Knowledge-based competences: - Knowing, from and strategic standpoint, the business conditions of tourism industries. - Understanding the nature of decisions taken by the firm¿s top managers. - Evaluating strategical choices in a critical and well-reasoned manner, according to criteria oriented towards value creation. Skills: - Using at ease and understanding the major sources of business information - Analyzing complex business problems both rigorously and critically, thus reaching personal and well-reasoned conclusions. - Communicate ideas in structured and appealing speeches and texts. Attitudes: - Developing creative attitudes towards problem-solving. - Developing and ethical and socially responsible attitude towards business. - Team-working.

The course covers the main concepts and analytic frameworks of strategic management. Students, after taking the course, should understand how good strategies contribute to value creation and competitive advantage. The course also studies the process of firm expansion, both in terms of new businesses and new markets. The programme is structured in three parts: Part one: Introduction Strategic management in tourist firms: objectives and strategies, value creation and business models Part two:Strategic analysis External analysis: the industrial sector. An application to tourist industries Internal analysis: resources and capabilities Part Three: the competitive level of strategy The competitive advantages. The levers of value Creating competitive advantages: business strategies Part three: the corporate level of strategy: Strategies of vertical integration: the make/buy decision Diversification in tourist firms Internationalization of the tourism firm Corporate growth methods

The course comprises two major elements: - Theoretical lessons, aimed at presenting and explaining the main concepts of the course. Students should have read the materials recommended in advance to the class; the lecture itself will be devoted at discussing the main aspects of the lesson, as well as resolving any doubts that may arise. - Practical sessions: They are based on case studies. Prior to each session, students must read the corresponding case and write an analysis on it. During the session, students will present and discuss the case study.