Specialise in the management and design of Gastronomy Tourism experiences and acquire the skills to embark on your career in a sector increasingly brimming with professional opportunities thanks to the growing interest in gastronomy in the tourist industry.
Did you know that many tourist authorities around the world are working to promote gastronomy tourism, and make it a global sector?
The Master’s in the Management and Design of Gastronomy Tourism Experiences is the most comprehensive programme to specialise and embark on a career in the gastronomy tourism sector with a strategic approach in keeping with the reality of the sector, and the most innovative trends.
Goals of the syllabus
Designing, positioning and promoting creative, innovative, competitive Gastronomy Tourism experiences and products.
Understanding the functioning of Gastronomy Tourism Destinations.
Devising and implementing Gastronomy Tourism marketing/tourism plans.
Addressing relationships with markets to capture and generate successful long-lasting relations with gastronomy tourists.
Developing sensory skills to understand and distinguish sampling and tasting processes.
PROFESSIONAL OUTLETS
Gastronomy/tourism advisory/consultancy work
Gastronomy guide
Wineries and other agrofood industries with a tourism department
Travel agencies specialising in gastronomy tourism
Experience manager in hotels or hotel chains
Gastronomy communication agencies
Gastronomy tourism training and research
Gastronomy markets
Regional governments or Public Tourism Companies
Viticulture tourism
Public-private Gastronomy Tourism development organisations
Museums, gastronomic spaces and centres
Catering with a tourism slant (pop-up restaurants etc.)
Sustainability and R+D
BEGINNING NOVEMBER 2023
• 60 ECTS
• Starting in November 2023
• Semi-in situ format
• 20 places available
• Mondragon Unibertsitatea’s own qualification, taught by the Basque Culinary Center’s Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences
Queries and further information: cursos@bculinary.com
10+1 Reasons
WHY THIS MASTER'S DEGREE IS THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOU
This Master's Degree is supported by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Basque Culinary Center, both of which are global benchmarks in tourism and gastronomy.
This degree will give you a holistic view of culinary tourism at a national and international level.
You'll learn from keynote professors, specialising in the sector and you'll have personalised tutoring.
You'll take part in a program designed to gain practical experience: tasting seminars, learning visits, and end of master's project and work experience in companies.
You'll master methods and advanced techniques in the management and promotion of culinary tourism destinations and companies..
You'll be able to hold management positions in the public or private sphere, acquiring the competencies necessary to develop planning and management strategies.
Practical cases by leading working professionals, allowing you to share experiences, in an open, dynamic and close format.
You'll discover the keys to the preparation of strategic plans and business plans alike and their operational implementation in culinary destinations and enterprises.
A Master's Degree that is also directed at research and innovation related to this tourist product.
You'll make educational visits to areas with considerable experience. In past editions, we have visited destinations such as: Rioja, Álava, Cataluña, San Sebastian and surrounding areas.
You'll take a qualitative step forward in your professional career, to become a highly qualified expert in culinary tourism, to stand out in today's market.
Programa
TARGETS
Recent graduates in Tourism, Business Administration and Management, Marketing, Communication, Advertising, Public Relations etc.
Professional tourist operators wishing to specialise in gastronomy tourism.
Tourist destination managers and technical officers wishing to boost gastronomy tourism in their territories.
Professionals operating in Business Administration and Management, Marketing, Communication, Advertising and Public Relations wishing to specialise in gastronomy tourism.
Professionals seeking to set up businesses in the gastronomy tourism sector.
Some lectures on the master’s course may be taught in English, and so we will appraise Common European Framework level B2 (intermediate-advanced level) most positively.
Can’t see your profile above, but still interested in the Master’s? Don’t hesitate to enrol – we’ll assess your qualifications and experience, and contact you.
