Sustainable Tourism

First-Cycle Degree Programme

Class L-15: Tourism Sciences

The degree course in Sustainable Tourism proposes a study course in line with the most significant transformations that the tourism sector has experienced in recent decades and is aimed at promoting responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, in accordance with the analysis and recommendations of the World Tourism Organization and the objectives of the 2030 Agenda  for sustainable development. In addition, the training programme is consistent with the tourism policy promoted by the European Union, which enhances the tourism industry considering it an essential element for economic growth and employment.

Sustainability is placed at the center of the study course and investigated in all sectors of relevance -   economic, social and environmental.  In addition, particular attention is paid to the innovation of the tourism sector thanks to the increasing use of new technologies, e-tourism and digital communication.

The degree course in Sustainable Tourism is also designed and structured to meet the developmental needs of the Abruzzo  territory, in particular in terms of inner and marginalized areas, which represent the main parts of the regional territory of Abruzzo and of central-southern Italy.

The educational programme of this degree course has a strong interdisciplinary character and provides training in five areas of learning: juridical (Private Law, European Union Law, International Law, Comparative Public Law); sociological and territorial (General Sociology, Sociology of the Environment and Territory, Political and Economic Geography); economic, managerial and quantitative (Economic Policy, Business Economics, Economics and Management of Enterprises, Economic Statistics); historical (Modern History, Contemporary History, Economic History); linguistic, computer science and digital (English Language plus a language of choice among German, Spanish, French together with Systems and Information Processing).

The acquisition of knowledge in the disciplinary areas indicated allows for training professional figures able to interpret and manage the complexity of the tourism phenomenon and able to support entrepreneurs, public and private entities, companies operating in the sector, proposing solutions in line with the policies of sustainability and the use of new media. Alongside the more traditional professions in the sector (Marketing Technicians; Advertising Technicians; Public Relations Technicians; Accommodation Technicians; Trade Fair Organisers, Exhibitions and cultural events; Convention and Reception Organizers; Travel Agents; Museum Technicians; Nature and Sports Guides), the degree course in Sustainable Tourism aims to train innovative professional figures, increasingly in demand on the job market: Experts in Promotion of the tourism sector; Itineraries and tourism products designers; Destination managers; Experts in digital tourism; Sustainable tourism operators; Experts in Booking and online reservations; Heritage Promoters.

The educational programme gives wide space to seminars, laboratories and workshops, as well as case studies and project-work activities. In addition, in order to promote specialised training of future graduates, thematic workshops with experts in the field, dedicated to particular aspects, are provided: inclusive tourism and disability, paths, experiential tourism, school tourism, genealogy tourism , religious tourism, etc..

A substantial number of credits are contemplated for the internship, scheduled during the second and third year of the course, as it constitutes an essential and strategic training experience for the future graduate’s entrance into the job market.

Finally, the degree course in Sustainable Tourism promotes student mobility by encouraging and promoting opportunities for internationalization through the EU Erasmus program and via internships and training activities offered by international organizations in the sector, such as the World Tourism Organization (WTO), or operating in related fields, such as the Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) in relation to tangible and intangible cultural heritage.