International Tourism and Hospitality Management module details
Year one
Block 1: Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality
This module is designed to introduce students to the ever-growing and changing Tourism and Hospitality sectors. Students will be introduced to the theoretical foundations as well as the historical emergence of contemporary tourism and hospitality industry. A fieldtrip into the city will support some of the historical contexts related to the emergence of contemporary tourism. The module will also explore the interrelationships between the two sectors as well as their linkages to other sectors such as the arts, heritage, festivals and events and creative industries. It will also explore the current opportunities and challenges of the tourism and hospitality sectors. The module also encourages students to think critically about the definitions of tourism and hospitality. Academic skills to support the learning for the Programme such as research methods, presentation delivery, referencing and essay writing will be incorporated into this module.
Assessment: Presentation 20% and Essay 80%
Block 2: Sustainable and Responsible Travel and Business
In recent years, sustainability has become a focus within the travel industry. It is essential to consider sustainable methods of travel both to and from the destination and whilst touring. This module presents the opportunity for students to engage with the ideologies of community based and international tourism models. Case studies such as the Bribri community in Costa Rica who live a sustainable life and invite tourists into their community; Iberostar who lead the way in sustainable tourism with a specific focus on their model “Wave of Change” will be used throughout. This module will also include a field trip to a regional airport, to consider efficiency, the planet and people. Links between hospitality, travel and tourism and global issues and frameworks such as the UNSDGs will also be explored. Academic skills to support the learning of the programme such as report writing and presentations will be incorporated into this module.
Assessment: Written Proposal 20% Presentation 80%
Block 3: Strategic Management in Tourism and Hospitality
This module is an introduction to the principles of Strategic Management in the Tourism and Hospitality sectors. These include the introduction to the key concepts of business strategy in tourism and hospitality, strategic objectives and an insight into the principles of implementation of these strategies in practice, within their respective contexts of operational, human resources, financial, as well as products and markets. Principles of financial management and the role and purpose of annual reports in tourism and hospitality are also covered. As a core part of the learning, students will need to demonstrate their understanding and ability to explain and apply core strategic management concepts to practical case studies in tourism and hospitality as well as provide an explanation into the key insights from industry annual reports, with a particular focus on demonstrating an understanding of profit and loss. This module develops the ability to understand and apply key strategic management concepts to relevant sector specific contexts. The learning on this module also supports learning for Marketing for Tourism and Hospitality, International Research Visit and Enterprise: Tourism and Hospitality Project.
Assessment: Report 20% and Case Study 80%
Block 4: Marketing for Tourism and Hospitality
This module presents the opportunity for students to explore and apply the key concepts in tourism and hospitality marketing such as marketing communication tools and strategies, integrated marketing communications, branding, marketing semiotics and semiotics of promotional materials, consumers and consumption, as well as explore the importance of digital marketing and User Generated Content (UGC) in contemporary tourism and hospitality marketing. To support the learning for this module, a range of case studies across the international tourism and hospitality sectors will be introduced including the sharing economy platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and the more recent platforms such as Moonback.com and Fairbnb Coop. An emphasis on sustainability and ethics in tourism and hospitality marketing will also be incorporated in the module. Throughout this module, students will explore a variety of case studies in relation to both their marketing practice as well as engagement with sustainable and, in relevant contexts, also community based tourism development. The module encourages students to think critically about the latest issues and challenges for tourism and hospitality within the digital age.
Assessment: Report 100%
Year two
Block 1: Programming and Planning Festivals
As the business environment becomes more complex the need increases for those wanting a career as arts managers or event managers within the tourism industry to develop management competencies which integrate different disciplines and traditions. In this module, students have the chance to develop their understanding of business and strategic planning for a one-off festival event in a 'real life' context. Collaborative activities will be included to support student learning. The core of the module is a festival case study that is used to introduce key concepts in programming and strategic planning and some management tools with which students can develop a business plan. It also addresses the principal areas of law that affect public events, and the requirements to host sustainable events, and the case study provides an in-depth understanding of accounting practice in the context of tendering and business planning for festivals and small organisational activities.
Assessment: Presentation 100%
Block 2: Tourism, Society and Culture
This module will enable students to gain an in-depth understanding of the complex relationships between tourism, society and culture. The module draws on insights from a range of relevant disciplines and fields of studies from the social sciences and humanities in its exploration of a range of relevant themes in this context such as the history of tourism; representations people, places and cultures; popular media and visual culture(s) of tourism; consumption of places; intercultural communication; and the fascinating relationships between heritage, tourism and identity as well as those between travel, tourism and art. The module frequently links its social science and humanities informed themes to a range of relevant concepts in tourism management and marketing, such as the concepts of destination image, overtourism and sustainability. Designed to underpin both an in-depth understanding of the multi-disciplinary field tourism studies as well as a range of potential future careers in tourism and related sectors, this module also features field trips to different cultural hubs in local cities to support an understanding of place, identity and heritage.
