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Fundamentals of Tourism

Code: 101193 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Tourism OB 1

Contact

Name:
Arena Yáñez Gago
Email:
arena.yanez@uab.cat

Teachers

Arena Yáñez Gago
Jose Antonio Mansilla Lopez
(External) Chiara Gai

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites


Objectives and Contextualisation

  • Place the student in the world of tourism.
  • Make a general description of the importance of tourism in the economy and in society.
  • Acquire the basic foundations of conceiving itself as an industry and its components: basic and complementary products and services, clients - recipients, companies, institutions, activities, infrastructures and social, environmental and surrounding factors.
  • Understand the basic aspects of the world of tourism from a gender perspective.

Learning Outcomes

  1. CM14 (Competence) Propose ideas through the sector's vision and the theoretical perspective of how the tourism sector should be developed.
  2. CM15 (Competence) Design tourism development projects and plans for the different subsectors in the tourism sector.
  3. KM17 (Knowledge) Identify the activities to be carried out in the tourism sector in all its areas (accommodation, intermediation, restaurants and leisure, among others).
  4. KM18 (Knowledge) Describe the dynamic and evolving nature of tourism and its different sub-sectors.
  5. KM19 (Knowledge) Point out gender inequalities between different tourism sub-sectors.
  6. SM21 (Skill) Relate the main activities that comprise the tourism sector in its different areas and their interaction with the environment.
  7. SM22 (Skill) Analyse how tourism structures and business subsectors operate and the interrelation among them.
  8. SM23 (Skill) Analyse the economic dimension of tourism based on the quantitative and qualitative study of its subsectors.
  9. SM23 (Skill) Analyse the economic dimension of tourism based on the quantitative and qualitative study of its subsectors.
  10. SM24 (Skill) Analyse projects for the tourist development of the different subsectors.

Content

Unit 1: The Nature of the Tourism Market

 1.1 Origin and Evolution of Tourism Activity

 1.2 Basic Concepts of the Tourism Sector

 1.3 Impacts of Tourism Activity

 

Unit 2: Demand

2.1. Types of Demand: Actual, Potential, Deferred, and Repressed

2.2. Elasticity of Demand: Causes and Consequences

2.3. Seasonality of Demand: Causes, Consequences, and Strategies for Reducing It

 

Unit 3: Supply

3.1. Tourism Intermediation Companies

3.2. Tourist Transportation Companies

3.3. Other Tourism Companies: Events, Guides, Tourist Information Offices, and Restaurants

 

Topic 4: Supply (II): Tourist Accommodation Companies

4.1. Introduction to the Hotel Industry and Types of Tourist Accommodation (Regulations)

4.2. Hotel Company Organization Chart

4.3. Accommodation Area: Departments, Organization, and Functions.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Classroom 40 1.6 CM14, CM15, KM17, KM18, KM19, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24, CM14
Type: Supervised      
Guided and Tutoring 18 0.72 CM14, CM15, KM17, KM18, KM19, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24, CM14
Type: Autonomous      
Students Work 45 1.8 CM14, CM15, KM17, SM21, SM22, SM24, CM14
Study 35 1.4 CM14, CM15, KM17, KM18, KM19, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24, CM14

 

The teaching method used is a combination of lectures, combined with a series of tutorials in small groups to work on different exercises and assignments that will be given to the students throughout the course.

The use of mobile phones or laptops is not permitted during master classes, unless the teacher expressly authorizes it for an academic activity.

 

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
Attendance and participation 10% 0 0 CM14, CM15, KM17, KM18, KM19, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24
Final project and oral presentation 20% 6 0.24 CM14, CM15, KM17, KM18, KM19, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24
Individual assignments 10% 2 0.08 CM14, CM15, KM17, KM18, KM19, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24
Partial exam 1 30% 2 0.08 CM14, CM15, KM17, KM18, KM19, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24
Partial exam 2 30% 2 0.08 CM14, CM15, KM17, KM18, KM19, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24

A) CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT:

- There will be two partial exams, which represent 60% of the grade (30% each). The 1st partial will be carried out within the period established by the partials without teaching, while the 2nd partial will be carried out on the final exam date, together with the 1st partial, if it had not been passed. A minimum grade of 4 points of 10 is required to apply the average between exams.

