BA (Hons) Tourism Management

Core Units:

• Fundamentals of Business & Management: This unit aims to develop your understanding of the business context across industry and sectors globally. You will cover the key issues and challenges facing businesses going forward and the essential role of people in dynamic, resilient and complex organisations. You will explore key functional business areas including marketing, finance, accounting, economics, people management, and organisational behaviour.  
• Academic & Professional Practice: You will build your confidence in both academic and professional skills. This unit will cover the academic skills which will be required at degree level study and you’ll practice them throughout the unit with support from key university services including the library and study skills team. There will also be opportunity for you to reflect on and develop your own professional skills through interactions with employers, careers services and online resources. 
• Fusion Business Project: You will undertake a business project based on a real issue or problem. The Fundamentals of Business & Management unit will support you in understanding key issues and challenges which could form the basis for your project.  Projects will be undertaken in workplaces, community settings or part of research processes related to your chosen field of study. You will be allocated an academic mentor who will support you in developing and undertaking the project. 

Core units:

• The Tourism & Hospitality Industries: Covers the origins, development and organisation of the tourism and hospitality industries, and the opportunities and challenges facing organisations operating in and across the various sectors.
• Understanding the Tourist: Explores the nature of tourists, the roles they play, their needs and wants, and behaviour, drawing on ideas from the psychology, sociology and anthropology of tourism.
• Marketing for Tourism & Hospitality: Develops your knowledge and understanding of marketing as an essential function for tourism and hospitality management, and provides you with an understanding of the concepts, functions and processes of marketing as practiced in the service industries.
• The Visitor Economy: This unit will introduce you to the key principles of the visitor economy. It looks at the influence of economic factors on consumer demand and the how external environment influences tourism businesses and consumers. It also examines the economic impacts of the visitor economy on destinations and communities. 
• Sustainable Tourism Destinations: This unit will help you develop a thorough understanding of sustainable tourism in a destination context. You will learn about the meanings of sustainability, the Sustainable Development Goals, and how tourism can contribute to meeting these goals in destinations. You will also look at the range of tourism impacts in destination settings, and how these can be sustainably managed.
• Tourism, Wildlife & the Environment: You will study the interactions between nature, wildlife and tourists in natural and semi-natural sites/ settings, and examine a range of global threats to biodiversity as well as the issues relating to the conservation of individual species and their natural environments.

Core units:

• Tourist Operations Management: You will develop understanding of the roles and business models of intermediaries and distribution within tourism. There is a particular focus on tour operations and you’ll learn how a package is put together and the key travel regulations and management issues that need to be considered.
• Managing People in Tourism & Hospitality: Helps you to develop awareness and understanding of the complexities associated with managing people in tourism and hospitality contexts, by introducing you to the principles and practices of contemporary human resource management.
• Tourism & Technology: You will look at the role of technology in the tourism system, and explore the rapidly evolving technological landscape within which the Tourism and Hospitality Industries are situated. You will also understand the power and risks inherent in applying new and innovative technologies in tourism contexts.
• Finance for Tourism & Hospitality: Introduces and develops core business skills in accountancy and business analysis, to prepare you for the demands of financial and management accounting functions in performance analysis and decision making.
• The Tourist Experience: This unit looks at some of the commonplace but often overlooked aspects of what it means to be a tourist. You’ll look at issues such as freedom, authenticity, photography, emotions, transformation, misbehaviour and fantasy. The unit also focuses on how broader global social and cultural changes are reshaping the experiences of tourists.

​Option units (choose one):

• International Tourism Destinations: Fieldwork Studies: This unit focuses in detail on tourism destination development and management through an intensive period of fieldwork in an overseas destination. You will focus on how the destination has developed, current issues, and how it is responding to future challenges.
• Project Management: This unit will enable you to develop a critical awareness of project management, together with an understanding of the role and responsibilities of different stakeholders. You will evaluate a range of techniques that are available for effective project management in the context of organisational change and complexity.
• The Live Event: ​​The aim of this unit is to enable you, whilst working in groups, to experience the practical implementation of setting up a live event, whilst exploring concepts and theories relevant to event management. You will explore issues such as strategic planning, risk management, budgeting and finance, cultural diversity, and issues of sustainability for the Event Industry. You will work alongside a client to ensure that the live event fully meets their objectives.
• The Changing Coastal Resort: This unit introduces students to the changing state of the coastal resort in history, culture, politics and society from the eighteenth century to the present.
• A unit from another programme under the open curriculum.

