Working draft. Subject to UCAM review and approval.

UCAM Focus University Institute

Proposed UCAM and Focus University Institute pathway

Master's Degree in
Innovation and Tourism Marketing

Vision

To prepare innovative, ethically grounded, and globally minded tourism leaders who use marketing, technology, creativity, and evidence to design sustainable tourism experiences, smart destinations, and competitive tourism organizations in a changing global economy.

Key facts

60 ECTS
Master’s structure of UCAM
1 year
On campus in Murcia
40 places
Intake in November
6,800 € per course
Fee as listed in the UCAM program PDF
EN English
Language of instruction
30 ECTS
Five Focus University Institute courses

UCAM’s one-year master’s, with a 30 ECTS Focus University Institute block

The published UCAM curriculum
ModuleCourseECTS
Module IInnovation a reality in the tourism sector6
Module IThe new global tourism environment6
Module IIInnovation applied to Tourism Business Models3
Module IIInnovation and Creativity applied to the Generation of Value3
Module IIInnovation applied to Tourism Processes3
Module IIInnovation applied to the Management of Tourism Businesses3
Module IIITechnologies applied to tourism6
Module IIIThe public support to the development of technology in tourism6
Module IVKnowledge and Management of Customer and Markets6
Module IVInnovation and Tourism Marketing Management6
Module VInternship6
Module VTheoretical and Practical Seminar6
Module VIFinal Project6

Five Focus University Institute courses

FITM 701

Global Tourism Innovation and Destination Strategy

Strategic tourism and destination-innovation course focused on global tourism trends, destination competitiveness, sustainability, stakeholder systems, and evidence-based strategy.

Credits
6 ECTS / 3 American credits
Academic level
Graduate / Master’s level
Duration
14 weeks
Student workload
150 total learner hours: 45 scheduled + 105 independent/applied hours
Delivery mode
Madrid/Murcia-based, blended, or other UCAM-approved delivery mode
Professor
To be confirmed
Office hours/contact
To be confirmed

This course develops students’ ability to analyze the global tourism environment, evaluate innovation pressures, and formulate destination and organizational strategies for competitive, sustainable, and responsible tourism development. Students examine Spain and Murcia as learning contexts while applying concepts to global tourism systems, smart destinations, changing visitor expectations, and public/private stakeholder ecosystems.

UCAM connection
Innovation a reality in the tourism sector; The new global tourism environment; public/private destination planning themes

AI as a tool

AI is used as a strategy-support tool for tourism trend scanning, scenario generation, destination comparison, competitor mapping, and structured critique. Students must verify AI-generated claims against credible sources and document limitations.

Course learning outcomes

  1. Critically analyze global tourism trends, destination systems, competitive forces, and stakeholder environments using credible evidence.

    • PLO 1

  2. Evaluate innovation pressures affecting tourism organizations, destinations, visitor experiences, and public/private tourism systems.

    • PLO 1
    • PLO 4

  3. Formulate tourism and destination strategies that balance competitiveness, sustainability, community benefit, and visitor value.

    • PLO 1
    • PLO 2

  4. Assess ethical, cultural, social, and environmental implications of destination strategy and tourism development decisions.

    • PLO 2

  5. Communicate a professional tourism strategy recommendation through written, visual, and oral formats.

    • PLO 6
Full course outline

Rationale

This course provides the strategic foundation for the proposed pathway by helping students understand tourism as a global, competitive, and socially embedded system. It connects UCAM’s global tourism environment and innovation themes with Focus University Institute’s applied strategy and destination-development orientation.

Teaching and learning methods

Strategy workshops, destination evidence labs, scenario exercises, stakeholder simulations, AI-supported scanning with verification, executive briefings, and final board-style strategy presentation.

Work-integrated learning

WIL is embedded through applied tourism evidence, workplace-style problems, professional briefs, simulations, stakeholder or client-style tasks, and a final applied class project presentation/oral defence. Students connect theory to tourism-sector practice throughout the course.

Primary alignment

PLO 1, PLO 2, PLO 6
ILO 1, ILO 5, ILO 6, ILO 7

Learning resources

  • UN Tourism (UNWTO). Tourism Data Dashboard and tourism market intelligence resources.
  • OECD. Tourism Trends and Policies. Latest available edition.
  • OpenStax. Principles of Management 2e. Chapters on strategy and global management.
  • World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Economic Impact Reports.
  • Gössling, S., Scott, D., & Hall, C. M. (2021). Pandemics, tourism and global change. Journal of Sustainable Tourism.

Professional expectations

Students must distinguish verified evidence from AI-generated suggestions and must not present unsupported strategic claims as fact.

