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Tourism Geography

Code: 104952 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Tourism FB 1

Contact

Name:
Francesc Romagosa Casals
Email:
francesc.romagosa@uab.cat

Teachers

Raul Suhett de Morais

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The course aims at introducing the geographical knowledge of the world with the essential goal of helping students to understand the context where tourism occurs. An introduction is made to general geographical features of the planet Earth, the methods of cartographic representation of the territory, using maps as basic tools of geographic science, and to other basic geographical concepts. This course explores tools to analyze the current situation of tourism at the global and regional scale. The main geographical characteristics of the different regions of the planet are identified in order to understand their tourism development. The contents of this subject will allow future graduates in tourism to have essential knowledge to develop their professional activity, as well as tools to understand the current world, the tourism sector and its global challenges.

At the end of the course, students must:

  1. Know the general geographical aspects of the planet Earth.
  2. Learn the basic techniques of representing the Earth with maps, as well as how to interpret a map correctly and its basic characteristics.
  3. Understand the basic geographical characteristics of the various regional areas of the planet.
  4. Describe the main characteristics of tourism regions and tourism flows worldwide.
  5. Be aware, from a geographical perspective, of the global challenges in which tourism development is framed, especially climate change and its effects.

Learning Outcomes

  1. CM10 (Competence) Carry out projects that can improve the distribution of tourist flows.
  2. CM11 (Competence) Design presentations on destinations and tourism resources that take into account the sector's sustainability principles.
  3. KM12 (Knowledge) Identify the basic geographic principles of tourism.
  4. KM13 (Knowledge) Associate global destinations and geographic resources with tourism development.
  5. KM14 (Knowledge) Identify geographic gender inequalities in the tourism sector.
  6. SM17 (Skill) Classify the main tourist destinations and regional resources.

Content

1. Introduction: Geography and Tourism

1.1. Introduction to geography. Basic concepts.

1.2. Planet Earth.

1.3. Geographic representation: Maps and Cartography.

2. Global Physical and Tourism Geography

2.1. General physical geography data.

2.2. Climate and tourism.

2.3. Natural regions of the planet. Characteristics and tourism development.

2.4. The oceans.

3. Global Human and Tourism Geography

3.1. General human geography.

3.2. Main tourism regions: Tourism at the global scale.

3.3. Europe.

3.4. America.

3.5. Africa.

3.6. Asia and the Pacific region.

4. Main global challenges

4.1. Sustainability and resilience

4.2. Gender equality, decolonization and climate justice.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Classroom activities (theory and practical activities) 42 1.68 CM10, CM11, KM12, KM13, KM14, SM17, CM10
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 3 0.12 CM10, CM11, KM12, KM13, KM14, SM17, CM10
Type: Autonomous      
Practical assignments 40 1.6 CM10, CM11, KM12, KM13, KM14, SM17, CM10
Study 60 2.4 CM10, CM11, KM12, KM13, KM14, SM17, CM10

The course has three parallel operating dynamics:

a) In-person sessions: Two-hour sessions led by the teacher which combine theoretical explanations with practical activities to consolidate concepts. These sessions include audiovisual support and material to conduct the practical part.

b) Practical evaluation activities: Throughout the course, practical activities will be proposed. Related to the theoretical part of the subject, they will contribute to the final grade. These activities must mainly be carried out as autonomous activities.

c) Use of the Virtual Campus: Moodle platform will be used as an information source and as a communication channel between teacher and students. In Moodle, students will find complementary material, the syllabus, the activities' guidelines (these activities will also be delivered through the Virtual Campus), the qualifications and the forums that the students must use to communicate with the professor outside of the class ("Announcements" and "FAQ forum", to which all students without exception must be subscribed).

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 0.04 CM10, CM11, KM12, KM13, KM14, SM17
Group Task 25% 0.25 0.01 CM10, CM11, KM12, KM13, KM14, SM17
In-class individual activities 25% 2.75 0.11 CM10, CM11, KM12, KM13, KM14, SM17
Second exam parcial 25% 1 0.04 CM10, CM11, KM12, KM13, KM14, SM17

1. CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

The continuous assessment for this course consists of the following system:

a) A set of small practical activities, individually completed, mainly carried out in class.

b) A group project that will include an oral presentation in class.

c) Two midterm exams, which will assess the theoretical part of the course.

A minimum score of 4 out of 10 is required in each of the two midterm exams in order to average them into the final grade. If this score is not achieved or the student does not attend one of the midterm exams, the corresponding exam(s) must be retaken on the day of the final exam. The remaining activities cannot be retaken.

The course will be graded as NOT ASSESSED if the student takes part in fewer than half of the assessment activities.

2. SINGLE ASSESSMENT

This course allows for the possibility of single assessment with the authorization of the teaching staff and course coordination. This authorization must be obtained within the first month of classes. Dates to be respected will be clearly communicated.

The single assessment is based on the following components:

a) The one-time submission of a content portfolio specifically prepared for the single assessment. The completeness of the document and the quality of the responses to the various activities will be assessed. This submission takes place on the day of the final exam and accounts for 40% of the final grade. Attendance at at least one tutoring session is mandatory in order to submit this work.

b) A theoretical exam that will cover the entire course content. It will take place on the day of the final exam and will count for 60% of the final grade.

A minimum score of 4 out of 10 is required in each assessed component for the scores to count toward the final grade.

The use of artificial intelligence in this course is only permitted for preparatory purposes (such as information searches, text correction, or translation) in activities explicitly authorized by the teaching staff. In any case, if it is used, the student must: (i) identify the parts that were generated using AI; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced the process and final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in assessable activities will be considered academic dishonesty and will result in the activity being graded with a 0.


Bibliography

- Barrado, Diego & CALABUIG, Jordi (2001). Geografía mundial del turismo. Madrid: Ed. Síntesis.

- Blanco, Asunción et al. (2021). Diccionario de turismo. Madrid: Ediciones Cátedra.

- Boniface, Brian; Cooper, Chris & Cooper, Robyn (2020). Worldwide destinations. The geography of travel and tourism (8th edition). London: Routledge.

- Crespi, Montserrat & Planells, Margarita (2011). Destinos turísticos. Madrid: Ed. Síntesis.

- Duhamel, Philippe (2018). Géographie du tourisme et des loisirs: dynamiques, acteurs, territoires. Paris: Armand Colin.

- Estermann, Josef (2014). Colonialidad, descolonización e interculturalidad. Polis [Online], 38. http://journals.openedition.org/polis/10164 

- Marston, Sallie A. (2017). World regions in global context. Harlow: Pearson Education.

- Martín, Eva Mª & Nieto, Aurelio (2014). Territorio y turismo mundial. Análisis geográfico. Madrid: Ed. Centro de Estudios Ramón Areces.

- Segovia, Mónica & Figueroa, Cristina (2018). Turismo y género : la perspectiva inclusiva en la gestión turística. Barcelona: Editorial UOC.

- UN2030 Sustainable Development Goals (Tourism4SDG): https://tourism4sdgs.org/

- UN Tourism. E-libray: https://www.e-unwto.org/ (Documents and statistics on international tourism freely accessible through UAB libraries catalogue).

- World Economic Forum (2024). Travel & Tourism Development Index. Geneva.

- Zygmunt, Karolina (2021). Viajar y escribir en la era del turismo de masas : relatos de viajes contemporáneos por la Ruta de la Seda. Madrid: Editorial CSIC.


Software

- Google Earth

- Instamaps


Groups and Languages

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