- The final project represents another 20% of the grade. This group project must be delivered and presented in class within the agreed date. The project that has not obtained a minimum grade of 5 out of 10 will have to be repeated (according to the teacher's notes/comments) and delivered again on the day of the final exam. Important note: partial or total plagiarism will mean the non-accreditation of the entire subject. 

- Individual assignments represent 10% of the grade.

- Attendance and participation represent 10% of the grade.

To pass the course students must get at least a grade of 5 out of 10 in the final grade.

 

B) SINGLE ASSESSMENT:

Instead of continuous assessment, students have the option to choose single assessment. In order to partake in the single assessment, it's compulsory to inform the Academic Service Department by the established deadlines and attach the appropriate document/s to justify the request.

Single assessment students will deliver and present an individual project within the deadline and will take the final exam on the date and time scheduled according to the academic calendar posted in the official academic program of the school. The grade of the final project will be 50% and final exam will be the remaining 50%. A minimum of 5 points will be required to pass both the exam and the project.

To pass the course students must get at least a grade of 5 out of 10 in the final grade.

 

RETAKE EXAM:

Students will have the chance to retake the exam according to the academic activities calendar, which is reported in the students' guide or on the school's website. 

 


Bibliography

 
Basic References

Cooper, Christopher. (2016): Essentials of tourism. Editorial Pearson.

Cooper, Christopher, Fletcher, John, Fyall, Alan, Gilbert, David. & Wanhill, Stephen. (2018). Tourism: Principles and Practice. Pearson.
 
Fraiz Brea, Jose Antonio (2020). Tendencias actuales del turismo en el mundo. Síntesis
 
Lew, A. (21 gener 2017). Modeling the Resilience Adaptive Cycle. Collaborative for Sustainable Tourism and Resilient Communities Blog. http://www.tourismcommunities.com/blog/modeling-the-resilience-adaptive-cycle

Pacheco, Arévalo. & Jatzire, Georgina. (2020). Modelos turísticos y desarrollo sustentable: Análisis teórico. En: Factores críticos y estratégicos en la interacción territorial. Desafíos actuales y escenarios futuros. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México y Asociación Mexicana de Ciencias para el Desarrollo Regional A.C, Coeditores. http://ru.iiec.unam.mx/5123/

Pellejero Martínez, Carmelo; García Gómez, José Joaquín (2022). Historia económica del turismo en España (1820-2020): de los viajeros románticos al pasaporte COVID. Pirámide.

J. C Dua and Madhulika Bhargava. (2017). Fundamentals Tourism Travel Management. 

 
 
Complementary References  
 
Azpelicueta Criado, María del Carmen; Cardona, José Ramón; Abril Sellarés, María (2018). La oferta turística de la ciudad de Ibiza en el siglo XXI: Patrimonio de la Humanidad y establecimientos de lujo. https://scholar.google.es/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=es&user=4ACgYmAAAAAJ&citation_for_view=4ACgYmAAAAAJ:5nxA0vEk-isC
 
Lohmann, M., Beer, H. (2013). Fundamentals of tourism: What makes a person a potential tourist and a region a potential tourismdestination?. The Poznań University of Economics. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1498088845?parentSessionId=hXG3fuFJIf3oRcFrhnrprzf11wlYnG5%2F12Uo6i%2BZERE%3D&pq-origsite=primo&accountid=15292
 
Olmos, Juárez, L.; Garcia Cebrián, R. (2016) Estructura del mercado turístico. Madrid. Paraninfo 
 
 
 
Webs Officials:
  • Barcelona Turisme. www.barcelonaturisme.com  
  • Departament d'Empresa i Coneixement (2002) Llei 13/2002 de 21 de juny.
  • Instituto de Estudios Turísticos (IET). www.iet.tourspain.es  
  • ODS 2030. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/objetivos-de-desarrollo-sostenible/
  • OMT (2017) El Código Ético Mundial. Ginebra. UNWTO. 
  • Organización Mundial del Turismo. (OMT). www.unwto.org 
  • Turisme de Catalunya. www.turismedecatalunya.com i www.catalunya.com
  • Turisme de Barcelona. www.barcelonaturisme.com
  • Albasud. Investigación ycomunicación para el desarrollo www.albasud.org    

Software

Moodle will be used for the correct monitoring and assessment of the subject. The student will need to use Word processors and programs to prepare presentations (such as PowerPoint/Canva/Genially).


Groups and Languages

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 English first semester morning-mixed