14-week schedule
14-week schedule: FITM 701
WeekCourse focus and learning activitiesAssignment or deliverable
1Graduate orientation to global tourism innovation and destination strategy
  • tourism systems, stakeholders, and the student’s selected destination/organization project.
Project scoping worksheet assigned; participation begins.
2Spain, Murcia, and global tourism competitiveness
  • tourism indicators, demand patterns, and source-market evidence.
Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
3Destination life cycles, visitor economies, carrying capacity, and sustainable competitiveness
  • WIL destination profile.
Applied Brief 1 due.
4Innovation in tourism policy, public/private partnerships, and destination governance
  • stakeholder mapping.
Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
5Global disruptions, resilience, climate risk, seasonality, and crisis recovery in tourism.Applied Brief 2 due.
6Smart destinations, data-supported destination management, and technology-enabled visitor experience.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
7Independent midterm destination strategy memo using evidence and professional judgment.Independent midterm case/technical memo due.
8Community, culture, authenticity, overtourism, resident sentiment, and responsible visitor management.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
9AI-supported scenario scanning for tourism futures with verification and bias controls.Applied Brief 3 due.
10Destination positioning, market prioritization, experience portfolios, and competitiveness choices.Project milestone, simulation, or interim presentation due.
11Implementation, governance, performance indicators, and stakeholder accountability for tourism strategy.Project milestone, simulation, or interim presentation due.
12Professional destination strategy communication and executive briefing design.Draft final report/proposal due for feedback.
13Integration and rehearsal: feasibility, ethics, sustainability, stakeholder value, and implementation risk.Final presentation deck due for formative review.
14Final destination/tourism strategy project presentation and oral defence
  • no final exam.
Final applied class project report and presentation/oral defence due. No final exam.

FITM 702

Tourism Business Models, Experience Design, and Entrepreneurship

Tourism entrepreneurship and experience-design course focused on business models, visitor value, prototyping, validation, sustainability, and applied venture or experience proposals.

Credits
6 ECTS / 3 American credits
Academic level
Graduate / Master’s level
Duration
14 weeks
Student workload
150 total learner hours: 45 scheduled + 105 independent/applied hours
Delivery mode
Madrid/Murcia-based, blended, or other UCAM-approved delivery mode
Professor
To be confirmed
Office hours/contact
To be confirmed

This course prepares students to design tourism business models, visitor experiences, and entrepreneurial concepts that create economic, social, cultural, and experiential value. Students apply design thinking, customer discovery, service design, prototyping, and validation to tourism products, experience ecosystems, cultural/tourism services, hospitality offerings, and destination-linked ventures.

UCAM connection
Innovation applied to Tourism Business Models; Innovation and Creativity applied to the Generation of Value; Innovation applied to Tourism Processes

AI as a tool

AI is used as an innovation-support tool for ideation, visitor persona critique, concept variation, prototype feedback, assumption testing, and business-model stress testing. Students evaluate bias, feasibility, and evidence before using AI-supported outputs.

Course learning outcomes

  1. Identify tourism opportunities using visitor needs, market evidence, destination assets, stakeholder input, and industry trends.

    • PLO 2
    • PLO 5

  2. Design innovative tourism business models and visitor experiences that create responsible and sustainable value.

    • PLO 2
    • PLO 5

  3. Apply prototyping, validation, and service-design methods to test tourism concepts and reduce implementation uncertainty.

    • PLO 5

  4. Evaluate operational, financial, ethical, cultural, and sustainability implications of tourism business-model decisions.

    • PLO 2
    • PLO 5

  5. Present and defend a tourism venture, product, or experience-design proposal supported by evidence and implementation logic.

    • PLO 6
Full course outline

Rationale

This course turns tourism innovation into a concrete design and venture-development process. It helps students move from ideas to testable tourism products, services, experiences, and business models while considering sustainability, feasibility, visitor value, and local benefit.

Teaching and learning methods

Design-thinking studios, customer-discovery labs, prototype critiques, business-model workshops, AI-supported ideation with safeguards, peer review, and final venture/experience pitch.

Work-integrated learning

WIL is embedded through applied tourism evidence, workplace-style problems, professional briefs, simulations, stakeholder or client-style tasks, and a final applied class project presentation/oral defence. Students connect theory to tourism-sector practice throughout the course.

Primary alignment

PLO 2, PLO 5, PLO 6
ILO 2, ILO 4, ILO 7

Learning resources

  • OpenStax. Entrepreneurship. Rice University.
  • IDEO.org. Design Kit: Human-Centered Design methods.
  • Strategyzer public resources: Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas.
  • Pine, B. J., & Gilmore, J. H. The Experience Economy.
  • Ries, E. The Lean Startup.

Professional expectations

Students must document assumptions, tests, prototype feedback, and AI-supported ideation so that innovation decisions remain evidence-based.

