20518 - CITIES, CULTURAL TOURISM AND URBAN LIFE
Department of Social and Political Sciences
Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 31
Course Director:
CRISTINA MOTTIRONI
CRISTINA MOTTIRONI
Suggested background knowledge
This workshop is primarily addressed to ACME students. Other students interested in attending the course as an elective should have a strong interest in tourism, urban and cultural policies, and destination management.
Mission & Content Summary
MISSION
More than half of the world’s population lives in cities where various social, economic, political and cultural functions interact to create unique urban environments. In this global urbanization process, the role of cultural, recreational and tourism activities is more and more emphasized.
As a matter of fact, cities catalyze cultural innovation and are among the fastest growing tourism destinations worldwide, however this does not happen without side effects. In addition, the high competition among cities to attract tourist flows and capitalize on tourism spending requires that decision makers adopt effective strategies and calls for community engagement.
The aim of the course is to analyze and understand the vital, and in some cases controversial, relationship between cities, culture, and tourism and to acquire specific competencies and tools to develop tourism in urban areas.
CONTENT SUMMARY
The main contents of the workshop are:
- The global relevance of cities in the contemporary world.
- The creative city: regeneration and renovation projects through culture and tourism.
- Segments of urban tourism: cultural and creative tourism, experiential and lifestyle tourism, MICE tourism.
- The impacts of the ‘consumer city’ and their management.
- Key principles and issues in tourism urban governance and development.
- Visitor marketing and management.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
- Know and interpret how tourism, culture, and entertainment helped transfrom urban centers during the recent decades.
- Identify key characteristics and trends of urban tourism demand.
- Apply relevant strategic approaches and tools to leverage the tourism potential of cultural assets and creative industries in urban regions.
- Evaluate the impacts of tourism on cities and identify proper respones.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
- Adopt proper methods and strategies to assess and promote the tourism value of urban sites and cultural resources.
- Identify and address relevant tourism segments for specific urban districts.
- Apply appropriate tools of destination management and governance.
- Deal with first-hand critical issues in the tourism promotion and management of relevant cultural assets and events in an urban area.
- Develop feasible cultural tourism projects for a city.
Teaching methods
- Face-to-face lectures
- Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
- Company visits
- Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
- Group assignments
DETAILS
The course is based on a mix of face-to-face lectures, guest speakers’ speeches and company visits, and group assignments. The mix enables students to apply concepts to real-life situations. Students gain the most from class participation.
- Guest Speakers' talks and company visits provide students the opportunity to get in touch with leaders of the sector and confront on specific policy and managerial challenges faced by tourism professionals and decision makers.
- Case studies and class discussions are fundamental to achieve a better knowledge of the topics covered within the course and ensure a proper understanding of different issues. They support the students in achieving better interaction in class and develop critical thinking over the course topics.
- A field project is developed through the course and submitted at the end of the semester. Students work on a concrete case of urban transformation and develop a proposal to address related key issues. A practical approach supports the ability of students in applying the best methodology and achieving successful strategies.
Assessment methods
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ATTENDING STUDENTS
- Assessment methods: 50% - Written exam on the topics discussed in class and on the related course materials (short essay exam - open book). Students are required to analyze or compare-contrast or express a documented opinion on issues treated in the course (guest speakers and case studies included).
- 50% - Group field project. Students are expected to work on a concrete cultural tourism project for a city. This is an opportunity to tackle first-hand critical issues in tourism development. The assessment of the project involves a peer to peer evaluation.
- Please note:
- Both evaluations must be sufficient (grade ≥ 18).
- Attending students must take the exam by January 2020.
- No oral integration.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
- Written exam on the course materials for not attending students (open-answers question exam - closed book).
- No oral integration.
Teaching materials
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The reading list is provided in the syllabus at the beginning of the course. It includes readings from academic journals, reports, and slides/other class materials.
In accordance with intellectual property rights rules, different materials are available in different ways:
- On the Bocconi Bboard platform of the course
- On the ad hoc web course reserve, provided by the Library
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
The reading list is provided in the syllabus at the beginning of the course. It includes selected chapters from two textbooks.
Last change 01/09/2020 08:54