Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE TTC5003

 
TITLE The Marketing and Management of Culture

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Institute for Tourism, Travel and Culture

 
DESCRIPTION The unit will explore and analyse the distinctive nature of the cultural and heritage niche tourism markets and the policy and management frameworks and requirements that are needed for their development, protection and sustained growth. Marketing concepts, issues and strategic approaches will also be considered in detail from a theoretical and case study perspective.

Marketing and Management traditionally were opposing forces, however in the heritage and cultural sectors they have recently begun to be considered as collaborative elements as this gives the opportunity for managers to target particular visitors, control their visits while improving conservation standards, and providing a heightened visitor experience. This study-unit aims to consider the special characteristics of culture and heritage tourism, consumer perspectives and expectations, the development and management of heritage sites and the generic marketing issues relevant to both culture and heritage.

Study-unit Aims:

The aim of this study-unit will be to give each student a thorough grounding within this area of study and will include the study of trends, market development, image brands, marketing strategies, together with marketing theory. In turn the study-unit will aim to analyse and evaluate growth and trends in the cultural niche market and categories of ‘cultural niches’ with a particular emphasis on cases in cultural tourism development - definitions, policy frameworks development issues and strategies.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

• Identify core concepts of Cultural and Heritage Tourism and their Marketing and Management strategies;
• Comprehend and evaluate critically some theoretical frameworks for considering the impacts of tourism on culture and heritage;
• Distinguish major themes of research into cultural and heritage tourism;
• Identify and evaluate the growth of trends in the development of culture and heritage niche markets, and define key categories of niches demonstrating a systematic understanding of the key policy and management frameworks;
• Analyse and evaluate the development, marketing concepts, management and policy issues for development of specific niche markets and appreciate the challenges and issues they face.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

• Be familiar with written and non-written sources for the study of niche markets associated with culture and heritage;
• Understand how to build a substantial research paper through the appreciation and understanding of niche market development, their conceptual development, rationale, initiation, implementation, management and sustainability;
• Identify market opportunities;
• Design an effective and integrated management and marketing strategy.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

• Chhabra D (2010) Sustainable Marketing of Cultural and Heritage Tourism
McKercher (2008) Cultural Tourism: Partnership Between Tourism and Cultural Heritage Management
• Timothy D (2011) Cultural Heritage and Tourism: An Introduction
• Fennel D (2007) 3rd Ed, Ecotourism
• Higham J (2007) Critical Issues in Ecotourism: understanding a complex tourism phenomenon: Understanding a Complex Tourism Phenomenon
• Macleod D (2003) Niche Tourism in Question: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Problems and Possibilities
• McCracken, G, (2005), Culture and Consumption II
• Morpeth N Raj R Griffin KA (2013) Cultural Tourism
• CABI.Novelli M (2004) Niche Tourism: Contemporary issues, trends and cases,
• Patterson C (2008) The Business of Ecotourism
• Prudhi R (2008) Rural Tourism
• Richards G (2007) Cultural Tourism: Global and Local Perspectives
• Smith M (2009) Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies
• Störmer E (2011) Network marketing of tourism SMEs in a cross-cultural context: Trust establishment in a cross-cultural context or 'when cultures collide'.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Fieldwork, Group Learning and Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Research Paper SEM2 Yes 30%
Presentation (20 Minutes) SEM2 Yes 30%
Case Study (Take Home) SEM2 Yes 40%

 
LECTURER/S

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit