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Tourism Products

Code: 101235 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Tourism OT 4

Contact

Name:
Jordi Datzira Masip
Email:
jordi.datzira@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

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


Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites


Objectives and Contextualisation

The main objective of this unit is to explore the nature and characteristics of tourist products, services, and experiences, the market tendencies, demand expectations, and stakeholders involved in developing tourism products. We will analyse how important is to look at the political priorities that emerged from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and the importance of innovation and technology to develop successful and sustainable tourism products that will please the customer and will allow the business to have a sustainable future.

The unit has the following learning objectives:

  • Understand the basic principles of tourism products.
  • Differentiate products based on the nature and characteristics that can facilitate their development.
  • Recognize the importance of factors linked to sustainability and technology in the development of tourism products.
  • Analyse stakeholders and their importance in the development of tourist products.
  • Understand the impacts that these products currently generate.
  • Analyse the implications at the economic, social and environmental level, in the development of tourist products.

Competences

  • Behave ethically and adapt to different intercultural contexts.
  • Behave responsibly towards the environment.
  • Critically interpret the context in which the tourism sector operates, from different perspectives deriving from theory, ideology and good practice.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the basic principles of tourism in all its dimensions and areas.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the functioning and evolution of different tourism models in order to choose the most suitable one and apply it in the current environment.
  • Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  • Display a customer service orientation.
  • Have a business vision, pinpoint the customer's needs and pre-empt possible changes in the environment.
  • Identify the legal framework governing tourism activities and the entities that conduct them.
  • Innovate in tourism: both in planning and commercialisation and in the management of organisations.
  • Manage human resources in tourism organisations.
  • Plan and manage activities on the basis of quality and sustainability.
  • Plan, organise and coordinate a work team, creating synergies and showing empathy.
  • Propose creative alternative solutions to problems arising in the field of tourism management, planning, businesses and products.
  • Show initiative and an entrepreneurial approach to business creation and management in the tourism sector.
  • Take decisions in situations of uncertainty, taking into account potential consequences of these decisions in the short, medium and long term.
  • Use communication techniques at all levels.
  • Work in a team.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply public and private law to the new tourism products and activities.
  2. Apply the different management and planning tools that help to drive the development of the tourism sector.
  3. Argue in favour of good practice and the newest trends and approaches in the face of the challenges posed by tourism development.
  4. Behave ethically and adapt to different intercultural contexts.
  5. Behave responsibly towards the environment.
  6. Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  7. Display a customer service orientation.
  8. Extrapolate from studies and presentations of real cases in the tourism sector.
  9. Have a business vision, pinpoint the customer's needs and pre-empt possible changes in the environment.
  10. Identify the latest trends and best practice, in order to innovate in planning, management and commercialisation in tourism entities, products and organisations.
  11. Identify the sources of new trends in the tourism sector.
  12. Keep pace with the latest outstanding initiatives, projects and businesses in tourism as inspiration for maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit.
  13. Manage human resources in tourism organisations.
  14. Plan and manage activities on the basis of quality and sustainability.
  15. Plan, organise and coordinate a work team, creating synergies and showing empathy.
  16. Take decisions in situations of uncertainty, taking into account potential consequences of these decisions in the short, medium and long term.
  17. Use communication techniques at all levels.
  18. Work in a team.

Content

Introduction to the unit Tourism products

Topic 1: Nature and characteristics of tourism products

Topic 2: Type of tourism products

Topic 3: The need to know (market tendencies and demand, existing supply, stakeholders, public administration, and non-for profit organisations)

Topic 4: Cross-cutting European Union priorities: Environment and Gender balance, inclusion, diversity and representativeness

Topic 5: How to apply the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) from United Nations to the design of tourism products?

Topic 6: How tourism products are structured and ready to be commercialised?