14-week schedule
14-week schedule: FITM 702
WeekCourse focus and learning activitiesAssignment or deliverable
1Graduate orientation to tourism entrepreneurship, experience design, and value creation
  • project selection.
Project scoping worksheet assigned; participation begins.
2Visitor needs, jobs-to-be-done, customer discovery, and tourism opportunity recognition.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
3Experience economy, service design, journey mapping, and evidence-based tourism product design.Applied Brief 1 due.
4Tourism business-model patterns, revenue logic, channels, partnerships, and cost structures.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
5Creative tourism, cultural tourism, wellness, events, gastronomy, nature, and niche experience concepts.Applied Brief 2 due.
6Prototyping, validation, MVP thinking, and low-cost tests in tourism contexts.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
7Independent midterm business-model or experience-design memo
  • no exam.
Independent midterm case/technical memo due.
8AI-supported ideation, visitor persona critique, and business-model stress testing with verification.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
9Financial feasibility, unit economics, pricing, and resource needs for tourism ventures.Applied Brief 3 due.
10Ethics, cultural respect, sustainability, accessibility, and community value in experience design.Project milestone, simulation, or interim presentation due.
11Scaling, partnerships, distribution, operations, and implementation sequencing.Project milestone, simulation, or interim presentation due.
12Pitch development and evidence-based storytelling for tourism ventures/experience concepts.Draft final report/proposal due for feedback.
13Integration and rehearsal: concept, validation, financial logic, implementation, and stakeholder value.Final presentation deck due for formative review.
14Final tourism venture/experience-design project presentation and oral defence
  • no final exam.
Final applied class project report and presentation/oral defence due. No final exam.

FITM 703

Digital Tourism Marketing, Branding, and Customer Analytics

Digital tourism marketing course focused on customer insight, branding, analytics, channels, AI-supported marketing tools, responsible communication, and implementation metrics.

Credits
6 ECTS / 3 American credits
Academic level
Graduate / Master’s level
Duration
14 weeks
Student workload
150 total learner hours: 45 scheduled + 105 independent/applied hours
Delivery mode
Madrid/Murcia-based, blended, or other UCAM-approved delivery mode
Professor
To be confirmed
Office hours/contact
To be confirmed

This course develops students’ ability to design digital tourism marketing strategies grounded in customer insight, destination and brand positioning, analytics, eCommerce, personalization, and responsible communication. Students examine tourism search behavior, social media, online distribution, reputation, customer journeys, and culturally responsive marketing in global tourism markets.

UCAM connection
Knowledge and Management of Customer and Markets; Innovation and Tourism Marketing Management

AI as a tool

AI is used as a tourism-marketing support tool for segmentation hypotheses, ethical content testing, review/theme analysis, campaign diagnostics, and analytics interpretation. Students address privacy, cultural sensitivity, bias, and transparency.

Course learning outcomes

  1. Analyze tourism customer, market, competitor, brand, platform, and channel evidence to identify marketing opportunities.

    • PLO 3
    • PLO 4

  2. Develop segmentation, targeting, positioning, branding, and communication strategies for tourism audiences and destinations.

    • PLO 3

  3. Apply customer analytics and digital-performance indicators responsibly to support tourism marketing decisions.

    • PLO 3
    • PLO 4

  4. Evaluate privacy, cultural, ethical, sustainability, and reputation issues in digital tourism marketing and personalization.

    • PLO 2
    • PLO 3

  5. Produce a professional tourism marketing strategy and presentation supported by evidence and implementation metrics.

    • PLO 3
    • PLO 6
Full course outline

Rationale

This course develops the marketing and customer-insight capability required for contemporary tourism organizations and destinations. It connects tourism branding, digital channels, AI-supported analytics, customer evidence, and responsible communication with professional marketing practice.

Teaching and learning methods

Customer-insight labs, campaign diagnostics, brand audits, analytics interpretation, AI-supported persona/content critique, privacy/ethics cases, and final marketing-strategy presentation.

Work-integrated learning

WIL is embedded through applied tourism evidence, workplace-style problems, professional briefs, simulations, stakeholder or client-style tasks, and a final applied class project presentation/oral defence. Students connect theory to tourism-sector practice throughout the course.

Primary alignment

PLO 3, PLO 4, PLO 6
ILO 3, ILO 4, ILO 6

Learning resources

  • OpenStax. Principles of Marketing. Rice University.
  • Google Skillshop and Google Analytics Academy public learning resources.
  • HubSpot Academy. Digital marketing and content strategy resources.
  • Kotler, P., Bowen, J. T., Makens, J. C., & Baloglu, S. Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism.
  • UN Tourism resources on market intelligence and digital transformation.

Professional expectations

Students must respect privacy, data ethics, cultural sensitivity, accessibility, and truthful claims in all marketing and AI-supported analysis.

