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Learn a new language
Get involved in designing and creating a tourist visitor experience from your first year
Benefit from decades of industry experience and strong sector relationships
Explore the vibrant and diverse international tourism industry, learning about its products, people, locations, and organisations, as well as the art of service.
Tourists are looking for well-planned and smooth-running experiences that impress with high levels of customer service. Develop the knowledge and skills to design and deliver such experiences confidently.
This course emphasizes practical considerations alongside theory, providing numerous team-based opportunities to deliver experiences, whether on-campus events or local excursions.
Gain an understanding of tourism industry products, structure, logistics, marketing, and management from an international perspective.
Explore the nature and impact of tourism activity and strategies for responsible tourism. You will assess current industry challenges such as the environmental, socio-cultural and financial impacts of tourism on a global basis.
Learn a new language (choose from French, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese or German) to enhance your employability and cultural experience even more. If you study a language throughout the whole of your degree, it will be reflected in your degree title.
Apply theory to practice, honing employability skills, including customer service, and reflecting on experiences to further develop abilities.
You will enjoy field trips in each year of study, including a local destination in the first year, an optional international field trip (additional cost) in the second year, and a UK destination field trip in the final year.
We take pride in delivering a fantastic experience from the start, with a supportive, fun, and experienced team. As a caring and friendly university, you'll receive great pastoral support and engaging teaching to prepare you for professional success.
You'll also benefit from exceptional industry links as the course has been running for 28 years. We have many alumni and sector relationships. Engage with industry practitioners through guest lectures, and workshops giving you real-life insights.
You’ll also be able to study a language. Employers value foreign language skills, especially in the tourism sector and there are five to choose from.
Experiencing a culture is as important as learning about it. Immerse yourself in another country for an enriching and life-changing adventure, studying at one of our worldwide partner institutions.
As an international course, you'll develop an awareness of and sensitivity to different cultural backgrounds and influences. Enhance your learning with global case studies and opportunities for study and work abroad.
Assessments mirror your future working environment, encompassing posters, videos, debates, and learning conversations. Final-year students are expected to deliver a presentation at the student conference.
Enhance your CV and employability with our global work placement and study abroad opportunities.
The programme outcomes are referenced to the QAA benchmark statements for Events, Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism (2019). The SEEC Credit Level Descriptors for. Further and Higher Education (2021) have been used as a guiding framework for curriculum design.
Tourism Management Institute
The course is recognised by the Tourism Management Institute (TMI) and HBS is a key partner of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).
This highly immersive degree will have you career-ready for a role in international travel, tourism and hospitality businesses. 90% of students are working or in further education (Graduate Outcomes, 2018-2020).
Possible roles for employment include:
Graduates have gone on to a wide range of companies across the sector including TUI, Starbucks, Hilton, Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), MSC Cruises, easyJet, Enterprise Car Rental, British Airways, Virgin and Marriott.
The world is literally your oyster with this industry-focused, well-rounded course! Because you leave with so many transferrable skills, you can use them in other areas of business – after all, happy customers make all businesses thrive!
Operations Communications and Activity Executive at Greene King
Meet Ellie Fowler who has excelled professionally since graduating in 2019. Ellie currently works as an Operations Communications and Activity Executive for Greene King.
Ellie emphasises how her course really helped her to progress professionally and land her current role. She says, 'My studies helped me by teaching me all I needed to know about business and how different businesses work/operate. I didn't just learn about "how to go on holiday," I learnt how these travel companies run their businesses from all different levels and it made it clear to me to see I was interested in working in the Head Office side of things rather than front facing.'
She thoroughly enjoyed her course and highlights how useful the skills she learnt were in furthering her career. She continues, 'The travel knowledge you learn is very helpful. I like being able to educate and help people with all things to do with the travel industry.'
Ellie encourages students to embrace their studies with open arms and notes, 'The advice I'd give to new students is to be motivated and more organised from the beginning. I would definitely recommend doing a placement year abroad with this degree because not only does it give you vital industry experience, it also shapes you as a person. Without this experience I wouldn't be where I am today, and I definitely wouldn't have friends all over the world!'
Ellie plans to progress in her role and take on more responsibilities. She says, 'I aim to get higher into operations for Greene King and then hopefully move to work for a bigger tour operator, as the tourism side is more suited to me.'
Account Manager at Expedia Inc
Meet Elizaveta Zaskalko, who has explored the tourism industry and shared her passion for travel. She works at Expedia Inc as an Account Manager.
