Study Guide

Objective

The student understands various theoretical approaches to the innovation of high-end destination experiences in tourism. He/she applies the Design Thinking method in co-designing staged and choreographed high-end experiences in tourism by utilising versatile design tools. The student takes the significant elements like sustainability, authenticity and storytelling as well as digitalisation into account in the Design Thinking process. He/she learns special features of sustainable pricing of high-end tourism experiences.

Content

• Versatile theoretical and practical approaches to high-end tourism (“luxury tourism”) with case studies
• Design Thinking process
• Designing staged/choreographed/acted high-end experiences in theory and practice
• Sustainability in high-end tourism
• Storytelling, storification and storyscaping in high-end tourism
• Authenticity in high-end tourism
• Digitalization of high-end tourism
• Design tools e.g.
o Design Brief
o Empathised customer personas
o Creative innovation techniques for idea generation
o Design Criteria
o Experience Canvas
o Experiential Journey
o Prototyping and Napkin Pitch
• Mapping sustainable prices for high-end tourism experience products

Location and time

Late Feb/March-April 2025. The Practical Journey: The intensive week in Rovaniemi (21-28.4.2025) and in Kempten UAS, Germany during 21-28.4.2025 + travelling days.

Materials

Brown, T. (2008). Design Thinking. Harvard Business Review. Fesenmaier, D. R. & Xiang, Z.: Design Science in Tourism. Foundations of Destination Management, Springer

Gardiner, S., & Scott, N. (2018). Destination Innovation Matrix: A framework for new tourism experience and market development. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management 10, p. 122–131.

Jernsand, E., Kraff, H. & Mossberg, L. (2015) Tourism Experience Innovation Through Design. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism. Vol. 15, Supplement 1, 98–119

Magadán, M., & Rivas, J. (2018). Innovation, Creativity and Tourism. The Emerald Handbook of Entrepreneurship in Tourism, Travel and Hospitality, 71–88. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78743-529-220181030

Plattner, H, Meinel, C. & Leifer, L. (Eds.) (2016). Design Thinking Research. Taking Breakthrough Innovation Home. Springer

Teaching methods

The study unit is divided in three parts and implemented in cooperation with Kempten and Breda UAS.
1. Theoretical Journey: March till April 2025 incl. reading,online lectures and assignments e.g. online Moodle eExams/quizzes
2. Practical Journey: international intensive study week 5-6 days (excluding the travelling days) in Kempten UAS or Rovaniemi UAS. Design Thinking process with multiple methods, versatile assignments, workshops, groupwork based on a local case study from the working life.
3. Reflective Journey: Final reporting and self- and peer reflectiondeadline after the intensive study week.

Employer connections

Cooperation with Kempten and Breda UAS, multicultural cooperation and intensive study week together. Local case study from the working life.

Exam schedules

To be informed later.

International connections

Cooperation with Kempten and Breda UAS, multicultural cooperation and intensive study week together. Local case study from the working life.

Completion alternatives

In Rovaniemi or in Kempten UAS (the intensive study week in April 2025) other alternatives to be informed later.

Content scheduling

The study unit is divided in three parts and implemented in cooperation with Kempten and Breda UAS.
1. Theoretical Journey: March till April 2025 incl. reading and assignments e.g. online Moodle eExams/tests
2. Practical Journey: international intensive study week 5-6 days (excluding the travelling days) in Kempten UAS or Rovaniemi UAS. Exact dates informed later but as soon as possible. (see: place and time section)
3. Reflective Journey, deadline after the intensive study week

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

These are the general assessment criteria. Please note that there might be more specific assessment criteria for learning assignments which will be given at the beginning of the study unit.

Fail (0)
The student does not complete the assignments according to the instructions or does not attend the learning situations enough or at all. He/she does not pass the assignments, tests and/or the exam as required.

Poor (1)
The student understands only some approaches to high-end experiences in tourism. He/she knows only vaguely the meaning of the Design Thinking method in co-designing high-end experiences in tourism and knows only few design tools. The student understands only partly the meaning of elements like sustainability, authenticity and storytelling as well as digitalisation in the Design Thinking process. He/she knows only superficially some features of sustainable pricing of high-end tourism experiences. The assignments are completed but not always performed according to the instructions and deadlines.