14-week schedule
14-week schedule: FITM 703
WeekCourse focus and learning activitiesAssignment or deliverable
1Graduate orientation to digital tourism marketing, customer insight, and brand strategy
  • project selection.
Project scoping worksheet assigned; participation begins.
2Tourism customer evidence, search behavior, visitor journeys, and market research sources.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
3Segmentation, targeting, positioning, and brand meaning for destinations and tourism organizations.Applied Brief 1 due.
4Destination branding, reputation, trust, storytelling, and international brand adaptation.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
5Digital channels, online distribution, OTA/platform logic, eCommerce, and omnichannel visitor experience.Applied Brief 2 due.
6Marketing analytics, KPIs, dashboards, conversion logic, and decision-useful evidence.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
7Independent midterm digital tourism marketing case/technical memo
  • no exam.
Independent midterm case/technical memo due.
8AI-supported persona critique, content testing, campaign diagnostics, and analytics interpretation.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
9Content strategy, social media, influencer logic, search, review platforms, and community engagement.Applied Brief 3 due.
10International tourism marketing, cultural adaptation, language, accessibility, and responsible personalization.Project milestone, simulation, or interim presentation due.
11Privacy, data ethics, consent, cultural bias, sustainability claims, and reputation risk.Project milestone, simulation, or interim presentation due.
12Tourism marketing budget, implementation plan, metrics, and executive communication.Draft final report/proposal due for feedback.
13Integration and rehearsal: evidence, strategy coherence, measurement, and presentation readiness.Final presentation deck due for formative review.
14Final tourism marketing strategy project presentation and oral defence
  • no final exam.
Final applied class project report and presentation/oral defence due. No final exam.

FITM 704

Community-Based Tourism: Development and Innovation – Marketing, Sustainability, and Social Values

Community-based tourism course focused on local benefit, social values, ethical marketing, sustainability, community voice, partnership governance, and responsible AI-supported insight.

Credits
6 ECTS / 3 American credits
Academic level
Graduate / Master’s level
Duration
14 weeks
Student workload
150 total learner hours: 45 scheduled + 105 independent/applied hours
Delivery mode
Madrid/Murcia-based, blended, or other UCAM-approved delivery mode
Professor
To be confirmed
Office hours/contact
To be confirmed

This course develops students’ ability to design, market, and evaluate community-based tourism initiatives that generate sustainable value for visitors, local communities, cultural stakeholders, and tourism organizations. Students examine community participation, social values, cultural respect, place-based innovation, ethical storytelling, responsible marketing, sustainability indicators, partnership governance, and local benefit. AI is used as a support tool for research, market scanning, stakeholder-question design, communication drafting, visitor-persona critique, and impact-measurement planning, always with verification, cultural sensitivity, and human oversight.

UCAM connection
Innovation and Creativity applied to the Generation of Value; Innovation applied to Tourism Processes; Knowledge and Management of Customer and Markets; Innovation and Tourism Marketing Management

AI as a tool

AI is used as a community-based tourism support tool for market scanning, stakeholder-question design, ethical storytelling, visitor communication, social-value framing, and impact-measurement planning. Students must protect community voice, avoid extractive storytelling, verify evidence, and keep human/community judgment central.

Course learning outcomes

  1. Analyze community-based tourism models, stakeholder ecosystems, local assets, cultural contexts, and social-value frameworks using credible evidence.

    • PLO 2
    • PLO 4

  2. Evaluate community needs, visitor markets, partnership structures, sustainability risks, and ethical considerations in community-based tourism development.

    • PLO 1
    • PLO 4

  3. Design an innovative community-based tourism product, service, or experience that integrates marketing, sustainability, local benefit, and social values.

    • PLO 2
    • PLO 3
    • PLO 4
    • PLO 5

  4. Apply AI and digital tools responsibly to support community insight, ethical storytelling, visitor communication, market analysis, and impact-measurement planning.

    • PLO 3
    • PLO 4

  5. Develop and present an implementation plan for a community-based tourism initiative, including governance, marketing, sustainability indicators, partnership roles, and social-value outcomes.

    • PLO 4
    • PLO 6
Full course outline

Rationale

This course gives the program a distinctive social-value and sustainability anchor. It positions community-based tourism as a serious graduate-level field involving local participation, ethical marketing, community voice, cultural respect, innovation, sustainability indicators, and responsible use of AI as a support tool.

Teaching and learning methods

Community-stakeholder mapping, ethical storytelling labs, social-impact indicator workshops, resident/visitor evidence review, AI-supported communication and market scanning with community safeguards, and final CBT project presentation.

Work-integrated learning

WIL is embedded through applied tourism evidence, workplace-style problems, professional briefs, simulations, stakeholder or client-style tasks, and a final applied class project presentation/oral defence. Students connect theory to tourism-sector practice throughout the course.

Primary alignment

PLO 2, PLO 3, PLO 4, PLO 5, PLO 6
ILO 2, ILO 4, ILO 5, ILO 7

Learning resources

  • UN Tourism. Sustainable tourism, community-based tourism, and destination-management resources.
  • Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). GSTC Criteria for Destinations and Industry.
  • OECD. Tourism Trends and Policies. Latest available edition.
  • Goodwin, H. Responsible Tourism: Using Tourism for Sustainable Development.
  • NIST AI Risk Management Framework 1.0 and UNESCO/OECD responsible AI resources for ethical AI-supported marketing and community research.
  • Public destination-management plans, community tourism strategies, resident-sentiment reports, and sustainability-indicator examples.

