The main purpose of this course is to provide the main conceptual frame for understanding the importance of the sectors of tourism and culture industry to the development of a region. The students will have the opportunity to acquire a comprehensive view of the demand and supply of tourist and culture services through theoretical as well as practical case studies. Moreover, they will be able to familiarize with the specificities of the production of tourist and culture services and to appreciate the tendencies of the market, how to organize the tourist and cultural productive units, the strategic planning and the marketing procedures that sustain the tourist and cultural destinations.

The course begins with the mainstream theory of demand and supply of tourist and cultural services. Next, we develop the issues concerning the organization of the firms in the tourist and culture industry. Then we present some topics on the economic impact of the sectors of tourism and culture industry in the national and the regional economy. The aim is to understand the special characteristics of the sector as a determinant of development both at the microeconomic and the macroeconomic levels.