Satisfactory (2)
The student understands some theoretical approaches to high-end experiences in tourism. He/she knows the meaning of the Design Thinking method in co-designing high-end experiences in tourism and knows some design tools. The student understands somehow the significance of the elements like sustainability, authenticity and storytelling as well as digitalisation in the Design Thinking process. He/she knows some special features of sustainable pricing of high-end tourism experiences. The assignments are completed but not always performed according to the instructions and deadlines.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good (3)
The student understands many theoretical approaches to high-end experiences in tourism. He/she is able to well apply the Design Thinking method in co-designing staged and choreographed high-end experiences in tourism by utilising versatile design tools. The student understands well the significance of the elements like sustainability, authenticity and storytelling as well as digitalisation in the Design Thinking process and takes them into account in the design process. He/she knows well the special features of sustainable pricing of high-end tourism experiences. Most of the assignments are performed according to the instructions and deadlines.

Very good (4)
The student understands very well various theoretical approaches to high-end experiences in tourism. He/she is able to very well apply the Design Thinking method in co-designing staged and choreographed high-end experiences in tourism by utilising versatile design tools. The student understands very well the significance of the elements like sustainability, authenticity and storytelling as well as digitalisation in the Design Thinking process and is able to take them very well into account in the design process. He/she knows very well the special features of sustainable pricing of high-end tourism experiences. All the assignments are performed according to the instructions and deadlines.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Excellent (5)
The student understands various theoretical approaches to high-end experiences in tourism at an excellent level. He/she is able to fully apply the Design Thinking method in co-designing staged and choreographed high-end experiences in tourism by utilising versatile design tools. The student understands very well the significance of the elements like sustainability, authenticity and storytelling as well as digitalisation in the Design Thinking process and is able to take them into account in the design process in a mature way. He/she knows particularly well the special features of sustainable pricing of high-end tourism experiences. All the assignments are performed according to the instructions and deadlines.

Assessment criteria, fail (0)

Fail (0)
The student does not complete the assignments according to the instructions or does not attend the learning situations enough or at all. He/she does not pass the assignments, tests and/or the exam as required.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

Poor (1)
The student understands only some approaches to high-end experiences in tourism. He/she knows only vaguely the meaning of the Design Thinking method in co-designing high-end experiences in tourism and knows only few design tools. The student understands only partly the meaning of elements like sustainability, authenticity and storytelling as well as digitalisation in the Design Thinking process. He/she knows only superficially some features of sustainable pricing of high-end tourism experiences. The assignments are completed but not always performed according to the instructions and deadlines.

Satisfactory (2)
The student understands some theoretical approaches to high-end experiences in tourism. He/she knows the meaning of the Design Thinking method in co-designing high-end experiences in tourism and knows some design tools. The student understands somehow the significance of the elements like sustainability, authenticity and storytelling as well as digitalisation in the Design Thinking process. He/she knows some special features of sustainable pricing of high-end tourism experiences. The assignments are completed but not always performed according to the instructions and deadlines.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

Good (3)
The student understands many theoretical approaches to high-end experiences in tourism. He/she is able to well apply the Design Thinking method in co-designing staged and choreographed high-end experiences in tourism by utilising versatile design tools. The student understands well the significance of the elements like sustainability, authenticity and storytelling as well as digitalisation in the Design Thinking process and takes them into account in the design process. He/she knows well the special features of sustainable pricing of high-end tourism experiences. Most of the assignments are performed according to the instructions and deadlines.

Very good (4)
The student understands very well various theoretical approaches to high-end experiences in tourism. He/she is able to very well apply the Design Thinking method in co-designing staged and choreographed high-end experiences in tourism by utilising versatile design tools. The student understands very well the significance of the elements like sustainability, authenticity and storytelling as well as digitalisation in the Design Thinking process and is able to take them very well into account in the design process. He/she knows very well the special features of sustainable pricing of high-end tourism experiences. All the assignments are performed according to the instructions and deadlines.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student understands various theoretical approaches to high-end experiences in tourism at an excellent level. He/she is able to fully apply the Design Thinking method in co-designing staged and choreographed high-end experiences in tourism by utilising versatile design tools. The student understands very well the significance of the elements like sustainability, authenticity and storytelling as well as digitalisation in the Design Thinking process and is able to take them into account in the design process in a mature way. He/she knows particularly well the special features of sustainable pricing of high-end tourism experiences. All the assignments are performed according to the instructions and deadlines.