Professional expectations

Students must protect community voice, avoid extractive storytelling, and treat AI as a support tool rather than a substitute for community engagement, cultural respect, or local judgment.

14-week schedule
14-week schedule: FITM 704
WeekCourse focus and learning activitiesAssignment or deliverable
1Graduate orientation to community-based tourism, social value, sustainability, and place-based innovation
  • project selection.
Project scoping worksheet assigned; participation begins.
2Community assets, cultural heritage, local knowledge, destination identity, and respectful tourism development.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
3Stakeholder mapping, community participation, partnership governance, trust-building, and co-creation.Applied Brief 1 due.
4Social values, local benefit, equity, inclusion, accessibility, cultural respect, and community impact.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
5Ethical marketing, storytelling, visitor segmentation, communication channels, and responsible destination narratives.Applied Brief 2 due.
6Experience design, tourism product innovation, visitor journey mapping, and local enterprise opportunities.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
7Independent midterm community-based tourism development memo
  • no exam.
Independent midterm case/technical memo due.
8AI as a support tool for market scanning, stakeholder-question design, ethical storytelling, visitor-persona critique, and communication drafting with safeguards.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
9Sustainability indicators, social-impact measurement, resident sentiment, environmental limits, and cultural-protection indicators.Applied Brief 3 due.
10Partnership models, pricing, revenue logic, local enterprise development, distribution, and implementation feasibility.Project milestone, simulation, or interim presentation due.
11Risk, overtourism, authenticity, power imbalance, benefit leakage, governance failures, and mitigation strategies.Project milestone, simulation, or interim presentation due.
12Implementation planning, community approval pathways, marketing rollout, operational roles, and evaluation metrics.Draft final report/proposal due for feedback.
13Integration and rehearsal: social value, marketing, sustainability, governance, feasibility, and stakeholder accountability.Final presentation deck due for formative review.
14Final community-based tourism project presentation and oral defence
  • no final exam.
Final applied class project report and presentation/oral defence due. No final exam.

FITM 705

Applied Tourism Consulting Project and Professional Integration

Applied tourism consulting course focused on diagnosis, evidence, recommendations, implementation, professional reporting, and final presentation/oral defence.

Credits
6 ECTS / 3 American credits
Academic level
Graduate / Master’s level
Duration
14 weeks
Student workload
150 total learner hours: 45 scheduled + 105 independent/applied hours
Delivery mode
Madrid/Murcia-based, blended, or other UCAM-approved delivery mode
Professor
To be confirmed
Office hours/contact
To be confirmed

This integrative WIL course prepares students to complete a consulting-style tourism project for a real or simulated organization, destination, tourism product, or market challenge. Students integrate strategy, marketing, innovation, technology, sustainability, and implementation planning into a professional report and final class presentation/oral defence.

UCAM connection
Internship; Theoretical and Practical Seminar; Final Project preparation where approved

AI as a tool

AI is used as a consulting-support tool for project scoping, stakeholder mapping, evidence synthesis, recommendation drafting, implementation planning, and presentation preparation. Students disclose permitted use and remain accountable for evidence and judgment.

Course learning outcomes

  1. Diagnose a tourism, destination, marketing, technology, or experience-design problem using consulting and research methods.

    • PLO 1
    • PLO 6

  2. Synthesize stakeholder, customer, market, operational, and contextual evidence into defensible project findings.

    • PLO 1
    • PLO 3

  3. Develop responsible, feasible, and sustainable tourism recommendations with implementation logic and evaluation metrics.

    • PLO 2
    • PLO 6

  4. Collaborate professionally while managing project scope, evidence, communication, ethics, and implementation risk.

    • PLO 6

  5. Deliver a professional consulting report and final presentation that translate analysis into actionable tourism recommendations.

    • PLO 6
Full course outline

Rationale

This integrative course brings the pathway together through a WIL-style consulting project. Students apply strategy, innovation, marketing, AI-supported analysis, community/stakeholder awareness, and implementation planning to a tourism problem or opportunity.

Teaching and learning methods

Consulting studios, client-style problem framing, evidence planning, stakeholder analysis, implementation workshops, AI-supported synthesis with disclosure, report drafting, and final consulting presentation/oral defence.

Work-integrated learning

WIL is embedded through applied tourism evidence, workplace-style problems, professional briefs, simulations, stakeholder or client-style tasks, and a final applied class project presentation/oral defence. Students connect theory to tourism-sector practice throughout the course.

Primary alignment

PLO 1, PLO 2, PLO 3, PLO 6
ILO 2, ILO 4, ILO 5, ILO 7

Learning resources

  • Block, P. Flawless Consulting.
  • OpenStax. Principles of Management 2e. Chapters on planning, change, and control.
  • UN Tourism. Sustainable tourism and destination-management resources.
  • OECD. Tourism policy and governance reports.
  • Public destination-management plans, tourism strategies, and visitor-economy reports.