LECTURING SYLLABUS
Module 0: Sustainability and the circular economy
The world after the pandemic: a new society
Climate emergency and sustainability
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
The circular economy
Regeneration
Introduction to sustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism strategy
Module 1: Introduction to Gastronomy Tourism
Global scenario of the tourist sector
The gastronomy-tourism binomial
Gastronomy tourism: conceptualisation, developments and trends
Gastronomy tourism’s value chain at a tourist destination
Case study of gastronomy tourism destinations and businesses
Module 2: Strategic planning of gastronomy tourism
Strategic planning: concept and need
Tools for diagnosis and planning
Design of business models, products, services and customer experiences
The management function
Strategic planning vs. strategic marketing
Module 3: Gaining an insight into the gastronomy tourist
Basic concepts of demand and tourist segmentation
Profiles of gastronomy tourists. Reference surveys on gastronomy tourism demand profiles
The gastronomy tourist’s user experience
Methods and tools to gain an insight into the gastronomy tourist.
Culture of service, in the pursuit of excellence
Module 4: Design of gastronomy tourism products and experiences
Tourist experience concept.
Components of a tourist experience.
Gastronomy tourism experience typologies.
Differentiation-specialisation as a strategy.
Design of gastronomy tourism experiences, step by step.
Case studies of noteworthy gastronomy tourism experiences.
Module 5: Gastronomy tourism marketing and branding
Basics of tourism marketing
Branding: Gastronomy as a positioning and brand argument
Strategies for 360º communication and promotion of gastronomy tourism: online and offline
Marketing strategies
Customer loyalty strategies
Module 6: Gastronomic culture
Food, culture and identity
History and new trends in gastronomy
Global and local food system
Basic principles of sensory analysis
Module 7: Management of enogastronomic tourist destinations
Tourist system of a gastronomy destination, tourism intelligence, planning and management
Institutional development models and tourism policies to boost enogastronomic tourism
Smart Tourist Destinations
Tools and techniques to create and manage gastronomy destinations
Gastronomic events and events to streamline gastronomy destinations
Analyses and case studies of gastronomy destinations in Spain
Analyses and case studies of international gastronomy destinations
Module 8: Creation and management of gastronomy tourism businesses
Management of tourism companies
Gastronomy tourism as a business option for foodstuff industries and businesses
Financial management
Gastronomy tourism as a business option for the services sector
Communication in gastronomy tourism
Online reputation
Module 9: Final Master’s Project
Creation of a gastronomy tourism development and marketing plan at a certain destination from the perspective of organisation of tourism management at the destination, or a tourism development and marketing plan for a gastronomy tourism business. There is also a possibility of a research itinerary, which could focus on topics in connection with the relationships between the world of food, gastronomy and tourism, from the academic-research perspective.
The project will be presented either in situ or in a virtual format in September 2024.
Module 10: Curricular internship
Collaboration agreements with over 700 companies and institutions working in the catering sector and tourism, among which the World Tourism Organisation, for you to carry out an internship with the institution.
Calendar
Duration: November 2023 - September 2024
Online Period: November 7, 2023 - March 8, 2024
Schedule: Live classes on Thursdays at 7:00 PM (CET)
Class Duration: Approximately one to one and a half hours
In-Person Period: March 11 - May 31, 2024
Schedule: Monday to Thursday from 3:15 PM to 8:15 PM
Internship Period: June - September 2024
Presentation of Master's Final Project: September 2024
You can refer to the 2022/2023 edition calendar here.
*Some of the learning journeys, gastronomic activities, or sessions with guests may occur in the morning or on a different day of the week than those mentioned above.
Methodology
Practical experiential methodology
The Master’s in the Management and Design of Gastronomy Tourism Experiences is taught in a semi-in situ format using the “learning by doing” methodology, based on practice, reality and experience.
Online study period (November 2023 – March 2024)
Contents 100% designed for online training, interdisciplinary, applicable to your daily tasks.
Audiovisual resources (interviews, reports etc.)
Weekly live lectures with lecturers and experts.
Live work sessions tutored by experts.
Individual and group activities: challenges, interactive exercises, deliveries, tests, participation in forums etc.
Assistance and tutoring during the learning process.
In situ period (March – June 2024)
Masterclasses and seminars by leading experts, with first-hand presentations of real success stories and models.
Practical case studies for group streamlining, debates and reflections.
Activities and exercises in teams, with challenges.
Gastronomic activities: tasting and sampling sessions, workshops and other activities related to gastronomy.