Elizaveta always had a passion for tourism and knew her career would be within the industry. She works at Expedia Inc as an Account Manager and is responsible for the brand's relationships with Marriott, Hilton, and other chains in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Studying at the University gave her a vast knowledge of the tourism industry and prepared her for entering the sector. Tourism is a diverse and global industry, with many career opportunities for new graduates.
She says, 'When I started my studies, I knew that I wanted to work in the tourism industry but had no idea which part of it. As I progressed, I learned about so many different branches of the industry and it really helped me to narrow it down to the one I actually really enjoyed.'
'The best thing about my course is that it prepared us for the working world. The programme had a huge focus on employability, which I think was incredibly useful. Coming out of university I knew where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do and how to achieve it.'
The employment focus and links to industry embedded into Elizaveta's degree are what persuaded her to study at Herts. Our courses are designed to give students great opportunities, prepare them for professional life and provide them with direct access to their chosen profession through expert teaching and tangible industry connections.
Elizaveta says, 'An important factor for me choosing to study at the University was being able to do an industry placement year, as it's very hard to get a job without work experience nowadays. My placement year was very challenging but it was one of the most useful experiences I have had so far.'
The course takes either three or four years, depending on placements/study abroad and you cover everything you need to be effective in tourism management.
There are core modules such as marketing, management and professionalism. You also have the option to choose modules in specialist areas, allowing you to tailor the course to your own interests and career direction.
In your first year, you engage in designing the visitor experience and delivering the visitor experience as core modules as well as professionalism in tourism.
As you move into your second year, you focus more on key areas for the sector such as sustainability and technology. There is also the opportunity to enjoy an international field trip as a key learning experience.
Your final year has a strong focus on global tourism planning, attraction management and contemporary issues. You will also deliver your own visitor experience, working alongside events students.
There are also opportunities to further enrich your personal development through our GoHerts program, placements, internships, study-abroad and Future Success team events.
You'll benefit from dedicated support teams within the Business School, including Academic Support, Wellbeing, and a personal tutor who will assist you in adjusting to the demands of university learning and living.
Additional support is available from our Student Success team, which focuses on inclusive learning, as well as our dedicated Future Success network, which helps with work experience, placements, and graduate jobs.
You can join and engage with the Business School Student Voice community, consisting of a team of student representatives who regularly meet with staff to provide feedback and ensure the effectiveness of teaching.
Our in-house Centre for Academic Skills Enhancement (CASE) is available to all Business School students, offering additional support in areas such as academic writing, numeracy, and referencing.
At the end of your second year, you have the option to experience a year of working life with a placement, or a shorter internship, a huge CV booster!
Professional work experience is the biggest contributor to your future employability. It allows you to put your knowledge into action, while learning how a business operates and making some handy professional connections.
We'll help you make the most of the experience, holding your hand from start to finish. You also get assistance with your CV, plus help preparing for interviews and presentations, at our ground-breaking mock Assessment Centre Experience.
Students on the programme have had the opportunity to work at Walt Disney World Resorts, MSC Cruises, Ramblers Walking Holidays, Hilton Hotels and Wendy Wu Tours. We also have a relationship with BSG internships which has enabled students to gain placements in Country Clubs in Florida.
You can take a sandwich year abroad, making that decision in your second year. Studying at one of our international partners is a huge personal development opportunity and an amazing experience.
More and more companies are now working internationally, the experience of living in another country will make a great impression on future employers. Put knowledge into action, learn how a business operates and make professional connections.
With over 100 partners in 40 countries, the world really is your oyster! Our dedicated study abroad office advises you on your options, to help you make the most of this opportunity.
If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee, either to the partner university or us.
At the end of your second year, you have the option to experience a year of working life with a placement, or a shorter internship, a huge CV booster!
Professional work experience is the biggest contributor to your future employability. It allows you to put your knowledge into action, while learning how a business operates and making some handy professional connections.
We'll help you make the most of the experience, holding your hand from start to finish. You also get assistance with your CV, plus help preparing for interviews and presentations, at our ground-breaking mock Assessment Centre Experience.
Students on the programme have had the opportunity to work at Walt Disney World Resorts, MSC Cruises, Ramblers Walking Holidays, Hilton Hotels and Wendy Wu Tours. We also have a relationship with BSG internships which has enabled students to gain placements in Country Clubs in Florida.
Find out more about work placementsYou can take a sandwich year abroad, making that decision in your second year. Studying at one of our international partners is a huge personal development opportunity and an amazing experience.
