MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are online courses intended for thousands of students from around the world, with free access. Although the first MOOC began in Canada in 2008, the phenomenon exploded after an artificial intelligence course at Stanford University in 2011 with over 150,000 participants. Below are some MOOCs whose topics concern tourism.
eTourism: Communication Perspectives
eTourism: Communication Perspectives MOOC was created by USI – Università della Svizzera italiana (Lugano, Switzerland), promoted by the UNESCO chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites, and implemented by eLab.
This eight-week MOOC, covering online communication in tourism with a focus on World Heritage and tourism destinations, is free and open to anyone, though we don’t offer any synchronous activities.
Intended audience includes tourism and hospitality professionals, students, and enthusiasts.
Languages: English, Chinese, Italian, Spanish subtitles and video scripts.
Content structure
- Introduction to online communication in tourism;
- Online Communication Model and evaluation of the quality of online contents;
- Usability analysis and evaluation of usages of tourism online applications;
- “Localization” in tourism online applications;
- B2B activities and eLearning;
- User Generated Contents (UGC) within tourism;
- Online reputation of tourism destinations;
- User Generated Contents and argumentation theory.
Instructors
- Lorenzo Cantoni
- Nadzeya Kalbaska
- Silvia de Ascaniis
- Elena Marchiori
- Jingjing Lin
- Emanuele Mele
Tourism Management at UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Vol. 1)
The MOOC Tourism Management at UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Vol. 1) is developed by the UNESCO-UNITWIN Network “Culture, Tourism, and Development”. It offers a comprehensive introduction to tourism at UNESCO World Heritage Sites, focusing on key principles like UNESCO doctrines, communication technologies, economy, and management and planning. Designed for policy makers, site managers, students, and professionals in the tourism industry, this course provides practical insights shared by distinguished professors and researchers from an international network of universities.
Language: French
Content structure
- Concepts, Doctrines and Lists (I). 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
- Concepts, Doctrines and Lists (II). 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Tourism at World Heritage Sites
- Tourism and Local Communities
- Site Conservation/Enhancement and Tourist Management
- Tourism Interpretation on World Heritage Sites
- eTourism for Heritage
- Tourist Economy related to Heritage
For more information, click here!
Tourism Management at UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Vol. 2)
The MOOC Tourism Management at UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Vol. 2), offers six new chapters on heritage communication, management, and marketing. Developed by the UNESCO-UNITWIN Network “Culture, Tourism, and Development” and coordinated by the UNESCO Chair at USI (Università della Svizzera italiana), the course continues the tradition of accessible, expert-led learning for policy makers, site managers, students, and tourism professionals.
Language: French
Content structure
- Tourism Marketing
- Site Management Systems
- Behavior and Satisfaction on World Heritage Sites
- Historical Memories and Tourism on World Heritage Sites
- Religious Tourism
- Tourism in World Heritage Cities
For more information, click here!
Tourism Management at UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Vol. 3)
The MOOC Tourism Management at UNESCO World Heritage Site (Vol. 3) was launched as a direct response to the COVID-19 crisis of 2020, aiming to support the resilience and adaptation of the tourism industry in challenging times. A unique highlight of Volume 3 is its focus on the Archaeological Site of Al-Hijr (Madâin Sâlih) in Saudi Arabia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, presented through exclusive content created in collaboration with the French Agency for the Development of Alula (AFALULA) and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU).
Languages: English and Arabic
Content structure
- The 1972 and 2003 UNESCO Conventions and Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Site Management Systems;
- Local Communities’ Involvement and Sustainable Tourism;
- Marketing;
- Interpretation: Stories and Memories;
- Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Heritage Tourism.
For more information, click here!
This MOOC “Tourism Management at UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Volume 1)”, produced by the UNESCO-UNITWIN Network “Culture, Tourism, and Development”, provides an introduction to tourism at UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Moving from UNESCO’s principles and doctrines, the MOOC covers Communication Technologies, Economy, Management and Planning, and more… It is aimed to policy makers, site managers, students and people active in the tourism industry.
This MOOC is designed and run by an international network of prestigious universities: highly profiled researchers and professors share their knowledge with you in an accessible way on tourism at UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Tailored to policy makers, site managers, students and people active in the tourism industry, this new volume provides an introduction to tourism at UNESCO World Heritage Sites: focus of the course are heritage communication, management and marketing.
If you are interested to know more about eTourism MOOCs, please feel free to contact us.