Professional expectations

Students must manage project scope, evidence provenance, confidentiality, permitted AI use, and professional accountability in all consulting deliverables.

14-week schedule
14-week schedule: FITM 705
WeekCourse focus and learning activitiesAssignment or deliverable
1Graduate orientation to applied tourism consulting and professional integration
  • client/project scoping.
Project scoping worksheet assigned; participation begins.
2Consulting problem definition, scope control, stakeholder expectations, and project governance.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
3Tourism research design: customer, stakeholder, destination, market, operational, and secondary evidence.Applied Brief 1 due.
4Stakeholder mapping, ethics, community impact, and WIL evidence planning.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
5Data collection, evidence tables, qualitative themes, market evidence, and insight generation.Applied Brief 2 due.
6Diagnosis of tourism strategy, marketing, technology, operations, or experience-design problems.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
7Independent midterm consulting diagnosis memo
  • no exam.
Independent midterm case/technical memo due.
8Recommendation development, feasibility, sustainability, implementation constraints, and risk analysis.Ongoing project research, professional preparation, and WIL evidence collection.
9Client-style communication, professional reporting, and executive-summary writing.Applied Brief 3 due.
10Implementation roadmap, KPIs, responsibilities, timeline, and resource implications.Project milestone, simulation, or interim presentation due.
11Project milestone presentation and consulting feedback cycle.Project milestone, simulation, or interim presentation due.
12Consulting report studio, peer review, and oral-defence preparation.Draft final report/proposal due for feedback.
13Integration and rehearsal: evidence, recommendation logic, implementation, and client Q&A.Final presentation deck due for formative review.
14Final applied tourism consulting report presentation and oral defence
  • no final exam.
Final applied class project report and presentation/oral defence due. No final exam.

The Focus courses: fourteen weeks each, work-integrated, no final examination

  • 14

    weeks per course

    Each course runs 14 weeks: 150 total learner hours, 45 scheduled and 105 independent or applied.

  • WIL

    work-integrated learning

    Applied tourism evidence, workplace-style problems, professional briefs, simulations, stakeholder or client-style tasks.

  • 0

    final examinations

    Each course concludes with a final applied class project, a professional report and a class presentation or oral defence.

  • B−

    minimum passing grade

    B− / 80% is the minimum passing grade and the minimum grade eligible for graduate credit. There is no D grade.

Weight of each component

Where the assessments fall in the 14 weeks

Weight of each component
Assessment componentWeightTimingDescription
Participation, preparation, and professional contribution10%Weeks 1–14Preparation, attendance/engagement, professional conduct, peer contribution, discussion leadership, and responsible disclosure of AI/digital tools when permitted.
Applied tourism analysis labs / short briefs15%Weeks 3, 5, and 9Three brief applied/WIL tasks, normally 5% each, using workplace-style tourism evidence, market data, cases, public sources, or role-based analysis.
Independent midterm case or technical memo20%Week 7Individual professional case analysis or technical memo. This is not an exam; it tests independent analysis, evidence, judgment, and written communication.
Project milestone / presentation / simulation15%Weeks 10–11Interim project proposal, simulation, prototype, analytical model, or progress presentation. Students receive feedback before final submission.
Final applied class project, report, and presentation/oral defence40%Week 14 or official presentation periodSignature WIL-style tourism project. Students submit a professional report and present/defend recommendations to the class in a destination, client, investor, or management-style format. No final examination is used.

The proposed Focus-taught courses use no final examination. Each course concludes with a final applied class project, professional report, and class presentation/oral defence. Exact calendar dates should be inserted once the official semester calendar is confirmed.

Grading profile
GradeRangeGraduate interpretationCredit standing
A93–100%Outstanding graduate work; exceptional command, synthesis, independence, and professional-quality performance.Pass; graduate credit; exceeds standard
A−90–92%Excellent graduate work; strong evidence, analysis, judgment, and communication with only minor limitations.Pass; graduate credit; exceeds standard
B+87–89%Very good graduate work; well-developed performance that meets graduate expectations with strength.Pass; graduate credit; above standard
B83–86%Good graduate work; solid and acceptable graduate-level performance.Pass; graduate credit; meets standard
B−80–82%Minimum acceptable passing graduate performance under the proposed American graduate standard.Minimum passing grade; graduate credit
C+77–79%Below the minimum acceptable graduate standard for this proposal.Not passing; no graduate credit in this proposal
C73–76%Below the minimum acceptable graduate standard for this proposal.Not passing; no graduate credit in this proposal
F0–72%Failing or unacceptable graduate performance.Not passing; no graduate credit

Graduate grading standard. This proposal uses a rigorous American graduate-study grading model. There is no D grade and no D-level passing category in the proposed Focus University Institute graduate scale. B- / 80% is the minimum passing grade and the minimum grade eligible for graduate credit in this proposal. Grades below B- do not meet the proposed passing standard and do not earn graduate credit in this proposal. Students are expected to maintain a B average or stronger across graduate coursework, consistent with common U.S. graduate-school expectations.

