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Tourist and Economic Geography

Code: 103749 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2502904 Hotel Management OB 3

Contact

Name:
Esteve Dot Jutglā
Email:
esteve.dot@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.


Objectives and Contextualisation

At the end of the course, the student should:

1. Understand the tourism phenomenon from a spatial and evolutionary point of view.

2. Know the tourism resources and the factors influencing tourist location within the territory.

3. Know the historical evolution of tourism activities and the characteristics of the main types of tourist attractions.

4. Develop some basic models applied in specific case studies to understand patterns of location of tourist activities.

5. Analyze what is the impact on tourism destinations, stimulating in students their critical and analytical capacity to identify these impacts.

6. To work on the concepts of sustainability and sustainable tourism.

7. Know the instruments of planning and management of tourist destinations.

8. Know and differentiate the main national and international tourist flows and destinations.

9. Demonstrate achieving a minimal knowledge of world, Spanish and Catalan geography.


Competences

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of accommodation and catering in all their dimensions, departments, activities and areas in the context of the tourist sector.
  • Demonstrate responsible behaviour towards the environmental, social and cultural surroundings.
  • Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  • Identify and apply the elements that govern activity in the hotel and catering sectors, their interaction in the environment and their impact in the different business subsystems in the sector.
  • Manage and organise time.
  • Manage communication techniques at all levels.
  • Plan and manage activities based on quality and sustainability.
  • Plan, organise and coordinate work teams creating synergies and knowing how to put yourself in the place of others when negotiating and managing conflicts.
  • Work in teams.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Demonstrate responsible behaviour towards the environmental, social and cultural surroundings.
  2. Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  3. Identify elements of the tourism geography of the world, and also the main regional, patrimonial and cultural resources related to tourism.
  4. Identify the basic principles of the hotel and catering industry from a geographical viewpoint.
  5. Manage and organise time.
  6. Manage communication techniques at all levels.
  7. Plan and manage activities based on quality and sustainability.
  8. Plan, organise and coordinate work teams creating synergies and knowing how to put yourself in the place of others when negotiating and managing conflicts.
  9. Work in teams.

Content

1. Introduction: tourism and tourist territory

1.1. Tourism and tourism system

1.2. The factors of location of tourist activities

1.3. Resources and tourist offer

1.4. Historical development of tourism

 

2. Geography of destinations and tourist areas

2.1. Main regions and worldwide tourist destinations

2.2. Tourism in Spain and Catalonia

2.3. The diversity of tourist areas: coastal, urban, rural and mountain

 

3. Modelling the location of tourism activities in the territory

3.1. The Network Theory: connectivity and accessibility between places.

3.2. The Population Potential Model and other interaction models for the delimitation of areas of influence

3.3. The creation of tourist clusters

 

4. Tourism and sustainability

4.1. Impacts of tourism

4.2. Tourist destinations and sustainability

4.3. Instruments of urban planning

4.4. Tourism planning: Spatial Planning in Catalonia and other areas. Sectorial Plans

4.5. The management of tourist destinations

4.6. Environmental protected natural areas


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Classroom activities 16 0.64 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Theoretical class 28 1.12 1, 3, 4
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 2 0.08 2, 3, 4, 7, 8
Type: Autonomous      
Assignments 45 1.8 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Study and readings 56 2.24 2, 3, 4

The course has three operating tools:

a) Methodology for the Theoretical Section

In class lectures during eleven weeks. The classes will have visual support (Power Point presentations).

b) Methodology for Practical Section

The subject has a practical part to relate it to the theoretical part.

On one band, it is proposed to carry out two obligatory practical projects. These will be held in groups and outside of class hours, except the oral presentation. The practices include the realisation of a document in paper or digital format for the evaluation.

On another hand, it is proposed to carry out 6 obligatory practical exercises. These will be done individually and during class hours. The exercises include the realisation of a document in digital format for evaluation.

c) The Virtual Campus

Campus Virtual platform will be used to complement information and alternative means of communication between students and teacher. In the Virtual Campus it will be complementary material in digital format, covering theory, course syllabus, as well as the information on the assignments.

