Postgraduate courses in Tourism Management

Do you have excellent communication skills? Are you good with people and have a desire to provide high quality services while promoting tourism and building relationships? These are just some of the important aspects of working as a tourism manager. 

There are a number of postgraduate courses in this area that will give you the opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge in the industry and help you get to your desired managerial role. 

What is Tourism Management?

Tourism management is a leadership role that focuses on business management, promoting tourism and ensuring guest satisfaction. 

As a tourism manager/officer you will be responsible for promoting tourism and coming up with new ideas and initiatives for campaigns in order to generate more revenue. Examples of tasks you will carry out on a day to day basis include supervising staff, preparing visitor and tourist information, managing budgets, writing reports, making presentations, keeping statistics and financial records, as well as carrying out market research and keeping building and maintaining strong relationships with local businesses. 

Your overall role is to oversee day to day activities going on in the business and ensure the correct services are carried out for customers at a high standard. You will be expected to ensure everything runs smoothly. 

The tourism industry, and managerial roles in particular, are quite competitive. Therefore, it is an industry where you may need to start in a role such as an assistant, for example, and work your way upwards into managerial roles. 

Courses

There are many courses on offer in the area across the UK. Some courses offer the opportunity to study either part time or full time. Universities may have certain restrictions in place due to Covid-19 and may offer courses online. Courses available include:

International Tourism Management

Postgraduate courses in International Tourism Management will give you the opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge in the tourism industry. It will open up a world of opportunities from all around the world and allow you to gain a critical awareness of the current socio-economic, marketing and political challenges currently affecting the profession while enhancing your career and employability chances. Modules include International Tourism in the 21st Century and International Tourism Business as well as doing your research dissertation.

Tourism Management

A postgraduate course in Tourism Management will allow you to develop a range of management skills to achieve your goals. You will also gain an understanding of planning and development, tourist behaviour, marketing, finance and strategy in the tourism industry, including festivals, heritage sites, cities and resorts. Modules include Challenging the Tourism Consumption, Research Methodologies, Sustainable Tourism Management, Integrated Business Management and more. 

There are many courses available with the same title but their exact course content and structures may vary. Be sure to research your desired course in detail to ensure it is exactly what you are looking for. 

Entry requirements

Entry requirements may differ from course to course or university to university. Therefore, it is important to research your specific course in detail to ensure you meet the entry requirements. As these courses are postgraduate courses, you will need a bachelor’s degree. Some courses may accept a 2.2 degree while others will require a 2.1 in a relevant area.

Salary

Your salary in this area will be dependent on a number of factors. These factors include location, your employment type and your experience is also a major factor in the tourism industry. As a tourism manager, you may earn an average of £34,233 annually. Entry level positions will be closer to £29,000 and will rise with time and experience. Hourly rates are around £17.56 and may be subject to change depending on the factors listed above. All figures are based on estimates and are intended to be used as a guide only. 

Related Jobs

• Tourism Manager/Officer
• Hotel Manager
• Hotel Front Office
• Leisure Manager
• Catering Manager
• Event Manager
• Hotel Receptionist 
• Human Resource Agent
• Travel Agent

Potential Employers

• Tourist information departments
• Tourism offices
• Local authorities
• Commercial tourist attractions
• National Parks
• The National Trust

Skills and requirements

Skills and requirements helpful in this area include:

• Excellent communication skills
• Leadership skills 
• Confidence
• Ability to delegate work 
• Ability to give clear instructions 
• The ability to work well with others 
• Time management skills 
• Organization skills 
• Attention to detail  
• The ability to motivate others 
• Remain calm under pressure
• Adaptability 
• A knowledge of tourism and hospitality 
• Welcoming 
• Ability to keep up with growing trends and demands of the industry
• IT skills