Topic 7: Innovation and creativity applied to the development of tourism products. The use of technologies to develop new tourism products

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Case studies solving 11 0.44 1, 2, 3, 12, 8, 11, 10
Theoretical class 32 1.28 3, 12, 8, 11, 10
Type: Supervised      
Tutoring 2 0.08 6, 15
Type: Autonomous      
Homework 40 1.6 2, 3, 6, 12, 8, 11, 10, 14, 15, 18
Individual learning 60 2.4 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 8, 11, 10, 15, 16, 18

The teaching methodology is based on a continuous evaluation, combining theoretical content, practical in-class activities, research and analysis, presentations, and reports. Assistance and participation in class during the semester will also be assessed. Therefore, classes will be conducted in seminar format promoting student’s participation. It is important to remark that most of the theoretical material is needed to tackle the case studies and presentations. Fundamental theoretical notions and special issues will be discussed in class and applied on

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
Asistance and participation 15% 0.5 0.02 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 8, 13, 11, 10, 17, 14, 15, 16, 7, 9, 18
Assessment 1 (individual): Factsheet and product portfolio 20% 1.5 0.06 1, 4, 5, 6, 12, 8, 10, 14, 16, 7, 9
Assessment 2 Presentation (group): Tourism products, opportunities and challenges 20% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 8, 13, 11, 10, 17, 14, 15, 16, 7, 9, 18
End term evaluation 25% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, 8, 13, 10, 14, 15, 16, 7, 9
Practical in-class activities 20% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 8, 13, 11, 10, 17, 14, 15, 16, 7, 9, 18

Continuous evaluation

The continuous evaluation is composed of one evaluation (individual), two activities (individual and group), practical in-class activities, and the participation and assistance in class. To pass the continuous evaluation, students need to reach a minimum of 3.5 out of 10 in each of the assessments. Otherwise, students will have to do the final evaluation at the end of the semester.

Unique evaluation

The unique evaluation is composed of three individual assessments to be delivered during the semester, and the final evaluation at the end of the semester.

Title

Weighting

Assessment 1: Tourist destination factsheet

20%

Assessment 2: Define the product portfolio of a destination

20%

Assessment 2: Opportunities and challenges in developing a product for a destination

20%

Final evaluation

40%

Evaluations (end-term evaluation, final evaluation, and re-evaluation)

The evaluations include the following format in three parts:

  • Part 1: Quiz (15%)
  • Part 2: Short questions (30%)
  • Part 3: Long questions (50%)

Bibliography

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Benur, A. M., and Bramwell, B. (2015). Tourism product development and product diversification in destinations. Tourism Management 50, 213-224. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.02.005

Buhalis, D., Darcy, S., and Ambrose, I. (Eds.). (2012). Best practice in accessible tourism: Inclusion, disability, ageing population and tourism. Channel View Publications.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): the world factbook: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/

Commonwealth of Australia (2015). Australia’s International Tourism Industry.  Productivity Commission Research Paper. Commonwealth of Australia.

Darcy, S. (2006). Setting a research agenda for accessible tourism. CRC for Sustainable Tourism.

Darcy, S., Cameron, B., and Pegg, S. (2010). Accessible tourism and sustainability: a discussion and case study. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 18 (4), 515-537. DOI: 10.1080/09669581003690668

Darcy, S., McKercher, B., and Schweinsberg, S. (2020). From tourism and disability to accessible tourism: a perspective article. Tourism Review, 75 (1), 140-144. DOI: 10.1108/TR-07-2019-0323

Datzira-Masip, J. (2006). Tourism product development: a way to create value. The case ofLa Vall de Lord. Paper presented at the XV International Leisure and Tourism Symposium. Doctoral Colloquium. Esade.

