” in tourism development; tourism projects and planning issues; the significant roles played in by some of the most renowned international designations, such as UNESCO World Heritage sites and Capitals of Culture; understanding the tourism impacts on societies and environments; green economy and green tourism: ecotourism and protected areas; from overtourism to no tourism.

Integration of the gender dimension:
Within the course lectures and seminar meetings will focus on the condition of women, with examples and in-depth analysis related to women’s tourism.

This course aims to provide advanced tools to understand tourism geography and the main differences in the contemporary development. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Knowledge of the main characteristics of the tourism system and the tourism supply chain; Knowledge of the current tourism products and tourist destinations; Knowledge of the history of tourism geography and the complex tourism dynamics played out on different levels; Critical understanding of the topics studied. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Ability to understand the connections between texts and geographical contexts, using the critical and methodological tools appropriate to the analysis;  Ability to understand and evaluate tourism projects;  Ability to use the appropriate lexicon to communicate - clearly and effectively - knowledge, information and opinions related to the topics dealt with.