STRATEGY AND INNOVATION IN THE TOURISM ECOSYSTEM - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module aims to develop students' ability to explore and evaluate concepts and applications of strategy and innovation in tourism management and operations. It aims to explore strategic innovation as a dimension of the overall strategic management of a firm/destination where innovation is embedded in comprehensive attempts to maintain competitiveness. It is designed to explore real world case studies of innovation as a strategic approach applied by organisations and policymakers at global, national and destination levels and at different managerial and strategic climates. The module will equip students with the critical skills to evaluate the successful/unsuccessful implementation of tourism strategy and innovation.

Module provider

Surrey Hospitality & Tourism Management

Module Leader

RODRIGUEZ Isabel (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

n/a

Module content

Indicative content includes: Strategic innovation as a key dimension of strategic management Strategy and innovation processes and tools Strategic innovation initiatives I Government: clusters, entrepreneurial policies, Smart Destinations. Strategic innovation initiatives II Innovation strategies a at destination level (case study Theme parks) and Innovation partnerships and open innovation (innovation ecosystems, Innovation Living Labs) Strategic innovation initiatives III: Innovation strategies at sector level (case study of the aviation industry) Entrepreneurship as a means to promote tourism innovation: entrepreneurial ecosystems (start-ups, accelerator, incubators, etc.). Innovation strategies at different strategic climates: innovation as a response to radical changes or crisis (necessity driven) versus incremental cumulative innovation processes (opportunity driven). Strategic implementation: How an organisation / destination puts its strategy and innovation into practice including evaluation. The implementation gap and barriers to successful innovation/strategy achievement.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

n/a

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

• Ability to relate the theories of strategy and innovation to the tourism practice at a corporate, policy or destination levels.


• Ability to critically analyse and evaluate the theories and disciplines that underpin strategy and innovation in tourism.

• A task to identify and evaluate tourism strategy and innovation. This could be at global, national or local level, including policy and businesses (e.g., strategic innovations for sustainable tourism) and considering different strategic climates (e.g., as a response to crisis versus linked to more incremental and cumulative opportunities)


• Each student must choose a unique innovative strategy
  
  
  
  • Provide a brief synopsis of the strategy (maximum 250 words)
  
  
  • Critically evaluate the rationale, appropriateness of the strategy, factors heavily influencing (both positively or negatively) the nature and direction of the strategic endeavour and successful/unsuccessful outcomes.
  
  
  • Provide an executive summary of the report (maximum 250 words)
  
  
  
  


• Length: Between 3000 and 4000 words long (excluding references). Feedback on student performance during the module includes: use of review questions and case studies review of student mini-presentations on their strategies chosen for assessment verbal feedback in lectures/tutorials peer-review opportunities Q&A sessions on the assignment

• use of review questions and case studies


• review of student mini-presentations on their strategies chosen for assessment


• verbal feedback in lectures/tutorials


• peer-review opportunities


• Q&A sessions on the assignment

Module aims

• To develop knowledge of the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of tourism strategy and innovation
• To enable students to explore the interconnectedness between strategy and innovation and the outcomes related to it
• To develop a critical understanding of innovation as a strategic approach for organisations and policymakers at global,
  national and destination levels and at different managerial and strategic climates (e.g., necessity-driven vs opportunity
  driven)
• To apply the theoretical models of strategy and innovation to real world case studies
• To develop a critical understanding of the opportunities and barriers to influence the successful implementation of tourism
  strategy and innovation

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy consists of weekly lectures and interactive tutorials. To prepare for
lectures and tutorials each week, students will receive topic specific materials (e.g., videos, case studies, papers, etc.) to independently prepare before the lecture and tutorials. Post lecture, students will receive guiding questions to reflect on, and consolidate their learning. These activities:
provide an opportunity for the theoretical background already established in earlier parts of
the course to be understood within the broader concept of strategy and innovation.
explore the gap between theory and practice in tourism using case studies provide an opportunity to apply theories and concepts to chosen case studies provide opportunities for the students to explore, develop and evaluate the issues individually and
in collaboration and discussion with peers, lecturers and visiting speakers

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM557

Other information

This module adopts the university curriculum framework which aims to develop learners with strong capabilities in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module contributes to the development of the following capabilities:

Global and Cultural Capabilities: The module revolves around strategic innovation as part of the overall strategic management of firms and destinations from a global perspective. Students will develop an understanding of the influence of different global and intercultural settings in the management of destinations and firms since we will draw on case studies at a global, national and destination level and different managerial and strategic levels. Since students are from different countries with diverse cultural backgrounds, class discussions and seminar exercises will be used to reinforce students global and cultural capabilities.

Digital Capabilities: Teaching and learning materials are provided in several formats, and students are encouraged to use discussion boards for communication. Students will be provided instruction on digital literature review searches that support their development of independent learning and successful assessment preparation. Students will use the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), SurreyLearn, video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams to facilitate learning. These include accessing teaching and learning materials and engaging with their instructors, peers and guest speakers.

Employability: Guest lecturers and managers of destinations/firms will present up-to-date insights of their innovation strategies to allow students to have the opportunity to learn directly from real world managers. Students will gain knowledge on current case studies of strategic management oriented to innovation and will be taught to critically evaluate the outcomes and difficulties faced by these strategies. They will also learn what strategies can be developed to overcome the difficulties. All these skills can be transferred to various situations at future workplaces, including problem-solving tasks. Observing other managers¿ actions can inspire and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of the students.

Sustainability: This module motivates students to critically evaluate the success factors and the management difficulties of the real-life implementation of actions/ideas leading to success or failure through case studies analysis and class discussions. Students will be guided in developing recommendations to overcome barriers to successfully implement strategies so they can be sustainable in the long term and reflect on how innovation and strategy can lead to more sustainable firms and destinations.

Resourcefulness and Resilience: The assessment strategy comprises an individual coursework. Through this strategy, this module empowers students to build their critical insights into the assessment and create spaces for students to reflect on their own. In class there would be mini presentations of case studies made by the students and this will support students in developing presentation and public speaking skills. Also, students are motivated to make informed decisions from a range of options as to which aspect of their work they would like to request feedback. The critical nature of the class discussion will help foster openness by encouraging students to understand and discuss contrasting perspectives.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.