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.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
First partial exam 25% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Practical exercises 20% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Practical projects 30% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Second partial exam 25% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

A) CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

The evaluation of this course consists of the following system:

a) Two partial exams, covering course material, 50% of the final grade.

b) Two practical projects (it includes oral presentations) submitted within the deadline, 30% of the final grade.

c) The completion of six practical exercises projects submitted within the deadline, 20% of the final grade.

In order to have a final mark, students must obtain (in all the activities included in "a", "b" and “c”) at least 4 out of 10 points.

Participation in classroom activities will be positively valued, adding half a point to the final mark.

B) SINGLE ASSESSMENT: Final exam (all content).

Date and time established by the academic calendar in the Official Programming Centre (EUTDH).

The evaluation of the subject has the REASSESSMENT to recover the Continuous Assessment (those students who have not passed it) or the Single Assessment (those students who have obtained a minimum of 3.5 on the Final exam).

The grade for the subject will be NOT EVALUABLE when the student attends less than half of the assessment activities and/or does not attend the final exam.

In any case the evaluation will be in English only.


Bibliography

- AMATULLI, C. et al. (2021). The appeal of sustainability in luxury hospitality: An investigation of the role perceived integrity. Tourism Management, 83, 104228 (Topic 4).

- ANTON, S. & GONZÁLEZ, F. (coords.) (2005). Planificación territorial del turismo. Barcelona: Ed. UOC (Topic 2).

- ANTON, S. & GONZÁLEZ, F. (coords.) (2007). A propósito del turismo: la construcción social del espacio turístico. Barcelona: Ed. UOC (Topic 2).

- BARRADO, A. & CALABUIG, J. (2001). Geografía mundial del turismo. Madrid: Ed. Síntesis (Topic 3).

- BLANCO, A. et al. (2021). Diccionario de Turismo. Madrid: Ed. Cátedra (Topics 1, 2, 3 & 4).

- BLASCO, A. (2006). Tipologías turísticas. Girona: Xarxa d’Escoles de Turisme (Topic 3).

- COOPER, C. et al. (2007). El turismo. Teoría y práctica. Madrid: Síntesis (Topics 2 &.3).

- GENERALITAT DE CATALUNYA (2009). Atles del turisme a Catalunya. Barcelona: Direcció General de Turisme (consultable a: www.atlesturismecatalunya.cat) (Topics 1, 2 & 3).

- FULLANA, P. & AYUSO, S. (2001). Turisme sostenible. Barcelona: Rubes (Topic 2).

- NELSON, V. (2021). An introduction to Geography of Tourism. Rownan and Littefield: Lanham (Topics 1, 2 & 3).

- PEREIRA, V. et al. (2021). Sustainability Practices in Hospitality: Case Study of a Luxury Hotel in Arrábida Natural Park. Sustainability 13, 3164 (Topic 4).

- PRIESTLEY, G.K. & LLURDÉS, J.C. (dirs.) (2007). Estrategia y gestión del turismo en el municipio. Bellaterra: Servei de Publicacions de la UAB (Topic 2).

- ROMAGOSA, F. (2020). The COVID-19 crisis: Opportunities for sustainable and proximity tourism. Tourism Geographies, 22(3), 690-694 (Topic 4). 

- VERA, J.F. et al. (2011). Análisis territorial del turismo y planificación de destinos turísticos. València: Ed. Tirant Lo Blanch (Topics 2 & 3).

- WILLIAMS, S. (2009). Tourism geography: a new synthesis. London & New York: Routledge (Topics 1, 2 & 3).

- WILLIAMS S.& LEW A.A. (2015). Tourism Geography: Critical Understandings of Place, Space and Experience. London & New York: Routledge (Topics 1, 2 & 3).

- http://unwto.org/es (World Tourism Organisation. Various studies and statistics on international tourism) (Topics 1, 2 & 3).


Software

There isn't.


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(TE) Theory 1 English second semester morning-mixed