Course description
This course explores the relationship between urban development, globalization, and tourism, focusing on the challenges cities face in balancing tourism growth with long-term sustainability. Tourism has become a central driver of urban economies, yet it also contributes to spatial restructuring, environmental pressure, social conflict, and housing challenges.

The course provides students analyses on how tourism transforms urban systems through processes such as tourism-led urban regeneration, platform economies, local networks co-designed projects, and heritage commodification. Attention is given to governance mechanisms and planning strategies (e.g. urban carrying capacity) that aim to manage tourism sustainably.

Using interdisciplinary approaches from tourism studies, urban planning, and sustainability science, the course combines theoretical frameworks with comparative case studies from UNESCO cities, including Venice, as a living laboratory. Students will critically evaluate policy responses and propose strategies for more sustainable tourism development in urban contexts and will develop group work analysis.

Structure of the course
The course is structured in modules, dedicated to (a) theoretical introduction and (b) specific cases to be analyzed and (c) group work.

The course is structured in 3 modules, each of them dedicated to a specific part of the course.

After a general introduction on the main principles of Sustainable Urban Planning and Sustainable Tourism Planning (module I), a central part of the course (module II) is dedicated to the analyses specific case studies, namely: (1) the Historical City of Venice (Italy) and (2) the City of Padova (Italy). Both cities hold a UNESCO World Heritage status and are consequently obliged to develop a specific Sustainable Tourism Management Plan. The final part (Module III) is dedicated to the group working activities based on the specific assignments.

Co-curricular activities
Visits to Venice historical town and to Padova are planned.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Explain the relationship between globalization, tourism, and urban development.
• Critically analyze the drivers and consequences of overtourism
• Evaluate tourism's impacts on urban economies, housing, infrastructure, and heritage
• Understand governance frameworks used to manage tourism in cities
• Assess sustainability strategies applied to urban tourism destinations
• Compare tourism management models across global cities
• Develop policy-oriented solutions for sustainable tourism development.

Course evaluation

• Class participation – Overall class participation, in terms of both attendance and interaction, will count for 10% of the final grade
• 20% will be given by the tests which will be assigned at the end of each session.
• Midterm assignments will be given on individual basis – 30% of the final grade
• Final project – There will be a group project to develop, to present in a written group report and through an oral presentation in class – 40% of the final grade.

Suggested bibliography

• Richard W. Butler (1980). "The Concept of a Tourist Area Cycle of Evolution."
• Dean MacCannell (1973). "Staged Authenticity: Arrangements of Social Space in Tourist Settings."
• Erik Cohen (1979). "A Phenomenology of Tourist Experiences."
• Ashworth, G. & Tunbridge, J. (1990). "The Tourist-Historic City."
• Chris Cooper et al. (2008). Urban Tourism Research: Developing an Agenda
• Ko Koens, Postma & Papp (2018). "Is Overtourism Overused?"

Course duration: 40 hours of tuition
Credits equivalence: 6 ECTS

Last updated: August 7, 2026