Hospitality Management and AI for Service Innovation
Location: Lecce (LE)
Academic Biennium: 2025–2027
National Figure: 9.1.4 Higher Technician for the management of guest support services
Program Overview
The Course in Hospitality Management and AI for Service Innovation aims to train professionals capable of making the guest experience authentic, effective, and memorable, while supporting the competitive and sustainable growth of companies and tourist destinations.
Context
The Course in Hospitality management and AI for Service Innovation is part of a growing sector where Puglia, once again, ranks among the most dynamic tourist destinations. Travelers are increasingly seeking authentic, personalized, sustainable, and digitally accessible experiences. The use of AI in hospitality facilities is becoming more widespread, particularly for automated booking management, customer segmentation, and guest behavior analysis. This program is designed to develop a professional figure skilled in hospitality management through the strategic use of AI.
Professional Profile
The professional emerging from the Course in Hospitality management and AI for Service Innovation will be able to manage all processes related to hospitality and food service within tourist and hospitality structures, ensuring a personalized, sustainable, and digitally accessible experience. They will plan and oversee the delivery of hospitality and catering services using advanced digital technologies, especially AI, for monitoring the customer journey, personalizing service, and improving operational efficiency. In the food service sector, the Professional oversees the entire food service supply chain, utilizing resources responsibly and promoting regional culinary excellence.
What you will learn
Through the Course in Hospitality Management and AI for Service Innovation, you will gain advanced skills to:
- Set and monitor budgets, plan investments, and develop positioning strategies
- Coordinate digital communication using advanced technologies such as AI
- Manage smart booking systems, advanced CRM tools, and predictive algorithms
- Use platforms to monitor guest sentiment
What you will study
The curriculum of the Course in Hospitality Management and AI for Service Innovation focuses on in-depth knowledge and practical training in:
- Monitoring of tourism trends and the relevant territorial system
- Organization, management and supervision of departments/services in tourist and hospitality structures
- Management of relationships with clients, suppliers, and local stakeholders
- Definition of food service offerings
- Implementation of marketing strategies to enhance food and wine excellence
This Course in Hospitality Management and AI for Service Innovation opens up many different career paths in the tourism and hospitality sectors, including:
- Hotel and non-hotel accommodation businesses
- Convention bureaus and agencies offering congress, wedding, and event & communication services
- DMOs and tourism promotion consortia
- Travel agencies and tour operators and public and private companies providing tourist information and hospitality services
The course lasts 1800 hours in total, distributed over two years and divided as follows:
– 1080 hours dedicated to classroom laboratory teaching, case studies in the laboratory and/or in work contexts, seminar activities, educational and study visits, project work;
– 720 hours of internship activities in work contexts.
The daily timetable will be determined on the basis of the operational program and may vary from 5 to 8 hours.
Attendance is mandatory for at least 80% of the training activities, under penalty of exclusion from the final exam which will be held in accordance with the methods established by the Ministry of Education and Merit.
At the end of the course, and upon passing the final exams and assessments, students will receive the Specialization Diploma in Applied Technologies, corresponding to EQF Level 5 (European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning).
The diploma is issued by the Italian Ministry of Education and Merit along with the Europass Diploma Supplement, is valid throughout the national territory, and qualifies for access to public competitions.
Where applicable and based on the specific course of study, students will also acquire competencies to sit for the following certifications:
- Certifications for the use of sector-specific software
- English and second foreign language certifications according to CEFR levels
- Workplace safety certifications
- HACCP Certification
- EIPASS Advanced (ITS acts as a certified examination body)
Starting from 2025 the ITS program is also valid for ITP teaching competitions and within the public administration.
