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2026/2027  BA-BSEMO2592U  The Economics of Culture and Tourism

English Title
The Economics of Culture and Tourism

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Quarter
Start time of the course Second Quarter
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for Service and Markets
Programme Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Service Management
Course coordinator
  • Trine Bille - Department of Business Humanities and Law (BHL)
Main academic disciplines
  • Experience economy
  • Economics
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 23-06-2026

Relevant links
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, the student should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors:
  • Explain central economic concepts, theories, and models relevant to culture and tourism, including market failures, public goods, externalities, cultural value, tourism demand, and destination development.
  • Describe how culture and tourism interact in creating economic, social, and cultural value at local, regional, and national levels.
  • Apply economic concepts and analytical frameworks to examine contemporary issues in culture and tourism, such as heritage preservation, cultural tourism, event development, and overtourism.
  • Use basic economic methods, including economic impact analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and valuation approaches, to assess cultural and tourism-related projects and policies
  • Analyze the economic consequences of cultural and tourism activities for different stakeholders, including visitors, residents, businesses, and public authorities.
  • Compare and differentiate alternative economic perspectives and policy approaches to managing cultural and tourism resources.
  • Evaluate the strengths and limitations of economic theories and methods when applied to real-world challenges in culture and tourism.
  • Assess the effectiveness and sustainability of policies and interventions aimed at supporting cultural development, tourism development, and cultural tourism.
Examination
The Economics of Culture and Tourism:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Oral exam
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Duration 20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Preparation time No preparation
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and external examiner
Exam period Winter
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

This course introduces students to the economic analysis of culture and tourism as interconnected sectors that contribute to economic development, social welfare, and place-making. Cultural assets such as museums, heritage sites, festivals, performing arts, and creative industries are increasingly important drivers of tourism demand, while tourism provides opportunities for cultural production, preservation, and dissemination. At the same time, both sectors face challenges related to public funding, sustainability, market failures, and the management of shared cultural and environmental resources.

Drawing on theories and methods from microeconomics, welfare economics, public economics, and tourism economics, the course examines how cultural and tourism activities create value for individuals, communities, and destinations. Students will explore why markets for culture and tourism often differ from conventional markets, how economic impacts can be measured, and how public policies seek to balance economic, social, cultural, and environmental objectives.

The course introduces key concepts such as public goods, externalities, common resources, cultural value, tourism demand, destination competitiveness, and sustainable development. Students will learn how economic methods, including economic impact analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and valuation techniques, can be applied to assess cultural and tourism projects and policies. Through contemporary examples and case studies, students will analyze issues such as cultural tourism, heritage preservation, festival and event impacts, overtourism, and the role of culture and tourism in local and regional development.

The course provides students with a foundation for understanding how economic reasoning can be applied to cultural and tourism-related challenges and how economic analysis can support decision-making in both the public and private sectors.
Research-based teaching
CBS’ programmes and teaching are research-based. The following types of research-based knowledge and research-like activities are included in this course:
Research-based knowledge
  • Classic and basic theory
  • New theory
  • Teacher’s own research
Research-like activities
  • Analysis
  • Discussion, critical reflection, modelling
Description of the teaching methods
The teaching is based on lectures giving overview of the theory, guest lecturers from the industries, student presentations and discussion of selected cases. It is expected that students prepare before classes by reading relevant articles and chapters as suggested in the reading schedule on Canvas.
Feedback during the teaching period
Feedback will be given on oral presentations by students and peer to peer student feedback on working with and presentation of cases.
Student workload
Classes 38 hours
Preparation fo class 98 hours
Exam 70 hours
Expected literature

 

Ruth Towse (2019): A Textbook of Cultural Economics, Cambridge University Press.

 

Norbert Vanhove (2011): The Economics of Tourist Destinations, Elsevier.
Last updated on 23-06-2026