New Media for Tourism Communication

Prerequisite
There are no prerequisites for taking this course

Objectives

The course New Media for Tourism Communication will provide a comprehensive overview on the digital transformation of Tourism (eTourism) –  both the related industries as well as the travellers’ practices and experiences.

Students will acquire the methodological tools to conceive, plan and manage digital media projects in the field of tourism communication. The course will cover a basic introduction to the relevant technological applications of the tourism industry, methods for the design and evaluation of tourism services, together with the management and promotional tools of web-based tourism communication.

A particular attention will be devoted to the impact of Covid19 pandemic on tourism, and on the role of digital media to address and mitigate such global crisis, as well as to support a sustainable recovery of travel and tourism.

Description / Program

When it comes to different levels of knowledge, the competences mentioned above entail that by the end of the course, the students will be able to:

• know current eTourism applications, technologies and successful practices
• know how to plan, run and evaluate eTourism related activities
• be aware of the crucial role played by ICT within the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Learning Method / Style of Lessons
The course is organised in formal face-to-face lessons complemented by case studies and testimonials, collaborative group projects and tutoring sessions.

Exam Style
The final assessment will take into consideration participation in all in-class and online activities (10%), collaborative group projects (40%), and a written exam (50%).

Readings/Textbooks

Cantoni, L. (2018). eTourism for Heritage: Heritage and Sustainable Tourism. The Role and Challenge of Information and Communication Technologies. In S. De Ascaniis, M. Gravari-Barbas, & L. Cantoni (eds.), Tourism Management at UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Lugano (Switzerland): USI – Università della Svizzera italiana Press, pp. 67-73.

Cantoni, L. (2020). "Digital transformation, tourism and cultural heritage". In A Research Agenda for Heritage Tourism. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Garbani-Nerini, E., Kalbaska, N., Cantoni, L., & Eberhard, U. (2017). Developing an e-learning course about tourism destinations: the case of the Switzerland Travel Academy.

Inversini, A., Brülhart, C. & Cantoni L. (2012). MySwitzerland.com: analysis of online communication and promotion, Journal of information technology & tourism, 13/1, 39-49.

Kalbaska N., Janowski T., Estevez E., Cantoni L. (2017). When digital government matters for tourism: a stakeholder analysis, Journal of information technology & tourism, 17(3), 315-333.

Tardini S., Cantoni L. (2015). Hypermedia, internet and the web. L. Cantoni & J.A. Danowski (eds), Communication and Technology (Handbooks of Communication Science – Volume 5). De Gruyter Mouton, 119-140.

Werthner H., Alzua-Sorzabal A., Dickinger A., Cantoni, L., Gretzel U., Jannach D., Neidhardt J., Proell B., Ricci F., Scaglione M., Stangl B., Stock O., Zanker M. (2015). Future research issues in IT and tourism, Journal of information technology & tourism, 15, 1-15.