Datzira-Masip, J. (2006). Cultural heritage tourism - opportunities for product development: the Barcelona case. Tourism Review, 61, 1, 13-20. DOI: 10.1108/eb058466

du Cros, H., Bauer, T., Lo, C., and Rui, S. (2005). Cultural Heritage Assets in China as Sustainable Tourism Products: Case Studies of the Hutongs and the Huanghua Section of the Great Wall, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 13:2, 171-194, DOI: 10.1080/09669580508668484

Dwyer, L., Edwards, D., Mistilis, N., Roman, C., Scott, N., and Cooper, C. (2008). Megatrends underpinning tourism to 2020: analysis of key drivers for change. CRC for Sustainable Tourism.

Faulkner, B. (2006). Rejuvenating a maturing tourist destination: the case of the Gold Coast. CRC for Sustainable Tourism.

Gillovic, B., and McIntosh, A. (2020). Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Development: Current State and Future Agenda. Sustainability, 12(22). DOI: https://doi-org.are.uab.cat/10.3390/su12229722

Harriott, V. J. (2002). Marine tourism impacts and their management on the Great Barrier Reef. CRC Reef Research Centre Technical Report Nº 46. CRC Reef Research Centre: Townsville.

Jones, D. N., and Buckley, R. (2001). Birdwatching tourism in Australia. Wildlife tourism research report series Nº 10. CRC for Sustainable Tourism.

Konu, H. (2015). Developing a forest-based wellbeing tourism product together with customers – An ethnographic approach. Tourism Management, 49, 1-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.02.006

Lamers, M., Steins, N. A., and Bets, L. (2024). Combining polar cruise tourism and science practices. Annals of Tourism Research, 107, 103794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2024.103794

MacKay, K. J., and Campbell, M. (2004). An examination of residents’ support for hunting as a tourism product. Tourism Management, 25, 443-452. doi:10.1016/S0261-5177(03)00127-4

McKercher, B. (2015). Towards a taxonomy of tourism products. Tourism Management, 54, 106‐208. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.11.008

Novelli, M. (2005). Niche tourism, contemporary issues, trends and cases. Oxford: Elsevier.

Read, M. (2013). Socio-economic and environmental cost–benefit analysis for tourism products — A prototype tool to make holidays more sustainable. Tourism Management Perspectives, 8, 114-125. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2013.09.003

Ren, C., Jóhannesson, G. T., Ásgeirsson, M. H., Woodall, S., and Reigner, N. (2024). Rethinking connectivity in Arctic tourism development. Annals of Tourism Research, 105, 103705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2023.103705

Saarinen, J. (Ed.). (2020). Tourism and sustainable development goals: research on sustainable tourism geographies. Routledge.

Schmitz, S., and Tsobgou, D. L. (2016). Developing tourism products and new partnerships through participatory action research in rural Cameroon. Geographical Research, 54(2), 143-152. DOI:10.1111/1745-5871.12174

Sgroi, F. (2021). Food products, gastronomy and religious tourism: The resilience of food landscapes. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2021.100435

Shrestha, R. K., and L’Espoir Decosta, P. (2023). Developing dynamic capabilities for community collaboration and tourism product innovation in response to crisis: Nepal and COVID-19, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31:1, 168-186, DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2021.2023164

Sisto, R., Cappelletti, G. M., Bianchi, P., and Sica, E. (2021). Sustainable and accessible tourism in natural areas: a participatory approach. Current Issues in Tourism, 25, 1-18. DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2021.1920002

Tremblay, P. (2006). Desert Tourism Scoping Study, A report by Charles Darwin University, in conjunction with Curtin University for Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre: Alice Springs.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO): https://www.unwto.org/

United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and European Travel Commission (ETC) (2011). Handbook on Tourism Product Development. UNWTO: Madrid.

Vongvisitsin, T. B., Huang, W. J., and King, B. (2024). Urban community-based tourism development: A networked social capital model. Annals of Tourism Research, 106, 103759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2024.103759

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC): https://wttc.org/

Xu, J. B. (2010). Perceptions of tourism products. Tourism Management, 31, 607-610. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2009.06.011


Software

No software knowledge requirements


Groups and Languages

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