”Learning journeys”: gastronomic activities and visits to tangibilise and complement the contents of the master’s course. Habitual destinations:
The Goierri district (Basque Country): Small-scale producers, local retail, traditional markets such as Ordizia, and traditional Idiazabal cheesemaking plants such as Ondarre.
Basque coastal route (Basque Country): Boat trip to the Flysch in Zumaia; visit to a “txakoli” winery; anchovy workshop in the port of Getaria etc.
La Rioja (Spain): A leading reference in the world of wine. Visits to a number of wineries, both the smaller traditional businesses such as Gomez Cruzado, and larger businesses such as Marqués de Riscal.
Catalonia (Spain): Agrotourism facilities such as Els Casals; pioneer gastronomy research centres such as Fundación Alicia, and leading gastronomy tourism destinations such as Girona and Barcelona along with specialist agents such as Girona’s Tourism Board.
He been chosen for three years running as one of the 150 most influential tourism personalities in Spain. He has been working in tourism since 1995, in areas such as the promotion of destinations, hotels, training and consultancy. He graduated as a Technical Tourist Activity Officer from the University of Deusto and in tourism from Universidad Nebrija, and he has a Master’s in Tourism Management from the University of Bournemouth. He is a lecturer and director on a number of tourism/catering programmes at several universities. As a consultant, he has devised a large number of projects in Europe and Latin America. He has worked on gastronomy tourism development projects since 2005, he has been the auditor of Spanish Wine Routes since 2007, and is a habitual speaker at gastronomy tourism forums and conferences.
The total cost of the Master’s course is 10,600 €. Payment will be as follows::
•150 € on application (refundable in full if the application is unsuccessful).
•2,612.50 € (25% of the total) on confirmation of admission by way of a booking on the course.
The remainder will be paid in 3 instalments of 2,612.50 € in November, January and March.
The price includes:
Access to the online learning platform.
”Learning journeys” (transport, management of visits, accommodation and breakfast.
Masterclasses by guest experts.
Management of curricular internships.
Participation in other activities and events organised by Basque Culinary Center. Registration in the APP for exclusive use by Basque Culinary Center students.
Access to more than 5,000 items in the Faculty’s Library.
Issuance and dispatch of degree /diploma.
Registration in the service for former Basque Culinary Center students: Bculinary Alumni
Graduation ceremony.
Bank financing options
We operate bank financing agreements with Banco Sabadell, CaixaBank and Caja Rural. Get more information from cursos@bculinary.com.
*Offers valid for applicants resident in Spain. Candidates should consult bank financing options with trustworthy banks in their country of origin.
Allowance options
The master’s courses taught at Basque Culinary Center are eligible for partial allowances through FUNDAE. Get more information from cursos@bculinary.com.
Admission
The Basque Culinary Center admission process seeks to ensure:
1. That you have the academic qualifications and personal skills required to successfully cope with an innovative, demanding study schedule.
2. That the master’s programme matches your study needs and concerns.
1 ENROLMENT
Enrol online and pay the enrolment fee of 150 € (refundable in the event you are not admitted).
Send the following documentation to admisiones@bculinary.com:
Curriculum Vitae 1 photo – identity card size
Digital copy of identity card or passport
Motivational letter
Academic certificate of studies completed (course dossier, diploma or certificate)
2. ADMISSION PROCESS
The Admissions Committee will assess your qualifications and experience on the basis of the documentation supplied. We will call you to a personal online Meet interview to find out more about you, and gain an insight into your motivation for studying the master’s course.
3 ADMISSION AND BOOKING A PLACE ON THE COURSE
After the interview, we will notify you of the status of your application.
If you are admitted, you must pay for your booking on the course. At this point we will provide you with the necessary documentation to make arrangements for study authorisation.
Otherwise, we will give you guidance on other options available, and the enrolment fee will be refunded in full.
*Note for foreign students: To study a programme with a duration of more than 90 days, students from countries outside the Schengen Area must make arrangements for a long-duration student visa to enable them to reside legally in Spain. The Faculty will provide each student with the necessary documentation to obtain the visa when the course booking has been confirmed.
Students must also comply with any other requisites stipulated by the Spanish Embassy. You can consult the entire administration process in this section for arrangements to be made before travelling.
