There has never been a better time to embark on a postgraduate course in Tourism. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games bring with them exciting opportunities for Tourism graduates. The opportunity to be involved in such a significant worldwide event is a stimulating, challenging, once in a lifetime opportunity.

 

Even now, 6 years prior to the event, careful planning and impact analysis is underway to ensure that expectations are met and negative impacts minimised. It is estimated by ‘Visit Britain’ that there could be a potential revenue boost of £2 billion from overseas visitors to the UK during the period between 2008-2017, with 67% of these between 2013-2017. (Visit Britain, 2006) All of these visitors need to be accommodated, entertained, fed and educated – this could be where you come in. If you are interested in applying for a postgraduate course in tourism then read on to find out more.

It’s not just the Olympics that makes now an interesting time to study a postgraduate course in Tourism, the ease of booking on the internet, the emergence of low-cost airline carriers and the rise of budget hotels have created interesting challenges and opportunities for the Tourism industry. It is estimated that the World Travel & Tourism economy employs 234,305,000 people and accounts for 8.7% of total employment. In 2006 it is expected that US$6,477.2 billion will be generated by World Travel and Tourism activity. (WT&TC, 2006)

An inspiring, exciting, fast-paced career in Tourism appeals to many, so much so that in 2004/05 over 1000 students chose to study Tourism or a related course full time at postgraduate level and 775 part time. (HESA, 2005) Studying Tourism at postgraduate level demonstrates your commitment to the subject and your ability to conduct research in this specialist area. Postgraduate study in tourism provides you with access to experienced individuals within the industry and offers the opportunity to network and share knowledge and experience whilst learning in a structured environment. In such a fast-paced competitive industry going that extra mile makes a huge difference, ultimately landing you the dream career you deserve!

Most postgraduate Tourism courses cover certain core subjects such as Tourism Principles and Practice, Business Strategy, Managing Organisations and Research Methods. Some now recognise the importance of hands-on real life experience and include a placement year as well. As a number of core management issues are covered you can be sure that your skills are very transferable. This provides you with the possibility of movement within the industry, hence offering a more diverse range of employment opportunities. Many universities throughout the UK offer postgraduate Tourism courses with certain specialisms such as Tourism & Marketing, Tourism & Hospitality, Tourism & Events Management allowing you to gain knowledge in differing disciplines and therefore tailoring your learning to feed into your career aspirations.

At BU we offer a well established portfolio of Tourism Masters courses including the option to study a semester or two at sites in Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain & Sweden. Our Masters courses a re designed to meet the present and future industry needs for managers, executives and other professionals. You will develop your management, research and analytical skills to be able to operate at a high level within the industry. Aristea Beni studying MSc Tourism Management & Marketing at Bournemouth University says “I chose the course because I already had an educational and professional background in the Tourism field and I wanted to improve my knowledge and thus be more competitive in the industry after my graduation.”

Lorraine Brown, Tourism Masters Framework Programme Leader at Bournemouth University says “studying for a Tourism Masters at BU gives students the chance to work with different nationalities and cultures from all around the world, offering them vital preparation for working in a mixed-nationality workforce and/or dealing with a mixed-nationality clientele. Students will be taught by research-active lecturers and professors, who are regularly called upon to work with actors from the tourism industry at a local, regional and international level. Discussion in lectures and seminars is therefore drawn from both industry and academia, ensuring a dynamic interplay between theory and practice”

When you see the careers students have carved out for themselves since graduating, the benefits of studying Tourism at postgraduate level speak for themselves:

• Manager of the Tourist Board in Rota, Cadiz
• Direct Marketer for Center Parcs, Europe
• Lecturer in Tourism Planning & Development
• Event Travel Manager, Nordic Ways, China
• Manager of Loyalty Programmes, Best Western Hotels
• Sustainable Tourism Officer, TUI, Netherlands
• Product Manager, Ski Horizon & Travel Horizon, Holland

The UK is ranked the worlds 5 th largest Travel & Tourism economy and is continuing to grow, bringing with it more jobs and more opportunities for the Tourism postgraduate. Do you want to be part of this huge industry, if so then go that extra mile….. apply for a place on a postgraduate course in Tourism.