Placements are compulsory but the length of the placement is optional with a minimum of 6 weeks (‘short’) taken as part of a 3 year degree or a minimum of 30 weeks (‘long’) taken as part of a 4 year degree.

Whichever option you chose, the placement will be a supervised work placement in the UK or overseas which gives you the opportunity to turn theory into practice in a business environment. You’ll gain practical experience that could help you secure a management-level position immediately after graduating.

There’s a variety of placement opportunities, ranging from high-street catering, hotels and licensed retail outlets to leisure centres, theme parks and large-scale event management.

Core units

• Dissertation OR Consultancy Project:
• Dissertation - An opportunity to develop an independent academic research project of interest to you in the tourism or hospitality field, involving the collection, interpretation, critical analysis and presentation of data/ findings, and a test of your investigative and analytical problem-solving abilities.
• Consultancy Project - Working to a brief set by one of our industry partners, both as an individual and in teams, you will develop awareness, understanding and appreciation of the principles and practices of business decision making and the ability to consult within the tourism and hospitality sector, as well as vital project management, analytical and interpersonal skills.

• Strategy for Tourism & Hospitality: You will develop your understanding of the principles and practice of strategy and analyse how tourism and hospitality businesses respond to changes (both big and small) in the external environment. You’ll be able to analyse tourism and hospitality businesses and organisations and understand the rationale and logic behind the strategic and tactical decisions that they take to remain competitive.
• Tourism Issues & Futures: We will examine a range of critical and contemporary issues that you may not have encountered previously, with the aim of broadening your horizons and understanding of tourism. You will be challenged to think critically about issues that you may have previously taken for granted, and be encouraged to reflect critically on your own experiences and practices as a tourist.

Option units (choose two)

• Digital Marketing: This unit will equip you with technical skills and the conceptual understanding of how to engage effectively in digital marketing, which has evolved to the extent that it has become the dominant form of marketing in the majority of organisations.
• Small Business Management: You will learn an understanding of the role of small businesses in the economy, to appreciate how small businesses are different through their problems, advantages, aims, objectives. You will also build knowledge in enterprise awareness and how to foster an entrepreneurial mindset with the practical capability to assess business opportunity.
• Event Engagement: You'll explore audience and consumer engagement theories and practices to better understand engagement and participation.
• Financial Management: This builds on your earlier studies in finance and accounting. You’ll develop an appreciation for how organisations make financial decisions within the context of corporate strategy, and an understanding of the role(s) of financial management in organisations.
• Food, Culture & Travel: You will explore the complex relationships between food, culture and travel within an international context, and from commercial and social perspectives, reflecting on aspects of critical food studies and debating a wide range of relevant topics.
• International Event Management: Evaluate and apply management theories and techniques to the effective organisation of international events. This unit will help prepare you for careers operating in international events and markets.
• International Human Resource Management in Hospitality & Tourism: This unit addresses current human resource management opportunities and challenges such as talent management, mobility and staff retention, which shape the international hospitality and tourism industries and organisations. It provides a forum in which you can critically analyse and reflect on relevant issues and their impact on business and your own management career.
• Managing Crises & Disasters: This unit develops your understanding of concepts and theories of crisis and disaster management and their relevance for the travel and tourism, hospitality and events sectors. You will participate in several disaster simulation exercises, providing insights into the conduct of disaster management.
• Sport Tourism: This unit will develop your systematic understanding of the nature, diversity and features of sport tourism, while developing a detailed knowledge of the changing demands for sport tourism, the supply structures and an examination of its impacts and responses of both sport, event and tourism providers. 
• Tourism & Hospitality Design: This unit addresses the role and significance of design in and for the Tourism and Hospitality Industries. You will develop the skills necessary to appraise design in relevant real-world contexts, with an emphasis on creative thinking and practice.
• Visitor Attraction Management: This unit will explore the factors and issues that influence the development and management of visitor attractions in the UK and other countries. It aims to develop your awareness, understanding and appreciation of the principles and practices relating to the development and management of visitor attractions.
• Wildlife & Ecotourism: You will evaluate a diverse range of management approaches and strategies adopted to conserve and protect the natural environment, and appraise the philosophy and practice of wildlife tourism, nature-based tourism and ecotourism, which have emerged and expanded in both developed and developing countries in recent decades.
• A unit from another programme under the open curriculum.

