The course will provide the students with the methodological tools to conceive, plan and manage new media projects in the field of online tourism communication (eTourism). Grounded on online communication models the course will cover a basic introduction to the relevant technologies applications of the tourism industry, methods for the design and evaluation of tourism services together with the management and promotion for web-based tourism applications. The course is organized in formal (ex-cathedra) lessons complemented by case studies. Collaborative projects will offer students the possibility to examine practical examples of design, adoption and management of new technologies in the tourism industry.

The aim of the course is to give to the students (future specialists in the tourism field) the ability to know, evaluate and guide the adoption of new media in tourism communication both at destination and hospitality level. Students will be introduced into the topic of eTourism, which is a new born discipline that is dramatically influencing the entire tourism market. The course will upgrade students’ knowledge and will be designed to have on one side analytical skills and on the other side real experiences (i.e. laboratories) about the eTourism field.

Proposed course topics

• Introduction to the eTourism Trends
• Online communication practices by tourism destinations
• Digital advertising (including different media types: owned-earned-paid)
• Search Engines, SEO and SEM
• Social media management (existing channels, definitions, types, market size)
• Newsletter and email marketing

Suggested readings

• Inversini, A., and Cantoni, L. (2014), Nuovi media nella comunicazione turistica, Dante Alighieri, Roma 2014 (vedi scheda editore)

The evaluation will be based on:

• Participation in the course
• In - class exercises
• Collaborative project