Assessment: Essay 60% and Presentation 40%
Block 3: International Tourism and Hospitality Research Visit
In this module, students develop their understanding of the needs of the traveller from the perspective of the Tourism and Hospitality sectors. The core of the module presents the opportunity for a 5-day international research visit to a European city. As an example, Amsterdam is the largest metropolitan area in The Netherlands and has many museums and cultural areas with a direct Eurostar line from London to Amsterdam which launched in October 2020. This allows for many tourists and business travellers to take a sustainable option; travelling by train rather than plane. Amsterdam City Council has also launched a campaign (30th March 2023) to discourage ‘nuisance tourists’ such as the hen and stag weekends. The assessment for this module includes primary research, enabling students to also gain an understanding of the ethical processes required for research. The assessment will be presented as a ‘real-life context’ to the academic team and a partner within the travel industry such as a tour operator/travel agent or general manager of a hotel.
Assessment: Presentation 100%
Block 4: Research Methods: Dissertation and Placement
The aim of this module is to connect the academic and practical elements of the Arts and Festivals Management and International Tourism and Hospitality Management degrees. Being able to carry out research is as much a fundamental requirement of being an effective manager as it is of being an academic. Through this module, students will have the opportunity to study research from an academic and applied perspective in preparation for either their third-year dissertation or placement. The module requires students to show evidence of how knowledge and understanding derived from the research methods lectures and assignments will be transferred into the research they carry out for their dissertation or placement proposal.
Assessment: Written Proposal 100%
Year three
Block 1: Tourism and Hospitality Products: Natural, Cultural, Eco and Dark Tourism
Tourists are turning to different ‘products’ for cultural experiences whether that be visiting and immersing themselves in nature and participating in nature-based or eco-tourism, experiencing heritage, arts and culture at a destination or engaging in slow or community-based tourism which includes activities such as slow travel or spending time with locals. Another type of tourism which this module will focus on is dark tourism which is associated to tragedy and death. This module therefore provides students with the opportunity to study a range of niche forms of tourism such as nature-based or eco-tourism, cultural tourism, creative, and dark tourism. Students will be presented with a range of case studies which will allow them to explore the factors which influence these forms of tourism. Students will reflect and evaluate the ethical foundations and sustainability of these forms of tourism. Students will also consider consumer behaviour and the relevant social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental factors which drive engagement with these tourism and hospitality products.
Assessment: Poster 50% and Report 50%
Block 2: Enterprise: Tourism and Hospitality Project
This module presents the opportunity for students to produce an individual business plan for either the Tourism or Hospitality sector that serves as a commercial and employability-relevant experience and synthesises existing knowledge and skills gained throughout the Programme. Students will explore gaps in the market and develop their own proposal ideas with SMART objectives. It requires students to compile a commercially viable business plan for a sustainable business that acts as a response to a societal challenge or opportunity. The final submission should also incorporate tools such as SWOT and PESTLE and will be communicated to an academic/and or industry professional.
Assessment: Proposal 30% and Business Plan 70%
Block 3: Destination Management and Marketing
This module presents the opportunity to build on the knowledge and skills gained from earlier modules, such as Marketing for Tourism and Hospitality, and to explore Destination Management and Marketing. The module focuses on themes such as tourism planning and development, destination life cycles, as well as destination branding and image, semiotics of promotional materials and the importance of integrated marketing communications for destinations. The module also provides an insight into the role of relevant organisations, such as National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) and Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), in both managing and marketing destinations. Through a reliance on a wide range of destinations and official tourism promotional campaigns, such as Amsterdam and IAMsterdam and Slovenia and I Feel sLOVEnia, the module will also highlight the relationships between tourism strategies and/or masterplans at destination level and their official tourism marketing campaigns. Through an understanding of the role and importance of DMOs for not only tourism and hospitality but also related sectors such cultural, heritage, leisure, festivals and events and creative industries, students will develop an in-depth understanding of destination management and marketing alongside skills such as critical thinking, teamworking, visual communication and presentation.
Assessment: Group Presentation 50% and Infographic and Report 50%
Block 4: Placement
This module aims to complete the student's preparation for a career in International Tourism and Hospitality Management. The placement will be over a four-week period (20 days) with an organisation of their choice within the sector. The placement will build on the applied experience that students will have gained from other elements of their programme to provide practical experience of employment in either the tourism or hospitality sector. The experience will be challenging, involving them in work that is both complex and demanding and requiring a high degree of initiative, effectiveness and commitment. It is expected that students will have the opportunity to participate in several aspects of their host's work. The focus for the placement will be agreed upon through negotiation between the student and their host with support from the module leader. The module will enable students to: observe and analyse the management of an organisation within their chosen area; critically evaluate the work of the host institution internally; specialise in an area of either tourism or hospitality in which they are interested; extend their range of contacts. This module will be supported by the Careers Team.
Assessment: Placement Report 100%
OR
Block 4: Dissertation
The dissertation aims to offer students the opportunity to explore in some depth a topic of their own choice, in which they will need to demonstrate competence in the extended application of a selected part of the methodology of the subject. It aims to develop competence in self-managed study and to deepen the student's awareness of the value of in-depth research.
Assessment: Viva 10% and Dissertation 90%