Who it is for, places and fees

Places
40
Intake
November
Fee
6,800 € per course
Mode
On campus, Murcia
Language
English
Duration
1 year

Who the program is for

The program welcomes tourism graduates and applicants from diverse academic fields who want to acquire or expand knowledge related to innovation and marketing processes in the tourism sector. Prospective students should demonstrate interest in tourism, marketing innovation, creativity, tourism-product design, communication, distribution, and new technologies applied in tourism.

Careers

It also lists private- and public-sector career possibilities including entrepreneurship, management, innovation, marketing, communication, eCommerce, social media, revenue management, tourism technology, smart-destination planning, consulting, teaching, and research.

The UCAM PDF describes tourism as a sector transformed by new management systems, new products, digital technologies, high-quality expectations, personalized marketing, innovation, and new tourism experiences.

Recruitment and admission

Focus University Institute is expected to support recruitment for the international cohort, subject to UCAM-approved recruitment language and admissions rules.

UCAM provides the official Spanish university context, UCAM master’s framework, Murcia campus experience, and UCAM-controlled academic requirements such as official degree rules, internship rules, final project requirements, and quality assurance.

What graduates are prepared to do

Program learning outcomes

  1. PLO 1

    Tourism Innovation and Strategic Analysis

    Critically analyze tourism environments, destination systems, visitor trends, industry structures, and organizational capabilities to formulate innovation-oriented tourism strategies.

  2. PLO 2

    Sustainable Destination and Experience Design

    Design and evaluate tourism products, services, and destination experiences that balance visitor value, community benefit, cultural respect, environmental responsibility, and implementation feasibility.

  3. PLO 3

    Tourism Marketing, Customer Insight, Responsible AI, and Brand Development

    Analyze customer, market, competitor, brand, channel, digital, and AI-supported evidence to design responsible tourism marketing and communication strategies for diverse global audiences.

  4. PLO 4

    Community-Based Tourism, Sustainability, and Social Value

    Evaluate and design community-based tourism initiatives that integrate local participation, cultural respect, sustainability, ethical marketing, social values, and measurable community benefit.

  5. PLO 5

    Entrepreneurship, Business Models, and Tourism Value Creation

    Design and assess innovative tourism business models, entrepreneurial initiatives, revenue approaches, and organizational processes that create sustainable economic and social value.

  6. PLO 6

    Applied Tourism Consulting, WIL, and Professional Implementation

    Develop, communicate, and defend actionable tourism consulting recommendations and implementation plans through WIL-style projects, professional reports, and presentations.

Focus University Institute institutional learning outcomes

The Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) below are the established institution-wide outcomes for Focus University Institute. They are not program-specific. Each program translates these shared institutional outcomes into program learning outcomes, course learning outcomes, learning experiences, and assessments appropriate to the field and credential level. The Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) that follow remain specific to the proposed Innovation and Tourism Marketing pathway.

  1. ILO 1

    Integrated Knowledge and Critical Judgment. Integrate relevant disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge to analyze information, question assumptions, evaluate alternatives, and reach well-supported conclusions.

  2. ILO 2

    Applied Problem-Solving and Innovation. Develop and implement practical, creative, and evidence-informed responses to complex real-world problems.

  3. ILO 3

    Research, Data, and Responsible Digital Capability. Locate, evaluate, analyze, and ethically use research, data, digital tools, and artificial intelligence to support learning, decision-making, and professional practice.

  4. ILO 4

    Communication and Collaboration. Communicate ideas clearly and persuasively in written, oral, visual, and digital forms and collaborate effectively with diverse teams and stakeholders.

  5. ILO 5

    Ethical Leadership and Professional Responsibility. Exercise integrity, sound judgment, accountability, initiative, and leadership in complex academic, professional, and organizational contexts.

  6. ILO 6

    Global and Intercultural Competence. Analyze issues across international and cultural contexts, engage respectfully across differences, and adapt decisions and actions to diverse stakeholders and environments.

  7. ILO 7

    Sustainability and Long-Term Value. Evaluate the economic, environmental, and social consequences of decisions and develop strategies that support resilience, long-term performance, and sustainable development.

Nine values behind the program

  • Innovation with Purpose

    Graduates use creativity, technology, and entrepreneurial thinking to solve real tourism problems and improve visitor, organizational, community, and destination outcomes.

  • Evidence-Informed Tourism Management

    Graduates interpret market, customer, financial, operational, and destination evidence to support defensible tourism decisions.

  • Ethical and Responsible Tourism Leadership

    Graduates evaluate tourism decisions through ethical, legal, cultural, social, environmental, and community-impact lenses.

  • Sustainable Destination Value

    Graduates create tourism strategies that balance competitiveness, visitor experience, local benefit, cultural respect, environmental responsibility, and long-term resilience.

