Learning outcomes

The course aims to introduce managerial tools and models applied to tourist companies and cultural organizations. The organizations considered are accommodation businesses, tourist attractions, theatres, libraries and archives, museums and archaeological areas, festival. Particoular attention is given to strategic decisions, marketing tools, evalutation of economic and social impact, service quality. The theoretical contents will be completed with professionals’ invited speeches from tourist and cultural organizations.

Program

- The hotel business in the tourism system
- Processes of production and service provision in the hotel industry
- Hotel competitive strategies
- Basic elements of hotel management: brand, management, facilities
- Marketing policies in hotel industry
- Quality and customer satisfaction in the hotel industry
- A conceptual map for service quality
- Balancing demand and production capacity, pricing policies
- Organization and operational management of a hotel business
- Specificities of the cultural sector in Italy
- Cultural sector in its narrow sense and in a broad sense (cultural businesses)
- Baumol disease and public intervention in culture
- Evaluation of the economic impact of a cultural organization / event in the territory
- Culture as a tourist attraction factor
- Tourism and culture: synergy or antithesis
- Management of the various cultural organizations: museums, libraries, theatres, cultural festivals

Examination Methods

A written test to assess accurate knowledge and a supplementary oral examination are required. The written test will include some open questions. The tests will be corrected in the same day or in the immediately following days. The results of the written tests as well as the calendar of oral examinations will be published on the website and in the faculty notice board. For attending students, an ongoing evaluation session will be organized.