Basque Culinary Center will provide the following academic documentation, which is necessary to obtain the visa:
Certificate of registration, signed and stamped by Basque Culinary Center
Teaching programme stamped by Basque Culinary Center
Academic calendar stamped by Basque Culinary Center
Alojamientos
LIVENSA LIVING SAN SEBASTIÁN, AN INNOVATIVE CONCEPT OF LODGING
Livensa Living San Sebastian is located in the neighborhood of Ibaeta, in a quiet area and a step away from Tolosa Avenue that leads to Ondarreta beach. It is an accommodation that takes care of all the details and is designed to make you feel at home during your stay in Donostia-San Sebastian. It has spaces to relax and share time in company.
Features to highlight:
Single rooms with full kitchen and private bathroom
Laundry
Gym
Common kitchens or "txokos".
Leisure areas: living room, games room, cinema room, etc.
Music rehearsal rooms
Co-working spaces
Private parking
Take advantage of the preferential rates for Basque Culinary Center students.
These types of residence are small and have restricted entrance times. The rooms can be single or double and they do not always have an ensuite bathroom. Those that offer full board may not offer all the meals at weekends. Admission to these residences entails a personal interview with the families.
The prices given below are approximate.
FEMALE RESIDENCES:
RESIDENCIA COMPAÑÍA DE MARÍA
Camino de S. Bartolomé, 24
Tel 943 464795
Regimen full board
Precio aproximado €625/month
ESCLAVAS DEL SAGRADO CORAZÓN
Avda. Gral. Zumalakarregi, 11
Tel 943 210800
Regimen full board
Precio aproximado €580-€615/month Residents must leave the residence at weekends with the exception of examination periods.
Paseo de Heriz, 95
Tel 943 210866
Regimen half board or full board
Precio aproximado from €450 to €590/month No se ofrecen comidas durante el fin de semana aunque hay una cocina a disposición de las residentes.
C/ Aldapeta, 49
Tel 616 369 815
Regimen Pensión completa
Precio aproximado 932€/mes No hay cocinas disponibles para las residentes pero las estudiantes de BCC podrán realizar prácticas de cocina.
Paseo de Ayete, 25
Tel 943 242400
Regimen pensión completa
Precio aproximado 370€ El precio del alojamiento y pensión se costea trabajando en el servicio de alimentación. Admisión mediante entrevista.
Paseo de Miramón, 162
Tel (+34) 943 56 91 28
Regimen acommodation in studio with fully furnished kitchen and private bathroom
Precio aproximado desde 600€ hasta 880€/mes A tan solo un paso de Basque Culinary Center. Instalaciones equipadas con un amplio espacio de cocina dedicado a prácticas culinarias, salas de estudio, gimnasio y zona lounge para socializar con otros residentes.
Pº Ondarreta, 24
Tel 943 003300
Regimen alojamiento y desayuno, media pensión o pensión completa
Precio aproximado desde 498€ hasta 1.090€/mes El precio incluye la limpieza del uniforme de cocina. No hay cocinas disponibles para los residentes aunque los estudiantes de BCC podrán hacer prácticas de cocina en un espacio debidamente equipado para ello.
Pº Berio, 9
Tel 943 563000
Regimen alojamiento
Precio aproximado desde 403€ hasta 690€/mes Residencia de la Universidad de País Vasco; alojan prioritariamente a los estudiantes de la UPV pero pueden tener plazas disponibles desde la reciente ampliación.
ACCOMMODATION IN SHARED FLATS
Prior authorisation from interested parties, the BCC Students'Office favours contact among admitted students so that they can organise themselves to share flats. Traditionally, students have created groups in social media to contact each other.
The BCC also informs students about rented flat offers that the owners send us.
The average price per student in a shared flat in Donostia-San Sebastian is around €300 per month.
Procedures before travelling
Students from European Union member countries, Norway, Switzerland. Liechtenstein and Iceland will not require a visa to reside in Spain.
Other international students will have to request a long-term student visa which will allow them to reside in Spain for a period longer than 180 days.
Visas should be requested from, and issued by the Diplomatic Missions and Spanish Consul Offices abroad. It is important to obtain information on the required documentation and gather it as soon as possible, since the relevant authorities may take up to two months to notify that visas will be granted.
