International Tourism MA

MA students are introduced to tourism and the nature of this international industry. Over the course of the programme, students apply business principles to tourism from the disciplines of economics, management and marketing. These students are provided with the requisite knowledge to examine tourism performance and assess major factors confronting the industry, both nationally and internationally. Integral to the programme are important skills in communication, business planning and good decision-making.

Programme Aims:

• To prepare graduates from a variety of academic backgrounds for rewarding careers in tourism and related sectors;
• To enable students to gain an appreciation of the principal issues and trends affecting the international tourism sector, and
• To build the competence and expertise of participants in business functions and techniques relevant to the changing tourism industry

Students learn about tourism businesses and global tourism trends, modern tourism marketing and management in business, economics for analysing tourism, entrepreneurship and business consulting, relevant policy and planning issues, along with important research skills. The nature of the programme’s modules is geared to reflect the rapidly changing international tourism marketplace and the need for tourism planners to apply important business skills. As part of the programme content, students develop an understanding of the wide-ranging impacts of tourism on economies and societies.

MA students are presented with opportunities to learn about the new tourism economy, one that aims to prioritise sustainability, innovation, new technologies, new business ventures, modern management skills and new forms of marketing. Alongside a new travel ‘mind-set’, climate considerations, technological advancements and structural changes in global labour markets, the important skills in critical and creative thinking are key in all areas of tourism marketing, management, product design and destination planning.

Interaction with tourism practitioners and international faculty is a key element of the MA programme’s delivery. Students have exciting opportunities to engage in practitioner-based research, to evaluate potential for new business opportunities, to participate in a business consultancy process, to explore entrepreneurial potential and to develop specialist knowledge for assessing particular needs of the industry’s sub-sectors.

Academic research skills are advanced through use of case studies, project work and a dedicated research practice module leading to the completion of a thesis on a chosen topic in tourism. Students are encouraged to contribute to the development of knowledge on the tourism sector and to challenge some popular views on how tourism should be developed. In addressing research problems, students are guided by principles of ethics and responsibility throughout the process. 

Interactive learning is a key dimension of the programme both through class participation, presentations and the execution of team projects within specific modules. Classroom interaction offers an opportunity to generate and articulate innovative tourism ideas, to collaborate and to share case examples. This capitalises on requirements for skills in communication and networking as part of the learning process.

MA students develop business knowledge and skills for application in both tourism and related sectors of an economy. Tourism requires a well-informed and creative workforce. Developing specialist knowledge and skills is key for those in the private sector (large and small/micro businesses) and also, for those who wish to develop and implement policy in the public sector. Over the course of the programme, students are equipped to build competence and confidence in their learning, as they pursue goals to be ambitious, proactive, discerning and efficient in their endeavours.

This MA programme is delivered in a business school, i.e., the Kemmy Business School (KBS) which forms part of an elite group of ‘triple accredited’ business schools. The KBS holds three coveted international business school accreditations, namely AACSB, EQUIS & AMBA. These accreditations place the KBS in the top 1% of international business schools.

As an internationally recognised qualification, the MA award serves as a ‘portable’ qualification for graduates. This MA has been ranked again by Eduniveral as number 25 in the Top 100 ‘Best Masters’ programmes worldwide, in the field of Tourism Management, (November 2022). Within the KBS, the MA is run jointly by the university’s Department of Economics and the National Centre for Tourism Policy Studies (NCTPS). The Department (in conjunction with the NCTPS) has built a strong reputation in tourism policy analysis and in related fields. The NCTPS has been closely involved in the design of the MA programme, and makes ongoing inputs to its delivery.