Ateneo - UPO

The course focuses on the complex relationship between landscape, tourism, and sustainability.

Specifically, the course covers the following topics:

- definitions of landscape;
- the social dimension of landscape;
- heritage-making processes;
- landscape governance;
- landscape and sustainability;
- the relationship between landscape and tourism;
- focus on the landscapes of Eastern Piedmont;
- focus on food landscapes and their role in tourism dynamics.

ATTENDING STUDENTS: 1) Castiglioni B. Paesaggio e società, Roma, Carocci, 2022 capitoli 1-2-3-4-9-10 + 2) Materials discussed during the lectures and made available on the DIR course page.

NON ATTENDING STUDENTS: 1) Castiglioni B. Paesaggio e società, Roma, Carocci, 2022.; 2) Gavinelli D., Zanolin G.Geografia del turismo contemporaneo, Roma, Carocci, 2019

The course examines the relationship between landscape, tourism, and sustainability, providing students with the theoretical and practical tools to understand and critically assess the transformations of tourism destinations, in relation with landscape valorisation and sustainable management. Particular attention is devoted to heritage-making processes, landscape governance, and the challenges posed by tourism specialization and overtourism. Through the analysis of case studies, the course develops the knowledge and skills needed to interpret existing tourism practices and to design more sustainable and territorially integrated forms of tourism development.

None

The course combines lectures with individual and group practical activities. To be considered attending students, participants are required to attend at least 75% of the classes, take part in most of the short in-class exercises, and complete the group project.

The course combines lectures (25 hours in total) with interactive teaching activities (20 hours), consisting of short classroom exercises.

If possibile, during the course a fieldtrip will be organized, with the aim to put students in touch with the concrete tourist sustainable valorisation of Piedmontese rural landscape.

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) may request dedicated services and support by contacting the University Office for Student Development, Career Coordination and Student Services and consulting the dedicated webpage on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studentidisabili-e-dsa. After contacting the University support office, students with disabilities, SLD, or SEN are encouraged to discuss with the course instructor any teaching-related aspects concerning the arrangements for their examinations and assessments.

For attending students, registration on the course DIR page is mandatory, as all the necessary information and course materials will be made available there.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Attending students will be assessed on the basis of:

- a written exam consisting of open-ended questions on the topics covered in class and the content of the required readings;
- a group assignment involving the analysis of a territory’s tourism offer and the development of a landscape-based tourism product.

The final grade will be the average of the grades awarded for these two components.

To obtain a passing grade, students must demonstrate an understanding of the main topics concerning the relationship between sustainable tourism and landscape covered in class and in the required readings. They must also be able to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to the development of a project of an adequate standard.

To achieve an excellent grade, students must demonstrate a thorough and critical understanding of the main topics concerning the relationship between sustainable tourism and landscape covered in class and in the required readings. They must also be able to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to the development of a high-quality project that considers both the complexity of landscape as a resource for tourism development and the related critical issues.

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

Non-attending students will be assessed through a written examination consisting of open-ended questions focusing on the topics covered in the required readings.

The course explores the complex relationship between landscape, tourism, and sustainability, providing students with the theoretical and methodological tools needed to understand the role of landscape in contemporary tourism development. Following an introduction to the main definitions and interpretations of the concept of landscape, the course examines its social and cultural dimensions, heritage-making processes, and the principal approaches to landscape governance.

A substantial part of the course is devoted to the relationship between landscape and sustainability, with particular attention to the impacts of tourism practices, the hyper-specialization of tourism destinations, and the challenges posed by overtourism. Through the analysis of case studies, students will develop the critical and practical skills required to assess existing tourism practices and design more sustainable tourism development strategies.

The course concludes with two thematic case studies focusing on the landscapes of Eastern Piedmont and on food landscapes, examined as examples of the interplay between heritage, territorial identity, and tourism development.

Gender issues are widely debated in the course, in lectures focused on the subjective dimension of landscape perception.

By the end of the course, students are expected to have acquired advanced knowledge and skills related to the critical analysis of the relationship between landscape, tourism, and sustainability. These knowledge and skills are structured into the following areas:

1. Knowledge and understanding
Students will be expected to:

- understand the main theoretical and institutional definitions of landscape and their evolution;
- be familiar with the principal approaches and instruments of landscape governance;
- understand heritage-making processes and their role in territorial and tourism development policies;
- understand the relationships between landscape, sustainability, and tourism, with particular reference to tourism hyper-specialization and overtourism.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding
Students will be able to:

- critically analyse landscapes and tourism destinations, identifying heritage-making processes and assessing their implications;
- apply landscape analysis tools to the evaluation of tourism practices and development projects;
- design tourism development proposals and tourism products based on the principles of sustainability and landscape conservation.

3. Making judgements
Students will be able to critically assess the role of landscape in contemporary tourism dynamics, recognizing both its potential to foster sustainable tourism development and the challenges arising from processes of touristification, tourism hyper-specialization, and overtourism.

4. Communication skills
Students will be able to discuss and present the main topics covered in the course clearly and using appropriate disciplinary terminology. They will be able to critically explain the relationships between landscape, heritage, tourism, and sustainability, and effectively communicate proposals for landscape-based sustainable tourism development.