Product Development (3 cr)

Objective

Students will be able to identify the role of product development for sustainable and profitable services. The goal of the course is to compose an activity tourism or sport service product plan taking all necessary processes into consideration. Students combine study skills from different disciplines in order to create a new product idea.

Content

Trends in activity/sport tourism
The tourism/sport product
Activity/sport tourism markets
Marketing aspects (customer analysis, price, package, channels, promotion, etc.)
Managing space and time (seasonality)
The product development process

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Students are able to define the different elements of the tourism/sport product. They can name trends in activity/sport tourism and related spheres and can report on current activity/sport tourism markets (Finland and abroad). Students will review general marketing aspects related with tourism/sport services as well as specific features of tourism services like e.g. managing seasonality. Students can list steps in the product development process. Students will be able to identify the role of product development for sustainable and profitable tourism companies. Students compose an activity tourism/sport service product plan taking all necessary processes and theoretical approaches into consideration. Students combine
study skills from different disciplines in order to create a new product idea which will be presented to a board of experts. Students reflect on their own learning experience.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Students are able to define the different elements of the tourism/sport product. They can recognise trends in activity/sport tourism and related spheres and can report on current activity/sport tourism markets (Finland and abroad). Students will critically review general marketing aspects related with tourism/sport services as well as specific features of tourism services like e.g. managing seasonality. Students can list steps in the product development process. Students will be able to identify the role of product development for sustainable and profitable tourism companies. Students actively and critically compose an activity tourism/sport service product plan taking all necessary processes and theoretical approaches into consideration. Students self-organised combine study skills from different disciplines in order to create a new product idea which will be presented to a board of experts. Students reflect critically on their own learning experience and process.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Students are able to define the different elements of the tourism/sport product. They can recognise trends in activity/sport tourism and related spheres and can report on current activity/sport tourism markets (Finland and abroad). Students will critically review general marketing aspects related with tourism/sport services as well as specific features of tourism services like e.g. managing seasonality. Students can list steps in the product development process. Students will be able to identify the role of product
development for sustainable and profitable tourism companies. Students actively and critically compose an activity tourism/sport service product plan taking all necessary processes and theoretical approaches into consideration. They are strong group leaders and contribute constantly with appropriate input to the development work. Students self-organised combine study skills from different disciplines in order to create a new product idea which will be presented to a board of experts. Students reflect critically on their own learning experience and process.