The course aims to introduce students to foundational concepts and principles of tourism industry as a system (infrastructure) through questioning its relation to urban and regional planning. Course’s main objective is to provide tools of apprehending process of infrastructure planning related to tourism economy (transportation, accommodation, culture). Several practices and policies will be examined through case studies both in Greece as internationally. The course seeks that audience obtain advanced awareness of issues related to tourism systems planning in a specific physical context. It discusses the role of various players in the decision making and planning of diverse tourism infrastructures (accommodation, cultural, etc.) and it focuses on issues related mostly to urban development and public space design as lever of touristic development and strategic planning.

Topics discussed: Trends in tourism industry, main challenges in the global context (environment, technology, demography, factors defining tourism activity on an international level, travel experience, tourism product, branding destination, key actors in tourism supply chains, destination marketing, strategic planning procedure, methods and tools).

By completing the course successfully students will develop:

• their analytical and critical thinking regarding diverse cases both geographically as culturally, economically, politically;
• their awareness of planning procedures related to various institutions and organizations (private, public, …);
• their strategic thinking and their capacity of developing strategies related to tourism infrastructure planning;
• an ‘integrated decision-making’ capacity, embracing economic, social, political and economic factors.

• Social, professional and ethical responsibility
• Critical thinking
• Working in an interdisciplinary environment

MODES OF DELIVERY: In-class lecturing, Distance teaching and distance learning

USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY: Use of digital slides in lectures, E-learning platform, Use of Google-meet, Communication with students via email

COURSE DESIGN: Lectures, Projects, Self-directed study

STUDENT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT METHODS:

• Attendance
• Participation in class
• Skills of oral presentation
• Assignments
• Capacity on group work
• Essay/report

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• BRUNT, P. and COURTNEY, P. (1999). Host perceptions of sociocultural impacts. Annals of Tourism Research, 26(3), 493-515.
• BUTLER, R.W. (1999). Sustainable tourism: A state-of-the-art review. Tourism Geographics: An International Journal of Space, Place and Environment, 1(1), 7-25.
• COSTA, C. (2014). European tourism planning and organisation systems: the EU member states. Bristol [u.a.], Channel View Publ.
• CULLEN, R., DAKERS, A. and MEYER-HUBBERT, G. (2006). Tourism demands upon public infrastructure. Pp. 159-182 in Simmons, D.G. and Fairweather, J.R. (Eds) Understanding the Tourism Host-Guest Encounter in New Zealand: Foundations for Adaptive Planning and Management. EOS Ecology, Christchurch.
• DOWLING, R. (1993). An Environmentally-based Planning Model for Regional Tourism Development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1(1), 17-37.
• GOODMAN, S., HASTAK, M. (2007), Infrastructure Planning Handbook: Planning, Engineering, and Economics, Irwin-McGraw Hill Publishing Company.
• HALL, M., PAGE, S. (2002): The Geography of Tourism and Recreation. Routledge (UK).
• HARRISON, L., and HUSBANDS, W. (2010). Practicing responsible tourism: international case studies in tourism planning, policy, and development. New York, J. Wiley.
• INSKEEP, E. (1998). Tourism planning: an integrated and sustainable development approach. New York [u.a.], Wiley.
• JUDD, D.R. (2003). The infrastructure of play: building the tourist city. Armonk, N.Y., M.E. Sharpe.
• ROMERIL, M. (1985). Tourism and the Environment – Towards a Symbolic Relationship. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 25(4), 215-218.