More and more companies are now working internationally, the experience of living in another country will make a great impression on future employers. Put knowledge into action, learn how a business operates and make professional connections.
With over 100 partners in 40 countries, the world really is your oyster! Our dedicated study abroad office advises you on your options, to help you make the most of this opportunity.
If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee, either to the partner university or us.
Find out more about study abroad optionsYou'll be taught on our modern de Havilland Campus, with our 24/7 Learning Resources Centre, offering open and private study spaces. You also get online self-study materials to further support you.
There are dining options, a bar, and a recreational space on campus where you can shoot some pool or play video games. It also houses Hertfordshire Sports Village, featuring a gym, swimming pool, coffee shop and climbing wall.
Discover the Enterprise Hub, a vibrant destination where local firms and students work and learn in comfort.
The Student Union bar and additional facilities are only a 20 minute walk (or short bus ride) away at our second campus, on College Lane. Student housing is available at both campuses.
A train to central London takes just over 20 minutes, and you are also conveniently located on the A1(M) with access to the road network, making travel quick and convenient.
Your teachers include doctoral staff and industry experts who will impart their knowledge and experiences. They will ground your education in solid business principles and case studies that will be valuable throughout your career.
The teaching approach emphasizes proactive learning, drawing from real-life experiences and scenarios shared by your tutors and alumni.
The faculty covers various interest areas and backgrounds, including information technology, marketing, consumer behaviour, psychology, employee well-being, and work-life balance.
Additionally, you have access to an academic support team, a well-being team, and a personal tutor who will help you navigate university learning and living.
Working together, your teaching and support team is committed to assisting you in realising and achieving your full potential.
We offer a range of support services, from childcare to counselling, ensuring that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying, having fun, and have the support you need.
Kira - Week at a glance
On a Sunday night, I’ll always write out plans for that week in a calendar on my wall to remember by lecturers, seminars, meetings with lecturers and classmates for group work, including my shifts for work. After I’ve got down the compulsory activities, I’ll enter all the social events or fun things I want to do, meeting with friends, lunches, activities to attend on-campus like Active Student roller skating parties or course parties where us students and lecturers get together. Then I’ll enter allotted times to work and study, concentrating on specific modules or assignments but trying to encompass some fun things to do throughout the day, or least some wellbeing time, whether it is going to the gym, reading, or doing my hobbies. Throughout the week, I try to stick to the calendar as much as possible, ensuring I do enough uni work to balance with the social activities, attending lecturers and office hours with staff. Between working a part-time job and having an active social life, I aim to get six hours of uni work done per day, depending on how close deadlines are.
Especially in the final year, it’s so easy to get caught up in assignments and workload but staying physically and mentally active goes further than procrastinating at a screen for an hour on end. With the girls on my course, we always make time for Friday lunch where we sit in the de Hav café and catch up before our final lectures of the week. We often catch up with other mates in there, making it a social area and a nice end to the week and we try to book study rooms in between lecturer gaps to have some downtime or catch up with notes together. There plenty to do on the weekends too, including EleHouse and the forum on College Lane Campus, St. Albans has a great nightlife with all sorts of bars and pubs and Hatfield has the Galleria, a massive outlet shopping area which is great to walk around. I’ll normally work a few hours over the weekend at the gym and finish my shift off with a swim before going to Aldi or Asda to get my shopping for the week. My girls and I sometimes meet up in the evenings to enjoy a film and wine night too which is a fantastic way to replenish for the week ahead.
Kira - Choosing my course
As a final year tourism management student who take a placement year, I’ve had four years to experience the university and strength my course offers. One of the best things about my course must be the lecturers. It’s a very cliché thing to say but the team are so strong and friendly! Referred to as the THEM team (Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management), the lecturers are all good friends and it shows; and I would genuinely consider many of the lecturers my friends too. They are always down for a chat, helping with assignments and lecture notes wherever possible. Our module leader, in particular, is fantastic and we have little social events with the THEM team, such as Christmas parties fueled with prosecco and orange juice, career networking with hundreds of job opportunities and it is always someone’s birthday within the tourism management course so there is a constant supply of cake! The team are professional, knowledgeable but super approachable and kind-hearted too with our interest in the forefront of their mind.
