MSc Tourism Management

We are one of the top universities in the world for the study of tourism and hospitality, 10th in the world for hospitality and leisure management according to the QS University Rankings 2019 and 2nd in the UK (12th in the world) for hospitality and tourism management according to the Shanghai Rankings of Academic Subjects 2018.

This Master’s reviews a range of key issues, challenges and developments in tourism management, with particular focus on the relationships between tourism and the wider economic, environmental and socio-cultural context. It is a conversion course – meaning it is intended for students who have not studied the subject previously – and is ideal for graduates who would like to change subjects or career direction.

This course reviews a range of key issues, challenges and developments in tourism management, with particular focus on the relationships between tourism and the wider economic, environmental and socio-cultural context. 

The course aims to develop your management, research and analytical skills to allow you to operate at a high level within this dynamic industry. During your studies, you'll meet industry experts, with the opportunity to take a professional placement, network and share knowledge and experience whilst learning in a structured environment. The course also offers a unique opportunity to mix with a diverse range of nationalities, allowing you to increase your inter-cultural competence. This is vital to tourism management in an increasingly globalised world. Thus, the course prepares graduates to develop within a variety of potential career paths.

You also have the option to take a 30 week placement working with a tourism employer or undertake a semester abroad as part of your course. You can study in a range of countries worldwide at the end of the taught component of your Master’s degree. 

This course is delivered by staff who are actively involved in research and consultancy, ensuring that the curriculum and discussions are informed by cutting edge knowledge and practice. Our team includes Professor Adam Blake, who specialises in economic aspects of tourism development, Professor Adele Ladkin, who is a leading researcher on labour and employment in tourism and hospitality, and Professor Dimitrios Buhalis who is a known expert of strategic marketing and the use of technology in tourism. 

Gain a more detailed insight about this course by watching our online presentation delivered by Senior Lecturer Dr Susanna Curtin.

Core units

• Managing Visitor Attractions: You’ll look at the principles and practice of managing a range of visitor attractions, including issues of presentation, interpretation, visitor flows, managing capacity, and a range of case studies of management issues at different types of attractions.
• Business Strategy & Finance: This looks at the foundations of strategic analysis and choices that tie into an organisation’s business decisions. This includes private, public and third sector. You'll study the corporate finance sources of organisations, reporting and interpreting financial data. This will help you understand the dynamics of the tourism, hospitality and leisure sectors.
• Tourism Planning & Development: Planning is at the heart of tourism development, and the various ways in which tourism planning affects destinations, the tourism industry and tourists is an essential component in the understanding of tourism. This unit demonstrates how planning theories are converted into policies and, in turn, help shape destination development in the tourism industry in both the developing and developed world.
• The Tourism & Hospitality Industries: This unit will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the operations of the tourism and hospitality industries. It includes many guest speakers from industry
• Destinations: Contexts for Tourism & Hospitality: Placing the tourism destination at the heart of discussion, this unit explores the physical, conceptual and administrative spaces in which tourism and hospitality activities occur, and as such provide the context for an exploration of the complex and interrelated activities of tourist activities. The unit will be international in nature, drawing on examples and practices from developed and developing nations.
• Dissertation: This unit is the conclusion of your learning experience. It is an opportunity to undertake a detailed research project into any aspect of tourism management. 

Placements

An exciting and valuable part of your studies with us is the opportunity to gain valuable experience through full-time paid industrial placements, for a minimum of 30 weeks. You will have the option to start your placement when the taught units of the course are finished, before the dissertation.

Careers

Many governments are aware of the economic importance of tourism as well as its wider social and environmental impacts.

Some of our graduates hold senior management positions in private and public sectors, such as tour operators, the aviation and cruise industries, hotel chains and government tourism ministries and development agencies.

Amongst our alumni is a Hospitality Manager for a 4-star hotel in Qatar, a Government Official in the Peruvian Tourism Ministry, the Head of Tourism for the Azores Islands and the Secretary General of the Kurokawa Onsen Tourist Inn Association.

As a Tourism Management graduate, you will be prepared to undertake roles such as:

• Tourism Marketing Manager
• Lodging Manager
• Tour Operator Manager
• Customer Service Manager
• Hotel Manager.

Visit the MSc Tourism Management page on the Bournemouth University website for more details!