The UB Chair of Tourism Hospitality and Gastronomy CETT
UB Chair in Tourism, Hospitality, and Gastronomy CETT
The UB Chair in Tourism, Hospitality, and Gastronomy CETT is a joint initiative by the University of Barcelona, CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality, and Gastronomy, and the CETT Foundation.
Founded in 2015, it is a pioneer due to its structure and thematic focus and is supported by the Barcelona City Council through a collaboration agreement with the Department of Tourism. Since its inception, and over three terms, efforts have been made to enhance the academic positioning of the city in the fields of tourism, hospitality, and gastronomy, aiming for a leading international position.
Focused on urban tourism through various transversal research lines, the Chair aims to promote three areas of action: research, knowledge transfer, and dissemination activities in tourism, hospitality, and gastronomy. This is achieved through collaboration between public institutions, the private sector, and academia.
Regarding research activities, the Chair leads and participates in research contracts and agreements with public entities, such as the Barcelona City Council or the Barcelona Provincial Council; public-private partnerships, such as Turisme de Barcelona; and companies and other research institutions in the food sector, such as Argal, Organa, or the Institute of Agri-Food Research and Technology (IRTA).
The Chair’s team also contributes to disseminating the results of these projects by publishing scientific articles in indexed journals and chapters or books with leading academic publishers.
In terms of knowledge transfer, the Chair organizes and co-organizes several congresses with international academic partners on topics relevant to urban tourism, such as the CETT Smart Tourism Congress Barcelona, the International Conference on Literary and Film Tourism or the Latin American Congress on Research in Hospitality and Gastronomy.
Additionally, the Chair organizes technical knowledge transfer sessions, such as the CETT Seminars in Contemporary Issues in Tourism or the Trobada Gastronòmica. Finally, among its dissemination activities, the Esmorzars de Turisme (Tourism Breakfasts), held jointly with Foment del Treball, stand out.
UB Chair Research Lines
-
Urban Tourism
In an increasingly interconnected world, cities face complex challenges related to tourism and its relationship with society and the economy.
Applied research in the field of urban tourism focuses, on one hand, on evaluating the impacts of tourism on the territory and the exploitation of local resources, aiming to identify new opportunities to develop alternative tourism products and services that foster competitiveness and authenticity. For instance, it emphasizes new forms of tourism and territorial management, focusing on visitor flow management, redistribution, and diversification of experiences at destinations.
On the other hand, conflicts of interest among stakeholders make it necessary to reflect on inclusion and citizen participation, the well-being of resident communities, and frameworks for informed decision-making. Therefore, the research line on governance and society addresses policies, regulatory frameworks, and various actions to promote responsible and sustainable tourism. It also encourages cooperation among different actors involved in tourism, including local governments, businesses, civil society organizations, and resident communities.
-
Cuisine and Gastronomy
Research in the field of cuisine and gastronomy currently focuses on valorizing food waste by transforming it into ingredients or final products that can be reintroduced into the food supply chain. This line of research is framed within the context of food waste in the “food service” sector, which is responsible for emitting between 8% and 10% of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Thus, the gastronomic upcycling strategy aims to reduce food waste while contributing to the sustainability of the food system and enabling the creation of new, innovative food products capable of enriching our diet.
The intersection of gastronomy and health is another area rich in opportunities and challenges. On one hand, gastronomy can help reconnect people with food, encouraging healthier and more nutritious choices. On the other hand, personalized dietary needs require gastronomy to adapt to this diversity by developing functional foods that combine health benefits with favorable organoleptic characteristics. In this way, applied research in gastronomy focuses on the recovery of local foods and the optimization of their nutritional components, contributing to health and well-being.
Contacto y Colaboración
The UB Chair in Tourism, Hospitality, and Gastronomy CETT offers companies and institutions the opportunity to establish meaningful collaborations for the joint development of a wide range of research, knowledge transfer, and dissemination activities:
- Conducting knowledge transfer projects
- Organizing workshops/conferences aligned with shared areas of interest
- Publishing academic and dissemination articles in collaboration with CETT research groups
- Promoting undergraduate (TFG) and master's (TFM) final projects within specific company frameworks
Through these synergies, the Chair aims to foster mutual growth and innovation in both the academic and business sectors.
For more information about collaborating with the Chair, please contact:
- Eugeni Osácar, UB Chair Director – CETT – CETT: [email protected]
- Nuria Guitart, UB Chair Coordinator – CETT: [email protected]