Knowledge-based competences: - Knowing, from and strategic standpoint, the business conditions of tourism industries. - Understanding the nature of strategic decisions. - 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, specially the tourism ones - 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.

S8: Apply the knowledge, skills and techniques of the different disciplines associated with tourism, such as Economics, Humanities and Business Administration and Management, to the rigorous study of issues related to tourism activities, using the appropriate terminology and the scientific method S9: Be able to plan and develop business activities at a competitive and corporate level, creating value and improving the competitiveness of tourism companies from a global perspective, integrating diverse cultural values and incorporating international experiences

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 1. Strategic management in tourist firms: objectives, strategies and value creation 2. Corporate governance. Sustainability and the tourist firm Part two: Strategic Analysis 3. Frameworks for industry analysis: an application to tourist industries 4. Internal analysis: resources y capabilities. The case of the tourist firms Part three: competitive strategies 5. Creating competitive advantages: the value levers 6. Competitive strategies: cost and differentiation Part three: the corporate level of strategy: 7. Strategies of vertical integration: the make/buy decision 8. Diversification in tourist firms 9. Internationalization of the tourist firm 10. The evolutionary process of the firm 11. Strategic Alliances.

The course comprises two major elements: - Theoretical lessons, aimed at presenting and explaining the main concepts of the course. - Practical sessions: They are based on the analysis and discussion of case studies, specially from the tourism industry. - Project in group: the students integrated in working groups, should prepare a written report about a tourism company where the concepts of the course will be applied; as well as make a public defense of its conclusions.