My course has so many aspects to it as well, so I’ve covered modules such as tourism planning, HR (Human Resources), strategic business management, data analysis, international field trip and niche tourism. The best module was the international field trip whereby we went to Marbella in the second year and undertook a photograph observation assignment. Not only did we go but we were able to plan our own trips and ended up in this really secluded, beautiful village called Ojen, which lead to a shift in my career path and influenced my placement year which I’ll talk about a bit more in a second. The course also entails a whole load of trips, ranging from The British Museum, World Travel Market, Signature Airport (a private airport where we viewed the operations, apron and guest suites - we even sat in the same chair as Beyoncé), Shakespeare’s Birthplace and loads more. The opportunities within this course are endless. My placement year was one of the best opportunities I had too, where students take a year out to work in an industry-related role, having a hands-on experience learning from industry experts. This is not a mandatory part of the course either so students can simply do a three-year course or take the placement or study abroad choice. I worked within an organization called Wendy Wu Tours, designing tailormade holidays and ended up setting up my own team, managing and training days which gave me a heap of experience. In the meantime, my course mates went off to all corners of the world including Japan, Spain, Singapore, and Disneyworld so there are endless opportunities.
Kira - Why I chose Herts
There are a plethora of reasons why I chose Herts but the main one, for me, was the opportunities available within my course, Tourism Management. With a sandwich year available, I was granted the opportunity within a dream job which has helped with my career direction post-graduation, which wasn’t necessarily available at other universities. In addition, 80% of the tourism management course also took a placement/study abroad year meaning we can all graduate together! Secondly, the teaching staff at Herts are highly knowledgeable, professional and had great connections from a quick LinkedIn search, which, upon reflection, was fully used throughout my degree with many networking events, guest speakers and course trips.
Moreover, geographically, Herts is in a great position. Central London is only a 20-minute train ride away and I was close enough to home for some of my mum’s classic roast dinners. Based just a few minutes walk from campus, the Galleria has some awesome shops and restaurants to check out if you fancy some time off, which is also great for job opportunities for students. Herts also has some cool socials and nightlife; from EleHouse, The Star Bar and The Forum, there’s always something going on to get involved in. The Forum does theme nights too which are always a crack, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 90s classics and the Christmas party is always a highlight. Aside from partying, the Active Student events were super appealing, from sunrise yoga to roller-skating, these free events allow students to meet new people and get active together, alongside over 100 societies to get involved in.
The University of Hertfordshire is committed to welcoming students with a wide range of qualifications and levels of experience. The entry requirements listed on the course pages provide a guide to the minimum level of qualifications needed to study each course. However, we have a flexible approach to admissions and each application will be considered on an individual basis.
| Typical offer (UCAS points) | 112–120 |
|---|---|
| Typical A Level offer | BBC–BBB |
| Typical IB offer | 112–120 |
| Typical BTEC offer | DMM–DDM |
| GCSE | Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics. |
| Access courses | 112–120 |
| Additional information | Find out more about our Undergraduate Entry Requirements. |
| English language | All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band. If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level. |
|---|---|
| Additional information | Find out more about International Entry Requirements. |
| Start date | Study type | Apply |
|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | Full time | Apply via UCAS |
| Full time with study abroad year | Apply via UCAS |
At Herts, we’re dedicated to providing world-class teaching supported by industry-level facilities and incredible social spaces. We believe cost shouldn’t be a barrier to higher education, and we strive to keep both our standard and additional costs as low as possible.
| Study type | Fees | |
|---|---|---|
| UK students | Full time | £9,250 for the 2024/2025 academic year |
| EU students | Full time | £15,500 for the 2024/2025 academic year |
| International students | Full time | £15,500 for the 2024/2025 academic year |
Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University’s Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed “When tuition fees change”), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.
| Scholarships, grants and bursaries | Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for a non-repayable scholarship, grant or bursary to support your studies. |
|---|---|
| Disabled Students' Allowance | The Disabled Students’ Allowance can cover any study-related costs you have because of a mental health problem, long term illness or any other disability. |
| Student loans | Find out about securing a student loan, from how much you could be eligible for to when you need to start making repayments. |
| Accommodation costs | We offer a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget. |
| Additional course fees | Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet. |
| Course fact sheets | |
|---|---|
| BA (Hons) International Tourism Management | Download PDF |
| BA (Hons) International Tourism Management | Download PDF |
| Programme specifications | |
|---|---|
| BA (Hons) International Tourism Management | Download PDF |
| BA (Hons) International Tourism Management | Download PDF |
| Additional information | |
|---|---|
|
Applications open to international and EU students |
Yes |
Course length |
Sandwich, 4 Years |
