International Tourism and Hospitality Management MSc

University of Bedfordshire

The international tourism industry continues to expand, driving the demand for skilled senior planners and managers capable of addressing a wide array of global management issues. Our MSc in International Tourism and Hospitality Management equips you with a critical understanding of international tourism developments and their positive reflections in management practices. The course covers the interconnectedness of international tourism and its impacts across various contexts, including economic, commercial, environmental, technological, socio-cultural, heritage, psychological and political.What will you study?Studying our International Tourism and Hospitality Management MSc course will equip you with the knowledge and skills in the combined areas of international tourism, business, and strategic management. You will explore current trends and issues in the constantly changing nature of tourism in our Sociocultural Dimensions of Tourism unit to understand how this impacts the relationship between tourism, culture, and society. This will allow you to apply tourism theories and current trends to analyse tourism policies, as well as the role of tourism in representing public culture, heritage, and the nature of places in a postmodern era.Furthermore, Approaches in Sustainable Travel and Tourism will allow you to develop insights into socio-economic and environmental challenges in travel and tourism industries. You will explore planning frameworks for sustainable tourism development that can be used to integrate economic equality, environmental conservation, and community participation while using tourism as a medium for poverty reduction and alleviation. In areas of business, Marketing in the Digital Era will allow you to explore elements of devising digital marketing strategies, conducting online market research, and preparing a digital marketing plan. You will gain a critical awareness of the role of digital marketing in business success while learning to apply digital marketing techniques with a focus on digital platforms, new business models, and social interaction.To further enhance your industry skills, we offer complimentary access to Opera software – a leading tool in hospitality management, providing hands-on experience for students to excel in the global hospitality industry. Additionally, you will develop a critical and informed understanding of business environments and the business opportunities within them in our Strategy unit. Here, you will be introduced to a range of tools and concepts for strategic analysis and business modelling that will allow you to assess the strategic position of business organisations, formulate strategies, evaluate options, and implement strategic decisions. Finally, you will complete our Capstone unit, which will allow you to bring theory and practice together and research a topic of your interest relevant to your field of study. To help you with this, you will be introduced to the processes and techniques of research methods while working with a research supervisor to develop your ideas.CareersOn successfully completing this master’s you will gain the knowledge and skills to understand the role of critical-evaluation techniques and decision-making strategies in establishing yourself and thriving in a senior management role. You will have the skills to find career opportunities in industries such as travel management; hospitality management; food and beverage management; public relations; and marketing.You will also be well prepared for further academic study at either MPhil or PhD level.