Program Overview

This degree will bring you closer to a professional managerial career in the largest global service sector. You'll benefit from close links with government and businesses via membership of the Tourism Management Institute, as well as insights from international projects by research centres such as ATLAS. Studying with us you will investigate live issues such as how to develop local tourism marketing strategies, improve the quality of London's key visitor attractions and help local people to benefit from tourism development.

 Within the international economy, tourism and travel is a major employer and sector providing unique development opportunities to less developed countries. It's also one of the few economic activities responsible for intensified contributions towards nature and cultural heritage protection and conservation. All over the world, especially in Europe, tourism and travel are positioned as leaders in local communities' activation programmes and used as an indicator of the quality of life.

This programme has been developed to answer the tourism and travel industry's demand for specialised managers and planners. It's constantly evolving to include the most up-to-date issues and to prepare entrepreneurs for the challenging tourism business environment, including how to strategically manage operations even in a situation of crisis. You'll acquire knowledge in sustainable tourism management, cultural heritage and tourism-led regeneration and be faced with challenges of marketing British tourism destinations and managing visitors. You'll be given the opportunity to explore niche tourism products, advise companies on their social media strategy and create your own business plans.

The teaching on this course utilises our London location with a series of case studies, including the international trade fair of World the Travel Market. We also have one of the most diverse international bodies of students, which allows us to teach a range of worldwide case studies based on students' own experiences and cultures.

Our overseas study tour is the highlight of the course, providing an early example of field research techniques and addressing tourism marketing, management, planning and sustainability issues. We also offer European Student Exchange Programmes (Erasmus) and a range of work placement opportunities (including a one-year sandwich placement), allowing you to gain practical experience whilst studying. Although we can't guarantee you a work placement (you'll be required to find and secure this yourself), we will advertise suitable opportunities and provide guidance on the application process.

We have previously organised and hosted the annual Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport student conference, with speakers including Hugh Sumner, former Director of Transport at the Olympic Delivery Agency.

The aims of the programme are to:

• Offer you an intellectually stimulating, career-relevant and coherent programme, allowing you to develop a thorough understanding of theories, approaches and techniques relevant to professional practice in tourism, travel and destination management
• Help you develop a holistic appreciation of the multimodal distribution chain and developments in digital media, including the role of marketing and communications, entrepreneurship, operational and strategic management in tourism and travel industries
• Help you gain comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the socio-cultural, economic, technological, and political environment in which the tourism destinations and industry operates, relevant systems of governance and public policy at different scales: global, national and local
• Help you develop a sound appreciation of effective people management in organisations, as well as your potential contribution as a manager and professional in the tourism sector
• Enhance your abilities to operate as an effective learner, independently as well as in teams, and to foster a creative approach to evidence-based problem solving
• Develop and improve your skills as a researcher, able to carry out primary research relating to contemporary issues in tourism and travel, including data collection, data analysis, presentation of findings and recommendations