LJUBLJANA SUMMER SCHOOL 2016
COURSE TITLE: DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING
Type of course: Bachelor course (for students in the final year of study) & Master course
Lecturer:
Ljubica Kneževič Cvelbar, Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Slovenia
Tina Šegota, Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Economics, Slovenia
ECTS credits: 8
Aims of the course:
There are two major objectives for this course:
To introduce students to the new paradigm in managing and marketing tourism destinations
that is focusing on rising usefulness of collaborative networks, as an alternative to centralized
and institutional structures, in managing and marketing tourism destinations. The course will
be based on presenting the main idea behind St.Gallen Advance Model of Destination
Management developed in Switzerland in 2015. The main shift is to change the destination
management logic towards demand driven concept and de-frame the construct of the
destination to less comprehensive and relax concept. It is simply going back to understanding
visitors and their behaviour: What do they do at the destination? Where do they spend the
money? Why do they visit the destination?
To train students to collaborate in international teams, while developing oral and written
communication abilities that can help advance their professional careers.
Course syllabus:
The course will be structured in 30 teaching hours + 15 hours for consultations and seminar work.
Following topics will be discussed:
1. Lecture: Destination management function - Traditional approach
Topics:
Definition of the destination
Destination stakeholders
Destination management functions
Destination competitiveness and performance
Sustainable destinations development
2. Lecture: Destination collaborative marketing - Traditional approach
Topics:
Definition of destination marketing
Destination marketing functions
Destination branding and image
3. Lecture: Destination management - New Paradigm of SGDM model part 1
Topics:
The SGDM principles and framework
Implementation of SGDM model
1. Workshop: Whole day workshop on create a design for defining the STF in Ljubljana part 1.
2. Workshop: Whole day workshop on create a design for defining the STF in Ljubljana part 2.
Guests - representatives of Tourism Board Ljubljana; Milan Sajovic, Union Hotels, director
of Hotels Operations
4. Lecture: Destination management - New Paradigm of SGDM model part 2
Topics:
Identifying STF - concept and its meaning
Institutions vs collaborative networks
Field work - Working on primary data collection and analysis
5. Lecture: Destination Brand and Image
Topics:
Shaping a destination brand
Destination image
Good examples of destination brand and image
6. Lecture: Gamification and e-marketing in tourism
Topic:
Meaning of Gamification
Use of Gamification in Tourism
E-marketing tools
7. Lecture: Consequences and Outlook of new paradigm in DM
Topics:
Summarizing the course outputs
8. Final presentation of the project
Bibliography:
Textbook Title: The St. Gallen Model for Destination Management
Publisher: University of St. Gallen, 2014
Author: Beritelli, P., Reinhold, S., Leasser, C., Bieger
Other materials
Beritelli, P., Reinhold, S., Leasser, C., Bieger. T. 2014. The New Frontiers of Destination
Management: Applying Variable Geometry as a Function-Based Critical Approach. Journal of
Travel Research, 53(4) 403– 417.
Knezevic Cvelbar L., Demand driven model of destination management: From managing
institutions towards managing collaborative networks, Working paper.
Class readings and PPP
Teaching methods:
This course requires careful readings, active discussions and effective group work. Following
activities will take place:
Individual Class Participation (20%)
All students are expected to attend classes and be prepared and actively involved in the
discussions during the lectures. Evaluation will be based on student attendance (sign-in sheet and
instructor observations) and actively participation in class discussions.
Project Work (40%)
Student will be divided in groups (up to 5 students). Each group will have to explain visitors’ flows
in Ljubljana and propose possible modifications and improvements in marketing and management
of those flows. Students will be conducting primary data collection and analysis in Ljubljana. The
projects will be practice oriented and students will have a lot of fun during the process.
Exam (40%)
At the end of the course, there will be an exam to test the students’ understanding and application
of main theories and concepts learned from the class. The exam will contain up to 3 essay and 10
short/multiple choice questions and take two teaching hours.
Prerequisites:
The students are expected to have basic knowledge in the fields of management or tourism.
Examination methods:
A student’s final grade will be based on the weighted average of the following four categories:
Individual Class Participation, Group Discussions, Seminar Work and Exam.
Grading:
60-67% - (6);
68-75% - (7);
75-83% - (8);
83-91% - (9) and
92% and higher - (10)
Note: This course is comparable to the officially accredited course Tourism Destination
Management (ECTS: 8) at the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana.
