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CourseCivil, Rail & Smart Cities Applications open

Sustainable Tourism Course in Heritage Cities

Online course of 300 hours in sustainable tourism in heritage cities, structured in 6 modules covering tourism in heritage cities, measuring tourism pressure, visitor flow management, tourism, housing and community, and destination planning and certification, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration3 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute certificate
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Analyse the impacts of tourism on heritage cities.

02

Measure tourism pressure with indicators and data.

03

Design visitor flow management strategies.

04

Assess the relationship between tourism, housing and the local community.

05

Apply destination certification and planning systems.

06

Propose sustainable tourism governance models.

07

Prepare a sustainable tourism plan for a heritage city.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Sustainable tourism technicians.
  • Heritage destination managers.
  • Tourism planning consultants.
  • Tourism data analysts.
  • Cultural heritage technicians.
  • Tourism observatory leads.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to join tourism administrations.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention
  • GSTC Destination Criteria (Global Sustainable Tourism Council)
  • UNE 178501 (management system for smart tourism destinations)
  • Ley 16/1985 (Spanish Historical Heritage Act)
  • Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 (data on short-term accommodation rentals)
  • ISO 21401 (sustainability management systems for accommodation establishments)
  • Real Decreto 1312/2024 (Spanish Single Rental Register)
  • QGIS
  • Power BI
  • Python (pandas)
  • KoboToolbox
  • Tableau
Syllabus

6 modules

  1. 1.1Evolution of urban and cultural tourism
  2. 1.2World Heritage Cities and tourism demand
  3. 1.3Overtourism and carrying capacity
  4. 1.4Touristification of housing
  5. 1.5Economic, social and environmental impacts
  6. 1.6Tourism and authenticity of place
  7. 1.7Smart tourism destinations
  8. 1.8The experiences of Venice, Dubrovnik and Amsterdam
  9. 1.9The 2030 Agenda and sustainable tourism
  10. 1.10Case study: tourism assessment of a heritage city
  1. 2.1European Tourism Indicator System (ETIS) indicators
  2. 2.2Physical, real and effective carrying capacity
  3. 2.3Visitor flows from mobile phone data
  4. 2.4Counts and sensors at hotspots
  5. 2.5Overnight stays and tourist rentals
  6. 2.6Resident perception surveys
  7. 2.7Carbon footprint of tourism
  8. 2.8Pressure on urban services
  9. 2.9Destination tourism observatories
  10. 2.10Practical exercise: calculating the carrying capacity of a monument
  1. 3.1Booking systems and capacity limits
  2. 3.2Alternative routes and decongestion
  3. 3.3Strategies to reduce seasonality
  4. 3.4Tourist taxes and eco-taxes
  5. 3.5Management of cruise passengers and day-trippers
  6. 3.6Sustainable tourist mobility
  7. 3.7Heritage signage and interpretation
  8. 3.8Crowd management technologies
  9. 3.9Responsible destination communication
  10. 3.10Workshop: visitor flow management plan for a historic quarter
  1. 4.1Regulation of tourist rentals
  2. 4.2Zoning of tourism activities
  3. 4.3Traditional retail versus tourist-oriented retail
  4. 4.4Resident participation
  5. 4.5Community-based tourism and local benefits
  6. 4.6Quality tourism employment
  7. 4.7Coexistence and noise
  8. 4.8Tourism gentrification and displacement
  9. 4.9Agreements with digital platforms
  10. 4.10Case study: analysis of tourist accommodation regulation
  1. 5.1Destination tourism sustainability plans
  2. 5.2European funds for sustainable tourism
  3. 5.3Biosphere certification and GSTC criteria
  4. 5.4The UNE 178501 standard for smart destinations
  5. 5.5UNESCO management plans and tourism
  6. 5.6Periodic monitoring of ETIS indicators
  7. 5.7Public-private destination governance
  8. 5.8Crisis management in destinations
  9. 5.9Evaluation of tourism plans
  10. 5.10Practical exercise: tourism sustainability indicator dashboard
  1. 6.1Destination and heritage values
  2. 6.2Tourism pressure assessment
  3. 6.3Sustainability objectives
  4. 6.4Visitor flow management measures
  5. 6.5Housing and community measures
  6. 6.6Plan governance
  7. 6.7Monitoring indicators
  8. 6.8Plan financing strategy
  9. 6.9Report and presentation
  10. 6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

A 100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it can be combined with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original regulations and applied exercises. The working software is QGIS, Power BI, Python (pandas), KoboToolbox and Tableau, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for carrying capacity calculations, visitor flow analysis and resident and visitor surveys. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.

Standards covered: the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention, GSTC Destination Criteria, UNE 178501, Ley 16/1985, Regulation (EU) 2024/1028, ISO 21401 and Real Decreto 1312/2024.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the GSTC Destination Criteria and UNE 178501 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:QGIS, Power BI, Python (pandas), KoboToolbox and Tableau, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Final project:a sustainable tourism plan for a heritage city, with a tourism pressure assessment, flow and housing measures, governance and monitoring indicators, reviewed by your tutor.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Assess the destination
Carry out a tourism assessment of a heritage city.
Calculate carrying capacity
Calculate the physical, real and effective carrying capacity of a monument.
Plan visitor flows
Draw up a visitor flow management plan for a historic quarter.
Build an indicator dashboard
Create a tourism sustainability dashboard based on ETIS indicators.
Final project
Deliver a sustainable heritage tourism plan with governance, financing and monitoring, reviewed by your tutor.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Sustainable tourism technicianHeritage destination managerTourism planning consultantTourism data analystCultural heritage technicianTourism observatory lead
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • No prior qualification is required.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with QGIS, Power BI, Python (pandas), KoboToolbox and Tableau, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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