International Tourism and Destination Management
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes'"Marcel Proust
If you ask a financial analyst if it's time to invest in a particular economic sector, expect him to rattle off terms such market, competition, growth prospects and diversification. A very similar speech should be made for the par excellence investment a young person is sooner or later destined to face: that for his education.
According to data released by the World Tourism Organization, in 2003 the total number of international travelers exceeded for the first time the symbolic figure of 1 billion. The figure, by itself considerable, is characterized by a growth trend such that experts believe the 2 billion travellers threshold will already be reached in the next decade.
Leaving aside the numbers and focusing instead on the user experience side, a trip can surprisingly represent a set of missed opportunities. If it is true that every place in the world has infinite stories to tell, it is equally true that many of these often end up escaping the gaze of visitors constantly engaged in the disordered search for information on smartphones and pocket guides. Inevitably there is therefore a considerable gap between what a territory can offer and the set of experiences that its visitors bring away with them.
Both these aspects are certainly known by tour operators since they have been the bread and butter for the sector in every course, publication or convention. Therefore, new opportunities are emerging in the field asking for deep changes. From the increase of the accommodation capacity to the progressive rise of the "user experience" over the traditional concept of "accomodation".
The master's degree program in International Tourism and Destination Management focuses on creating professionals who are able to catch and meet traveler's needs. Starting from logistics, to catering going through to the creation of targeted itineraries where tourists will hopefully gain a real understanding of the visited places (our main ambition is to take his eyes off guides and smartphones). Going back to the initial Proust's quote, if we cannot give new eyes to traveller we can help them to see the world froma a new perspective.