This 5-year programme will be taught through a variety of methods, including lectures, field-based practical sessions, seminars and supervised independent research. The main aim of the course is to provide you with both lecturer-led instruction and experiential learning, with a focus on linking theory and practice. Whilst the importance of a good knowledge of subject theory will thus be emphasized, this will be taught with a view to ensuring that you will make the link to real-life situations. You are expected to conduct a formal supervised industry placement during the second year. Work placement allows you to gain invaluable experience, allowing for the applicability of theory into practice.

You will also be exposed to a range of different lecturers and will have the opportunity to benefit from the experience of invited guest speakers throughout the course and seminars. The intention behind this approach is to empower students to learn from the different perspectives that define the tourist experience.

The subject matter itself is interdisciplinary in nature. You will explore subjects such as Culture and Heritage as touristic products, Airlines and Airports Operations and Planning, Events Management, Special Interest Tourism, Passenger Transport Management, Sustainable Tourism and Destination Marketing and Management. The programme of study provides further opportunities for the student to focus on identifying and evaluating interactions through the development of linkages between different course components. Thus, whilst looking specifically at different aspects of tourism, students will also be guided in looking at these holistically.

A wide range of skills will be developed throughout the course, including research design and implementation, quantitative and qualitative data interpretation and analysis, and critical problem solving. Several of these skills will be transferable to on-the-job scenarios and to other real-life situations. Furthermore, you will be trained to be able to liaise and communicate with a wide audience, and to work successfully in interdisciplinary teams, skills which will likewise enhance their employment opportunities.

On successful completion of the course, you will be able to:

1. Understand and explain tourism within broader cultural, environmental, political and economic dimensions of society.
2. Interpret and evaluate tourism as a phenomenon and as a business system.
3. Understand and respect the diverse nature of tourism, including culture and place, global and local perspectives.
4. Apply relevant technology for the production and management of tourism experiences.
5. Plan and organize resources for effective and efficient management of tourism organisation and operations.
6. Create, apply, and evaluate marketing strategies for tourism destinations and organizations.
7. Identify trends and potential for more effective management of a tourism destination.
8. Develop an understanding of the role of culture and heritage in the tourism activity.
9. Exhibit clear understanding and commitment to ethical practices of tourism.
10. Understand and apply research methodologies commonly used in the context of tourism.

The main objective of the Tourism Studies programme is to prepare you to become an effective manager in the tourism sector whilst developing crucial transferrable skills. Specialised study-units are structured in a manner to provide the necessary understanding of the main issues facing modern tourism, and the nature of domestic versus international travel. You will be equipped with skills to critically analyse the tourism industry and its impacts on society, the environment and the economy.

Tourism Studies prepares you for the needs of tomorrow, inculcating a sense of innovation and entrepreneurship among the student body aspiring to seek out a career in the tourism industry.