  • Human-Centered Experience Design

    Graduates design tourism products, services, and experiences that respond to real visitor needs while respecting host communities and stakeholders.

  • Responsible AI and Digital Tourism Agility

    Graduates use digital platforms, AI-as-a-tool, data analytics, eCommerce, revenue technologies, and tourism technologies with critical judgment, transparency, and human oversight.

  • Global and Intercultural Competence

    Graduates work across cultures, languages, tourism systems, and institutional contexts with humility, professionalism, and contextual awareness.

  • Applied Professional Practice

    Graduates translate analysis into professional deliverables, project plans, presentations, and implementation recommendations through WIL / aprendizaje integrado en el trabajo.

  • Reflective Lifelong Learning

    Graduates cultivate curiosity, self-assessment, professional growth, and the capacity to revise assumptions in light of evidence and experience.

UCAM in Murcia, Focus University Institute in Madrid

UCAM, Catholic University of Murcia

  • Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), also presented internationally as UCAM Catholic University of Murcia, identifies itself as a private Catholic university founded in 1996.
  • UCAM’s main Murcia campus is associated with the historic Monastery of Los Jerónimos. UCAM’s public campus page states that the monastery has been ceded since 1996 to the San Antonio University Foundation for the location, governance, and management of the Catholic University.
  • UCAM’s international materials emphasize internationalization, student mobility, exchange and internship opportunities, and support for international experience.
  • The UCAM Master’s Degree in Innovation and Tourism Marketing is positioned in the context of Spain’s status as a global tourism power and emphasizes innovation, technology, marketing, new tourism experiences, customer knowledge, and the professionalization of tourism organizations.

Focus University Institute

  • Focus College provides the Canadian institutional foundation for the proposed Focus University Institute expansion in Europe. Official Focus College materials state that Focus College opened in 1992 and identify campuses in Surrey, Abbotsford, and Kelowna, British Columbia.
  • Focus College describes an applied, career-focused educational model with program areas in Business & Management, IT & Computing, Hospitality & Tourism, Health & Social Services, Law & Community Safety, and Language & Communications.
  • Focus College states that it is designated by British Columbia’s Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit (PTIRU) under the Private Training Act and holds Education Quality Assurance (EQA) designation.
  • Focus University Institute is presented as Focus College Canada’s Madrid-based expansion in Spain, carrying forward Focus College’s applied, career-oriented educational tradition into a European graduate-program context.

How the pathway works

  • Focus University Institute staff capacity should support student recruitment, advising, orientation, coordination, student communication, applied project support, and quality documentation.
  • The model is not intended to create perfect one-to-one alignment with UCAM modules; it preserves UCAM’s official program identity while creating a coherent Focus contribution for UCAM review and approval.

Academic developer

Luis Fernando (Lou) Villalba

PhD, EdD, D.Lit.

Luis Fernando (Lou) Villalba, PhD, EdD, D.Lit., is the academic developer for the proposed UCAM–Focus University Institute pathway. He is a permanent professor at Capilano University. He previously served as Associate Dean of Business at Kwantlen Polytechnic University from 2016 to 2019, as well as a professor in the Graduate Department – School of Business from 2020 to 2025. He brings more than 20 years of academic experience in international business, economics, Latin American studies, and economic development.

Dr. Villalba’s academic formation includes a B.Sc. from the University of Maryland, College Park; an M.A. in Latin American Studies and Economics from the University of Kansas; an M.A.T. in Social Science Education from Piedmont University; an M.D.L. in Development and Leadership; a PhD in Business and Economics from the University of Kansas with applied research at UNIDA-Paraguay; and a doctoral degree in Education Science.

In 2025, Dr. Villalba concluded the International Post-Doctoral Programme in “New Technologies, Law and Social Sciences,” promoted by the Mediterranea International Centre for Human Rights Research (MICHR), headquartered at the “Mediterranea” University in Reggio Calabria, Italy, in cooperation with several university entities and research centres. The programme ran from September 1, 2024 to September 1, 2025, with the certificate issued in Reggio Calabria on September 17, 2025.

Dr. Villalba has taught and developed academic work across North America, Europe, and Latin America. His recent research and development activity spans Paraguay, Argentina, China, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, the United States, and Canada. In May 2025, he served in the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs National Speaker Series, with more than 18 engagements in Asunción, Paraguay in coordination with government ministries, universities, and the American and Canadian Embassies.

Dr. Villalba also serves as Honorary Consul of Paraguay to British Columbia, Canada, and participates in the Diplomatic Corps of British Columbia and the Latin American Diplomatic Corps of British Columbia. His previous public-sector and international-development experience includes service as Chief Monetary Officer of the Central Bank of Paraguay and representation of Paraguay at the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility in Washington, D.C. In 2019, he was recognized as one of the Ten Most Influential Hispanic Canadians.

This background supports the proposed tourism and innovation pathway’s emphasis on global perspective, applied learning, ethical leadership, international business, public/private development, and globally relevant graduate curriculum development.