Management of Tourism Operations in Rural Settings (Evening Classes)

The tourism sector yields, in Portugal, around 13 billions Euros/ year, i.e., 10% of the Portuguese gross domestic product (GDP) and employs around 10% of the national active population.

Rural Tourism has already made positive contributions to the local economy, such as job creation and diversification, the development of new services, nature preservation and the support of local arts and crafts.

If used sustainably, the growth of Rural Tourism facilitates job creation, regional development and improvement of the quality of life of the inhabitants.

Framework

The Specialised Postgraduate Programme in Management of Tourism Operations in Rural Settings follows the Bologna Process and is taught at the School of Management and Industrial Studies in partnership with the School of Accounting and Administration of Porto and with Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies. As far as the Programme syllabus and organisation are concerned, there is also a close cooperation with Turihab- Associação do Turismo de Habitação (Solares de Portugal e Casas de Campo)

As tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors it is crucial to train highly competent and specialised professionals. Apart from training future professionals in the area, the programme also aims at the qualification of those already working in the sector, so that they may ensure the continuous and sustainable improvement of Rural Tourism operations.

Students will be given specialised technical knowledge which will help them deal with the Rural Tourism market. Students will then have operational and managerial skills for different areas. The Specialised Postgraduate Programme in Management of Tourism Operations in Rural Settings is organised in two school semesters, with a total of twelve subjects (six per semester). Core subjects focus on Hospitality and Catering, Tourism and Leisure.

The curricular structure of the programme provides a multidisciplinary approach with such subjects as: Tourism and Rural Settings, Management of Accommodation, Food & Beverage: application, Food & Beverage: management, Entrepreneurship and Business Plans, Marketing Applied to Tourism in Rural Settings, Entertainment and Tourist Information, Heritage and Traditional Architecture, Financial Management and Management Control, Quality Management and Certification of Tourist Operations in Rural Settings, Event Management and technical Seminars.