Objective

1. To obtain insight into the economical consequences of urban management for families, companies and local governments;
2. To obtain insight into the economical consequences of urban management and tourism;
3. To gather up-to-date information of the present views on modern regional- and urban management;
4. To obtain insight into the increasing importance of tourism for the regional and urban economy, and into the management of tourist development.

Content

Tourism has become a mass phenomenon in the past decades. A growing number of countries, regions and cities have become dependent on the income and the employment for the local population that tourists and people at leisure generate. If the increase of the tourist market progresses in this upper-coming way, than this industry will become one of the major economic growth sectors. It is obvious that such a development causes economic growth sectors. It is also obvious that such a development causes economic welfare and therefore well-being, but -unfortunately- such a development causes its specific problems as well.

However, it has only recently come to the attention of the policy makers and the managers that this growth process needs to be monitored and supervised. Only by careful management will a healthy, tourist development on macro, meso and micro level be sustained; spontaneous decisions and improvisation are not permissible any more in today's economic climate. By implementing expert management it is possible to seize all the opportunities for a better economy, that the tourism market of today has to offer.

In this course the various aspects of urban economy and tourism on macro and meso level will be discussed with the emphasis on the social and economic importance that tourism has to offer for their regions and their cities. Special attention will be paid to the many dimensions and aspects of management in the tourist industry.

Required Literature

Will be announced at the first lecture.

					26-4-2002