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Introduction to the Tourist and Hotel Sector

Code: 103747 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Hotel Management OB 1

Contact

Name:
Beatriz Santolalla Garcia
Email:
beatriz.santolalla@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

The subject pretends to situate the students of first year of the Degree in Hospitality management in the tourism sector, specifically introducing the activity of the different tourist companies existing in the sector.

The student will study the nature of the tourism market, the operation of the tourist services suppliers and their marketing, as well as the organization of the basic departmental structures of the hotel companies.

At the end of the subject the student will have to be able of:

  1. Identify and relate the activities that conform the tourist sector in all its fields (travel agencies, hotels, restoration and leisure, consulting... )
  2. Relate the activities that conform the tourist sector in all its fields, (travel agencies, hotesl, restoration and leisure, consulting,...), distinguishing their differential elements.
  3. Argue through the vision of the sector and the theoretical prospect, how the tourist sector has to be developed.
  4. Analyse the economic dimension of tourism from the study of its subsectors (travel agencies, hotels, restoration and leisure, consulting,..).
  5. Distinguish and describe projects for the tourist development of the different subsectors of the tourist sector.
  6. Work as a team / demonstrate orientation and culture service based on respect for diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.

Learning Outcomes

  1. CM15 (Competence) Propose hotel and restaurant projects from a gender perspective.
  2. CM16 (Competence) Propose ideas through the sector's vision and the theoretical perspective of how the hotel and restaurant sector should be developed.
  3. KM16 (Knowledge) Identify different accommodation, restaurant and event companies and their basic structure.
  4. KM17 (Knowledge) Describe the factors that govern the activity of the hotel and restaurant sectors, their interaction with the environment and their impact.
  5. SM21 (Skill) Analyse the relationships of hotel and restaurant companies with other directly related companies.
  6. SM22 (Skill) Analyse how tourism structures and business subsectors operate and the interrelation between them.
  7. SM23 (Skill) Distinguish the management and customer service systems of companies in the tourism and hotel sector.
  8. SM24 (Skill) Distinguish projects tourism development in the different tourism subsectors through collaborative work.

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 

 Unit 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      
Lectures 45 1.8 CM15, CM16, KM16, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24, CM15
Problems solving 15 0.6 KM16, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24, KM16
Type: Supervised      
Tutoring 15 0.6 CM15, CM16, KM16, KM17, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24, CM15
Type: Autonomous      
Paper creation 15 0.6 KM16, SM21, SM22, SM23, KM16
Study 43 1.72 KM16, KM17, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24, KM16

Teaching Language: Spanish

The subject works in base to two educational methodologies: 

a) Lectures: Exhibition of the theoretical content of the program in a clear, systematic and organised way by the teachers (the students will have at the Virtual Campus the basic slides of the syllabus).  Students class participation will be always encourage and their reflections, contributions and doubts will be appreciated.

b) Practical sessions: For this sessions the professors will propose different practical activities along the course to apply the theoretical content taught during the lectures. The students will have to read the bibliography proposed by the professors and will have to do some practices associated to the reading (Text comment and understanding).  The students also will resolve several problems related with the operative of the tourist companies.c

  

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% of final mark 4 0.16 CM15, CM16, KM17
Exam - Part I 30% of final mark 1 0.04 CM15, CM16, KM16, KM17, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24
Exam - Part II 30% of final mark 1 0.04 CM15, CM16, KM16, KM17, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24
Final project 20% of final mark 9 0.36 CM15, CM16, KM17, SM22, SM23, SM24
Individual assignments 10% of final mark 2 0.08 CM15, KM16, SM21, SM22, SM23, SM24

THREE ASSESSMENT OPTIONS

A) CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT: 

- There will be twopartial 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 obtaineda minimum grade of 5out 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 thefinal 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 be50% and finalexam will be the remaining50%. Aminimum 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. 

C) 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.  

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

 


Bibliography

Bayón Mariné, F. i Martín Rojo, I. (2004): Operaciones y Procesos de producción en el sector turístico, Madrid: Editorial Síntesis. (Temes 13 i 14).

Cerra, Javier ; Dorado, José A. ; Estepa, Diego ; Garcia, Pedro E. (1.997): “Gestión de Producción de Alojamientos Turísticos”– Col·lecció "Gestión Turística" ; Ed. Síntesis; 552 pàgines.

Dorado, José Antonio (1.996):  “Organización y Control de Empresas en Hostelería y Turismo”; – Col·lecció "Ciclos Formativos FP Grado Superior Hostelería" ; Ed. Síntesis; 252 pàgines.

Dorado, José Antonio ;  Cerra, Javier (1.996):  “Manual de Recepción y Atención al Cliente”– Col·lecció "Ciclos Formativos FP Grado Superior Hostelería" ; Ed. Síntesis; 316 pàgines.

Jiménez Garay, Mª Isabel (2.000): “Regiduría de Pisos"; Ed. Paraninfo; 131 pàgines.

López García, Socorro (2.003):  “Recepción y Atención al Cliente"; Ed. Paraninfo; 183 pàgines.

López Collado, Asunción (1.998):“La Gobernanta"; Ed. Paraninfo; 374 pàgines.

Milio Balanzá, Isabel (2.000): “Organización y Control del Alojamiento”; Ed. Paraninfo; 178 pàgines.

Olmos Juárez, L. i García Cebrián, R. (2016): Estructura del mercado turístico, Madrid: Ediciones Paraninfo.

Other digital supporting material and links to web sites will be offered at Virtual campus as a complement. 


Software

There is no specific software.


Groups and Languages

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