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University Master's Degree in Tourist Destination Management - 10th edition

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Dr. Alejandro Pérez Laborda

University Master's Degree in Tourist Destination Management coordinator.

“As master's coordinator, I most interested in being able to put together a study programme and a group of professors who offer answers to the challenges, problems, and opportunities currently facing tourist destinations. These include the role of local society in destinations, the new technologies and forms of competition, climate change, excessive tourism pressure and the need for many destinations to reinvent or differentiate themselves. And we do all this whilst focusing on both the local context of the Costa Daurada and international cases and experiences.”

Who is the master’s degree aimed at?

This master's programme is designed to attract both students who have recently completed their bachelor's degrees and currently active professionals. It is ideal for anybody who wants to acquire advanced knowledge in the management of tourist destinations in order to meet the new challenges of contemporary tourism and its impact on society and the environment.
What is the most singular aspect of the programme?

I think the most notable thing is the focus on providing students with tools that they will find useful when managing the current challenges and opportunities in the tourism sector. Some of the subjects that we study are the role of local society in destinations, the new competitive and technological environments, climate change, excessive tourism pressure and the need for many destinations to reinvent or differentiate themselves.
What does the master’s programme give to the students?

Our objective is to provide students with advanced knowledge of the latest trends in the management of destinations, analytical and critical skills for developing destinations, and an internationally oriented study and working environment. I would also point to the fact that a large number of our teachers are professionals with extensive experience in this area, and that the content is based on real cases of innovation in the local context of the Costa Daurada and internationally.
What impact does completing the master’s degree have on the professional careers of your students?

By completing this master's degree, students put themselves at the very forefront of the labour market and also give themselves the opportunity to move into the world of research. Without a doubt, our students are better prepared to face the professional challenges that they are going to encounter now and in the future, a fact that makes them more competitive in the labour market.

Dr. Salvador Anton

Full professor of Regional Analysis at URV.

Senior Research Scholar of the International Institute of Tourism Studies at the George Washington University.

Director of the Science & Technology Park for Tourism and Leisure of Catalonia.

“The goal of my research and teaching activity centres on the analysis of the effects of tourism and recreational activities on the transformation of the landscape, the organization of the territory and the generation of new forms of economic development at the local and regional scale. I'm taking all this cutting-edge knowledge in this Masters course.”

Dr. Salvador Anton

Salvador Anton is a renowned international scholar in tourism and leisure, with than 30 publications in top academic journals and books.

He is full professor of Regional Analysis at URV, and Senior Research Scholar of the International Institute of Tourism Studies at the George Washington University. At URV he also leads the GRATET research group and is Director of the Science & Technology Park for Tourism and Leisure of Catalonia.

Subject taught in the master:

Tourism Spaces and Places.
Sr. Giovanni Cavalli

MBA from Johnson & Wales University (US).

Currently is General Director de Ohtels Hotels & Resort based in Catalonia.

PhD candidate in the tourism program of URV.

“I have 20 plus years' experience within the tourism industry at an International level. I have been deeply involved in developing tourism marketing strategies with a consistent successful tracking record. By introducing product innovations and through strong collaboration, the destinations I have been involved with during the years have constantly improved. My objective is to share the real business world practice and provide the necessary theoretical bases to support it.”

Sr. Giovanni Cavalli

Giovanni Cavalli holds a MBA from Johnson & Wales University (US). He has been General Director of Interstate Hotels New York, General Director of the Hotel Division of the Gardaland and Mirabilandia theme parks in Italy, member of the Executive Board of PortAventura World and responsible for the launch of Ferrari Land, and currently is General Director de Ohtels Hotels & Resort based in Catalonia as well as PhD candidate in the tourism program of URV.

Subject taught in the master:

Marketing management.

Value Chain Management.
Dr. Ercilia García

Full professor at Department of Business Management of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili.

PhD in Business Economics at the University of Santiago de Compostela.

URV Staff Vice-rector.

“Creativity and the innovation stand out as key elements in the sustainable development and competitiveness of tourist destinations. From this perspective, and following an approach bridging theory and practice, I accompany our future destinations managers towards a full comprehension of innovation processes, facilitating practices and the role of the agents and institutions among which innovation takes place. The continuous disruptive changes of technological and social nature represent a constant challenge, but also a source of opportunities and competitive advantages that a good manager has to be able to identify and enhance. This is the main goal of the subject I teach in the MTD Masters.”
Dr. Ercilia García

Ercilia García holds a PhD in business economics at the University of Santiago de Compostela. She is full professor at the Business Management Department, URV, and leads the research group 'Qualitative Research on Leisure Organizations and Markets'.

Past experiences and honors include a Serra Hunter Fellowship, a Fellowship with the Family Firm Institute of Boston (US), a senior researcher position at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the co-foundation and presidency of ESPACUAL (Spanish Association for the Advancement of Qualitative Research).

Subjects taught in the master:
- Creativity and Innovation in Tourism.
- Qualitative Methods in Tourism Research.
Dr. Antonio Russo

Doctor in Economics by Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Dr. Antonio Russo

Antonio Paolo Russo has a Ph.D. in Economics by Erasmus University Rotterdam. Currently, is tenured associate professor of the Department of Geography of URV and a member of the GRATET research group.

Author of more than 30 publications in academic journals and books in the field of tourism, planning, and regional and urban studies.

Lead researcher in many competitive national and international projects.

Experience as consultant and advisor for the European Commission, Council of Europe, Latino American Development Bank (BID), UNESCO, Eurocities, and local and regional governments in Spain, Italy, and The Netherlands.

Member of the board and research coordinator of ATLAS (Association for Tourism and Leisure Education).

Direction of more than 10 doctoral theses on tourism, culture and local development.

Subjects taught in the master:
- Destination Planning and Management.
- Master's Thesis.
Featured articles and publications:
- Russo, A.P. and Scarnato, A. (2017). "Barcelona in common": a new urban regime for the 21st century tourist city? Journal of Urban Affairs (accepted for publication August 2017). DOI: 10.1080/07352166.2017.1373023.
- Den Hoed, W., and Russo, A.P. (2017). Professional travellers and tourist practices. Annals of Tourism Research 63: 60-72. DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2016.12.012
- Russo, A.P. and Richards, G. (Eds) (2016). Reinventing the local in tourism. Channel View Publications, Clevedon. ISBN: 978-1-84541-568-6.
- Russo, A.P. and G. Segre (2009). Destinations and property regimes: an exploration. Annals of Tourism Research 36(4): 587-606. DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2009.04.002
- Russo, A.P. and A. Arias Sans (2009). Student communities and landscapes of creativity: how Venice - 'the world's most touristed city' - is changing. European Urban and Regional Studies 16(2): 175-189. DOI: 10.1177/0969776409102189
- Russo, A.P. (2002). The vicious circle of tourism development in heritage cities. Annals of Tourism Research 29(1): 165-182. DOI: 10.1016/S0160-7383(01)00029-9
Check out Dr. Paolo Russo’s profile:

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- https://urv.academia.edu/PaoloRusso
- LinkedIn

All professors

University Master's Degree in Tourist Destination Management - 10th edition

Professors

Dr. Alejandro Pérez Laborda

Dr. Salvador Anton

Sr. Giovanni Cavalli

Dr. Ercilia García

Dr. Antonio Russo