Introduction to the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

DESCRIPTION:
Introduction to the study of tourism and the nature and scope of the Tourism and Hospitality industries. Origins and growth of tourism, tourism as a global phenomenon, demand and supply of tourism, the Greek tourism industry and its role in the economy, the structure of the tourism industry and future prospects for Greek and international tourism.

RATIONALE: 
Tourism is one of the most important industries worldwide and contributes substantially to national, regional and local economies. It is also a very important industry for the Greek economy. This course introduces students to the study of tourism and hospitality, their historical development and related concepts in the field. It also offers an introduction to the nature and characteristics of the travel and tourism product (e.g. tourist destinations, visitor attractions, the hospitality sector, transport) and addresses key concepts and issues in tourism and hospitality, including the importance of service quality, the pivotal role of the human factor in the delivery of the tourism product, the issue of seasonality in tourist demand, and the various impacts of tourism development.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: 
As a result of taking this course the student should be able to:
1. Define tourism and hospitality as fields of study by referring to key theory frameworks, and describe their multi-disciplinary nature.
2. Describe the structure, scope and particularities of the tourism and hospitality industries and the tourism product.
3. Describe the complexity involved in managing tourism firms and tourist destinations in relation to issues such as service quality, seasonality and sustainability.

METHOD OF TEACHING AND LEARNING:
In congruence with the teaching and learning strategy of the college, the following tools are used:
- Class lectures, interactive learning (class discussions, group work) and practical problems solved in class.
- Exercises and primary source documents are assigned as homework, the solutions of which are reviewed in class.
- Office hours: students are encouraged to make full use of the office hours of their instructor, where they can ask questions, see their exam paper, and/or go over lecture material.
- Use of blackboard site, where instructors post lecture notes, assignments instructions, timely announcements, as well as additional resources.