Tourism and Culture

Overview

As the statistics of tourism in Malta show, the number of visitors to cultural venues is on the rise and this is not a phenomenon peculiar to Malta. This segment of tourism needs professionals who know how to present and offer cultural products in the best way so as to offer a better service to more and more tourists and thus help to strengthen the industry in this segment.

These professionals need to know the subject matter well and master its application so as to present a strong product to the interested tourist and be in a position to attract those who may as yet not be appreciative enough of the cultural products on offer. The areas of culture which the students will gain a deep knowledge and understand of include the built and rural heritage, cities of culture, artistic manifestations, traditions, legislation, Mediterranean culture, religious heritage, and cultural tourism.

Aims

The Tourism and Culture programme at the University of Malta  aims to:

• provide a unique opportunity for the participants to explore the richness of the Mediterranean region, its peoples, heritage and culture from a multi-perspective approach;
• create a solid academic set-up for those students wishing to deepen their understanding about the evolution of the Mediterranean mind-set, life, and structures;
• encourage students to build on their established interest in the Mediterranean by developing their sensitivity to different aspects of the cultural and heritage diversity of the region and beyond, and of their relevance of cultural and heritage issues to identity formation;
• provide students with personal and key skills enabling them to develop as independent and reflective individuals so that they may later contribute towards the continuous improvement of heritage and cultural activities of the region and beyond;
• create the awareness that both heritage and culture are a segment of the tourism industry and the knowledge of how to integrate cultural aspects within the tourism product;
• equip students with the right skills (including extrapolation, evaluation, empathy, interpretation, sense of direction, organisation, planning, coordinating, etc.) that a modern, efficient tourism industry requires – people who know how to take the right and strategic action as required.