Bath Spa University

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Tourism Management

Tourism is one of the world's fastest growing industries, employing over two million people in tourism-related jobs in the UK.

For more information about this course please visit the School of Science, Society and Management website.

This dynamic course offers a range of exciting modules aimed at developing skills that will enable you to participate fully in the tourism industry. It is a flexible course that allows you to follow your own interests in tourism and gain an internationally recognised qualification in Tourism Management.

You will study the management strategies and behaviour of tourism companies and develop business and management skills to enhance your career prospects. You will also investigate the impacts of tourism upon society, culture and the environment.

The World Heritage City of Bath is an ideal location in which to study Tourism Management. You will benefit from our established links with world-class visitor attractions and tourism businesses through visits, guest speakers and research projects.

Bath is a thriving cultural city with regular festivals, theatre, musical and sporting events. The city has over 150 restaurants, cafes and bars as well as some of the best independent shops in Britain. It offers a cosmopolitan buzz that makes this city an excellent place to live whilst studying.

The city is easily accessible by rail, close to the M4 and M5 motorways and has international connections via Bristol International Airport.

Course Structure and Content

The course is designed to deliver the essential information that you need for a successful career in the tourism industry. As the course progresses you are given more choice and flexibility to specialise in your area of expertise.

Within the course structure you can select your own pathway depending on your interests. For example, you can select modules that specialise in marketing, human resource management, finance, food, tourism geography, the environment and/or international development. You will develop your IT, data handling, research, problem solving and communication skills along with your ability to think critically in preparation for an exciting career in this global industry.

Year 1

Explore the key concepts and theories in Tourism Management from its organisation and impacts on people, places and the environment. You will investigate a range of visitor attractions, explore the business environment and consider the importance of sustainable approaches to tourism. The first year introduces you to the skills required to succeed in higher education and provides you with a firm foundation to your university studies.

• Compulsory Modules:
  • Tourism Geographies;
  • Managing Visitor Attractions;
  • Organisations and the Business Environment (double module);
• Option Modules:
  • Development and Sustainability;
  • Economics and Globalisation;
  • Global Food Issues;
  • Managing Data;
  • People and Place.

Year 2

Develop a range of tourism policy and planning skills in the management of tourism destinations and attractions. You will be trained in research methods allowing you to undertake a series of tourism projects. Learn more about marketing, human resource management and environmental management. You will have an opportunity to study overseas on a tourism project in a developing country. A range of graduate career opportunities in Tourism Management will also be explored.

• Compulsory Modules:
  • Tourism Planning and Research Methods (double module).
• Option Modules:
  • The Marketing Business;
  • Human Resource Management;
  • Financial Accounting;
  • Information and Operations Management;
  • Understanding Landscapes;
  • Cultural Geographies;
  • Sustainable Communities;
  • Overseas Development Experience;
  • Environmental Management.

Year 3

Investigate critically a variety of contemporary issues in Tourism Management. You will devise and manage your own research project in the Tourism Dissertation module. New forms of tourism and contemporary tourism issues are explored as well as an opportunity to participate in an overseas field trip to Barcelona. Choose from a wide range of modules to specialise in your area of expertise.

• Compulsory Modules:
  • Tourism: Contemporary Issues;
  • Tourism Dissertation (double module).
• Option Modules:
  • International Fieldwork (Barcelona);
  • Historical Geographies;
  • Marketing for Managers;
  • Management Accounting;
  • Enterprise: Creating a Business;
  • Applied Human Resource Management;
  • Business Strategy;
  • Managing Sustainability;
  • New Trends in Management;
  • More than a Game: Sport and the Modern World;
  • Globalisations: Crises and Opportunities.

Teaching Methods and Resources

You will be taught by specialist staff at this teaching-led university where students are placed at the centre of learning. Tourism Management staff are also research active and appear in international publications and conferences.

Student seminars, group-work and student presentations are underpinned by lectures. Visits to tourist attractions are an essential part of the course. There are several opportunities to study abroad; some students have recently studied in Japan, Spain, Italy, Germany and the United States. Students can participate in the Overseas Development Experience and spend several weeks in destinations such as Fiji, Peru, India or South Africa. Students can also take part in International Fieldwork in Barcelona, subsidised by the University. There is also an opportunity to suspend study and take a year out to gain further experience in the tourism industry or as a volunteer.

Assessment Methods

Students experience a variety of assessment methods from coursework (e.g. essays, projects, reports, presentations) and exams.

Future Careers

Many former Tourism Management students of Bath Spa University are now in senior industry positions. Examples include: Director of a travel company, Tourism Consultant with an international consultancy, Customer Services Manager at an international airport, Events and Conference Manager at a university, Transport Manager with a national rail company, Research Assistant with the civil service, Sales and Marketing Manager with a UK tour operator and Human Resource Manager with a 5 star London hotel.

Tourism Management students are entitled to become members of the Tourism Society, the leading professional organisation representing tourism managers in the UK. It enables students to play a more active role in the tourism industry and network with tourism professionals and other tourism students at various national events.

Student Profile

I chose to study Tourism Management at Bath Spa University because it's a small, friendly university. I have benefited from having approachable and helpful tutors. Also, studying Tourism Management in a top UK tourist city is ideal. It is a wonderful city to live in and the course has excellent links with local attractions. These links are complemented by guest speakers and fieldtrips, which along with work placements are great for putting theory into practice.

The course is flexible, allowing me to specialise or combine many other subject areas, particularly business management and tourism geography. I have chosen to specialise in business management as I hope to work in tourism marketing.

Kerrie Turner, BSc (Hons) Tourism Management.

Entry Requirements

220-260 UCAS Tariff points (eg BCD; BB+AS c).

Alternative qualifications welcome.