ECONOMY AND SOCIOLOGY OF TOURISM

The aim of the course is to describe and explain the concepts of tourism and leisure through the perspective of social sciences.

The first part of the course examines the application of economic theory to tourism. Initially will be examined the microeconomic and macroeconomic aspects of tourism and then this phenomenon will be considered as a form of trade. The relationship between political and economic nature of tourism will be explained and some theoretical views concerning tourism and development will be presented. Also, issues related to travel and tourism transport, their demand and supply as well as their cost and pricing will be examined.

In the second part of the course will be presented the basic sociological approaches and then the main points in the development of the Social Theory of Tourism, as well as the recent directions in the Sociology of Tourism. Issues related to the social theory of Transports and the Study of Mobilities in general will be examined. The symbolic function of tourism consumption and the relationship between Tourism and Cultural Capital will be analyzed, followed by a brief semiotic approach to tourism representations.

Finally, topics related to Postmodern Social Thinking, Mass Media, New Technologies and Globalization will be developed in the light of Tourism Studies.

This course is designed to help students comprehend the development of economic and social theories in relation to tourism mobilities and hospitality and to show the cultural importance of tourism for both the visitors and societies that constitute tourist destinations in modern times.

• Economics and tourism
• Micro-economic and macroeconomic perspectives of tourism
• Demand, Supply and elasticities of the travel and transport firms
• Production Cost, Marginal Cost and travel services pricing
• Development and tourism
• Science, Sociology and Sociological Directions (Sociology of Tourism, Sociology of Leisure, Sociology of Transports, etc.)
• Basic Sociological Theories
• Social Theory of Transports and the Study of Mobilities
• Central points in the development of Social Theory of Tourism
• The Symbolic Consumption of Tourism and the relation of tourism to Cultural Capital
• Semiotic approach of tourist representations
• Postmodern Social Thought and Tourism
• Recent Directions in the Sociology of Tourism
• Tourism, Mass Media, New Technologies and Globalization

As a result of taking this course, the students will gain the theoretical frameworks for understanding the basic economic, social and cultural issues of tourism industry in order to function effectively within this field.

• [Transport Economics] Οικονομική των Μεταφορών, Σαμπράκος Ευάγγελος, Βαρβαρήγου, 2018
• [Tourism Studies and the Social Sciences] Κοινωνιολογικές Προσεγγίσεις στον Τουρισμό, A. Holden, Εκδόσεις Παπαζήση, Αθήνα 2008
• [Sociology of cultural activities] Κοινωνιολογία των πολιτισμικών δραστηριοτήτων, Αθλητισμού - Πολιτισμού – Αναψυχής’, Κωνσταντινάκος Παντελής, Εκδόσεις Παπαζήση, 2015