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2021/2022

E-Commerce in the Hotel Sector

Code: 103781 ECTS Credits: 3
Degree Type Year Semester
2502904 Hotel Management OT 4 0
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Carme Ruiz Aguado
Email:
Carmen.RuizA@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites

Objectives and Contextualisation

The subject aims to provide students with the computerized skills needed to develop their careers within the hotel industry working with the Global distribution system Amadeus and learning different techniques to manage the social nets and online marketing.

The course is very practical and intends to apply all the theoretical contents in practical sessions and exercises.

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

  • Understand the basic operation of the Amadeus hotel application and Amadeus Selling Platform interface.
  • Analyze the community manager actions and develop an accurate marketing strategy through the social media.
  • To know how to organize an online marketing campaign with the available resources.
  • Acquire agility on specific tourism software.
  • Develop the ability to learn independently.
  • Ability to self-assessment knowledge.
  • Work with communication skills at all levels.

Competences

  • Adapt to changes in technology as they occur.
  • Analyse, summarise and evaluate information.
  • Apply the most up-to-date tools in ICT and new management systems in the areas of company planning and management in the hotel and catering sector.
  • Be able to self-evaluate knowledge acquired.
  • Demonstrate an orientation and culture of customer service.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship and impact of management processes in hotel and catering companies.
  • Demonstrate leadership abilities in the management of human resources in hotel and catering companies.
  • Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  • Draw up communication and promotion plans for companies in the hotel and catering sector, especially in the field of online business.
  • Manage and organise time.
  • Manage communication techniques at all levels.
  • Work in teams.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Adapt to changes in technology as they occur.
  2. Analyse, summarise and evaluate information.
  3. Be able to self-evaluate knowledge acquired.
  4. Demonstrate an orientation and culture of customer service.
  5. Demonstrate initiative and entrepreneurial spirit to adapt top new situations generated by changes in the techniques and organisation employed in the area of tourist services.
  6. Demonstrate leadership abilities in the management of human resources in hotel and catering companies.
  7. Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  8. Implement new online commercialisation tools to improve the overall management of the company booth in the areas of management and in relations with the environment.
  9. Manage and organise time.
  10. Manage communication techniques at all levels.
  11. Understand and apply new internet formulas for commercialisation and fidelity and apply them to the sale of products and services in the hotel and catering sector.
  12. Understand technologies for tourism promotion, management and commercialisation (Amadeus, Fidelio, Galileo, Sabre, etc.).
  13. Work in teams.

Content

BLOCK I: HOTEL DISTRIBUTION

Introduction to online and off-line distribution

The Community manager rol in hotel companies

Online marketing

BLOCK II: GDS- AMADEUS    

Introduction, codification and information system

Hotels application: availability, rates and reservations

 

  

Methodology

The subject is taught considering different teaching and learning methodologies:

I PART:

a) Theoretical Methodology: face-master class explanations for the first part of the course (Amadeus) that help the student to develop a practical methodology through practical exercises.

b) Practical methodology:

Completion and presentation in class exercises and case studies (individual or team) making inquiries, and hotel reservations related with the classroom explanations.

II PART:

c)    Self-learning: In this methodology, the virtual campus is a starting point to develop the second part contents, the students will find there the class notes to read and additional bibliography to work in different case studies related to social media. In this part live projects where the students will act as a consultant for different companies can be included. The teacher acts as a guide in this methodology. The study cases or live projects developed during this part will be presented in class to encourage the collaborative learning.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures 8 0.32 1, 2, 11, 12, 4, 10, 8
Practical classes 10 0.4 1, 2, 11, 12, 7, 10, 9, 8, 3, 13
Study 10 0.4 2, 11, 12, 4, 7, 10, 9, 8, 3
Type: Supervised      
Tutoring 14 0.56 2, 11, 12, 7, 9, 8, 3
Type: Autonomous      
Exercises and case studies 11 0.44 1, 2, 11, 12, 6, 4, 7, 10, 9, 8, 3, 13
Preparation of papers 12 0.48 1, 2, 11, 12, 6, 4, 7, 10, 9, 8, 3, 13

Assessment

The subject evaluation will be as follows:

Continuous assessment. The continuous assessment consists of the following system:

a) The performance of a practical test consisting in the realization of several bookings with Amadeus that will worth a 30% of final grade and that will average with the two practical activities with a minimum grade of 4 over 10.

b)  Realization of two practical activities in Amadeus that will worth a 20% of final grade (10% each one of them).

c) Realization of one practical case (developing an online marketing campaign) that will worth 30% of final grade.

d) Analysis of case studies and activities related to hotel’s distribution, social media management and online marketing that will worth 20% of final grade.

In the case of participating in a live project, activities c and d will be replaced by its final grade (50 % of the final course grade).

Final exam. There will be a final exam with the entire contents of the course for students who have not passed the evaluation system referred in the previous point and for students with specific features (repeaters, mobile students, etc.) and that will worth the 100% of the final grade.

Resit exam. Those students with a final grade between 3,5 and 5 will have the chance to do another exam. The maximum final grade to be obtained is of a 5 over 10.

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Case studies, activities and practical case realization (or Live Project) block 2 50% of final mark 4 0.16 1, 2, 11, 6, 5, 4, 7, 10, 9, 8, 3, 13
Practical activities block 1 20% of final mark 4 0.16 2, 11, 12, 7, 10, 9, 8, 3, 13
Practical exam block 1 30 % of final mark 2 0.08 2, 11, 12, 9, 3

Bibliography

Amadeus España (2009): Manual de Amadeus Selling Platform, Madrid.

Amadeus España (2009): Prontuario de Amadeus Ticketing, Madrid.

Amadeus España (2009): Prontuario de Reservas, tarifas y emisión, Madrid.

Benítez-Aurioles, B. (2018). Estrategias de comunicación: AirBNB versus hoteles. Revista internacional de Relaciones públicas, nº 16, Vol. VIII, pag. 47-66

Coello, C (2012). Comercialización hotelera: El dominio de la red. Disponible en: http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=3990441 

Del Pico, F. (1997): Manual de Reservas Savia Amadeus, Madrid: Opentour Ediciones.

García, A (2012). Fuera miedos: desafíos y oportunidades para la nueva comercialización hotelera. Disponible en: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/catart?codigo=3823506 

Gretzel, U. & Xiang, Z. (2010). Role of social media in online travel information search. Tourism management  31, p. 179-188.

Larsen, J., Urry, J. & Axhausen, K.W. (2006). Networks and tourism: Mobile Social Life. Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 34, nº 1, pp. 244-262.

Travaglini, A. et al. (2016). Marketing digital turístico y estrategias de revenue management para el sector de la hostelería. Barcelona: Marcombo. 

 

Webgraphy:

http://www.tnooz.com/article/fifteen-of-the-best-social-media-campaigns-in-travel-so-far/

http://www.travelandleisure.com/smittys-2013

http://springnest.com/blog/social-media-travel-marketing/

http://www.tourism.australia.com/industry-advice/using-social-media.aspx

Other support materials in digital format and links to websites are offered at the Virtual campus.

Software

GDS: Amadeus