Once students have arrived in Donostia-San Sebastian, they have one month from the time of their arrival to request the foreign students’ card at the Foreign Residents Office in Donostia-San Sebastian. The students’ office of the BCC will provide the necessary information to students in this matter.
Sport service
Through the MU Sports Service, students can access team sports as well as individual sporting activities and Group trips (weekend skiing, surfing trips….).
Donostia-San Sebastian also has an extensive offer of municipal sporting facilities. The Kirol Txartela (sport card) permits access to all the city’s municipal facilities at a very economical price. For more information, go to the following link.
Cost of living info
Information on the COST OF LIVING in San Sebastian is given below:
Entertainment
Transport
The best way to move around the city is with the network of urban buses. The company which provides this service is Compañia del Tranvia de Donostia-San Sebastian.
Their web page www.dbus.es contains all information on routes, timetables and tariffs. The web page also enables the calculation of the bus route between two points and its estimated duration.
Students can benefit from monthly season tickets which reduce the cost of travelling by bus.
Shopping Basket
Accommodation
Donostia-San Sebastian offers accommodation in student residences. It is advisable that those interested in this type of accommodation make their reservation as soon as possible.
A document containing information on some of the residences in the city can be found below.
Donostia-San Sebastian is the administrative capital of Gipuzkoa, one of the territories that integrates the Basque Country. There are two official languages: Spanish and Basque.
On the banks of the Bay of Biscay,, Donostia-San Sebastián is a small town within a natural framework of incomparable beauty. A holiday destination for monarchs and nobles during the Belle Epoque, Donostia-San Sebastian arose as a lordly city where tradition and modernity exist side by side.
Images courtesy of San Sebastian Tourism
If there is something that can compete with its spectacular beauty that is its gastronomy: cradle of the “new Basque cuisine”, Mecca of culinary avant-garde and the world capital of the pintxo, Donostia-San Sebastian is the city with the most Michelin stars per square metres in the world. The importance of its restaurants, its famous gastronomic societies and the quality of its raw material convert Donostia-San Sebastian into a gastronomic reference in the world. Not in vain, the British magazine, “Which”, chose Donostia-San Sebastian as the best gastronomic destination in the world.
Over the last few years, innovation and sustainability have been the two main pillars for the development of Donostia-San Sebastian, which has fostered an ideal city of pedestrians and bicycles.
Images courtesy of San Sebastian Tourism
WHY STUDY GASTRONOMY IN DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIAN?
Because in Donostia-San Sebastian, as in the rest of the Basque Country, gastronomy forms part of society and good food is present at any event and celebration. Donostia-San Sebastian, a city of 185,000 inhabitants, has 120 gastronomic societies.
Because four of the eight restaurants with three Michelin stars in Spain are in the Basque Country, three of them in Donostia-San Sebastian.
Because of its cultural offer, which includes internationally renowned film and jazz festivals. Donostia-San Sebastian has been named as European Capital of Culture for 2016.
Due to its beaches, ideal for practicing surf all year round.
Due to its mountains, just 2.5 hours from the Pyrenees.
Because it is a safe, accessible and welcoming city.
Images courtesy of San Sebastian Tourism
HOW TO REACH DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIAN
Donostia-San Sebastian is connected to the main Spanish cities by bus, train and plane.
The airport of Donostia-San Sebastian is 20 kilometres from the city. It is a small airport with direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona. It has a bus service to the city centre.
The international airport of Bilbao is one hour from Donostia-San Sebastian, and it is connected to the city with a frequent bus service from the actual airport.
The international airport of Biarritz is 45 minutes away although it only offers a direct bus to Donostia-San Sebastian once a day.
DISTANCE IN KMS.
Bilbao – 99 km
Biarritz – 50 km
Madrid – 450 km
Barcelona – 570 km
Images courtesy of San Sebastian Tourism
BCC Students
During their study years, BCC students will have access to the BCC Student APP. Through this APP students will be informed about grants and scholarships, job opportunities, extracurricular learning opportunities, events, invitations to exclusive Master Classes... They will also be informed on student discounts, BCC Cafeteria or Restaurant reservations, transportation, etc.