MSc Tourism & Change Fall Semester 2023

According to Hall and Williams (2008:3) ‘innovation pervades all corners of the tourism system, whether it is the small hotel that creates its first web site, the restaurant that introduces new dishes to appeal to an emerging tourism market, or the individual tourist who creates new ways of holidaying for himself or herself.’ Innovative activities and practices are vital for economic reasons such as profit maximisation and are also motivated by the goal of meeting social needs.

Innovation is at the heart of entrepreneurship. For destinations and other tourism stakeholders it is essential to manage their innovations well for various reasons: To grow businesses, to stay ahead of competitors, and to take advantage of new technologies.

This module will provide students with an understanding of the importance and the dynamic nature of innovations in tourism. Students will be encouraged to reflect on contemporary strategies, concepts, ideas, types of innovations, and organisations that currently shape tourism practices. Various techniques that may lead to innovations will be discussed and practiced.

During the semester project students will get a deeper understanding of what innovations are, which innovations there are in and outside the field of tourism, how innovations outside the field of tourism can be used as an inspiration for tourism specific innovations, and what advantages and disadvantages they can bring to various tourism stakeholders. Further, an in-depth discussion of barriers and drivers with regards to implementing innovations in businesses of different stakeholders will allow students to apply theory to real-life examples. Knowledge gathered during the course and particularly through the realization of the semester project will raise awareness that the successful implementation of innovations depends on understanding the customer, professional planning, and the execution of projects.