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of BU’s taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry.

If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

As well as valuable experience of tourism you’ll develop an understanding and appreciation of how individual organisations operate and their inter-relationship within the wider context of tourism.

The knowledge and skills developed on placement and the opportunities for learning from and networking with professionals are known to enhance your performance, results and employment prospects.

The faculty running your course will offer the support of a Placement Co-ordinator.  

Through timetabled sessions and one-to-one appointments, they’ll help support you in your placement search including advice on finding a placement, information and advice on all aspects of job searching and job applications, as well as ensuring your proposed placement meets the requirements of your course.  

Our CareersBU service is also available throughout your time at BU, offering services like CV checking and careers fairs to meet employers.  

Placement Development Advisors will support you once you have started your sandwich placement – so you will be able to maintain contact with the university throughout.  

• TUI Travel
• Corinthia
• The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort
• Hong Kong Tourist Board
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Savoy
• Expedia
• The Tower Hotel
• National Express
• Le Meridien She Shan Shanghai.

Our students perform very well on placement and a number of firms return to us year-on-year to source BU placement students. They work in roles such as Management Intern, Operations/Reservations Coordinator, Trainee Manager, Digital Marketing Intern and Visa Specialist Intern.

We are looking for passionate, eager students who are going to make a real difference to the course they are studying. Our students learn from each other, as well as their academic staff, so it is really important to us that you can show us how much you care about the course you are interested in.

Your UCAS personal statement is a great place to do this. Tell us about your personal achievements or any relevant work experience you have done, and show us how they make you the ideal candidate for a place on the course.

Ideal applicants should also be able to demonstrate an interest in hands-on organisation, showing the skills to be innovative, flexible and enthusiastic managers. These skills are needed by an industry that exists to create something special for its customers. Good interpersonal skills are vital, and a wide range of interests is a real advantage.

We select candidates for this course by looking at your application; there are usually no interviews or selection activities needed. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. You can find some handy hints about filling in your UCAS form on our how to apply web pages.

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

If you are unable to meet the entry requirements, we may be able to make you an offer through AccessBU if you meet certain criteria e.g. you have been in care or live in an area where fewer people typically progress to Higher Education. If you don't meet our published tariff, we will accept you at least 8 points below if your personal circumstances match our AccessBU criteria. 

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

AccessBU: AccessBU provides you with the opportunity to tell us about your circumstances that are not always evident in your UCAS application. This widening access initiative also considers relevant criteria such as being in care or if you live in an area with a low participation rate in Higher Education - if you are eligible, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS tariff points below the published tariff.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, please submit your deferral request through our website.

Direct entry: We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please visit our RPL webpage for more information.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

The roles our graduates go into include:

• General Manager
• Assistant Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Customer Relations Manager
• Events Co-ordinator
• International Travel Consultant.

• Tourism
• Hospitality
• Leisure
• Events
• Marketing.

Once you have completed an undergraduate Honours degree, you can further develop your education by studying for a postgraduate degree. Please visit our postgraduate section for further details about our range of Master’s degrees.

Research degrees 

If you are a BU graduate you are eligible for a 20% ‘loyalty’ discount on the published fees for further programmes with us!  

Depending on your qualifications and experiences, you can choose to undertake a MRes or PhD level research degree. Bournemouth University has a strong tourism & hospitality research foundation within our Department of Marketing, Strategy & Innovation through a number of research centres, which explores theory, education and professional practice. 

Visit our postgraduate research courses for further details about research degree options with the Bournemouth University Business School and the funding options available. 

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatibility restrictions
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances 
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website
• Travel costs, outdoor wear and footwear for optional field trips (where applicable)
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas) if this is part of your course of study
• SportBU membership.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office verification charges.

While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

If you need to repeat one or more units during your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full-time fee.

Duncan joined Bournemouth University in September 2014. He is a human geographer by background, and all his teaching and research highlights the relationships between tourism, places and spaces. Much of Duncan’s research focuses on Romania, a country he has visited regularly since 1995. 

Adam is a Professor of Economics in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Bournemouth University, and Head of the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research. He is a specialist in computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelling. He has used this modelling technique to examine the economic interrelationships between tourism and other sectors of the economies of the UK, USA, Scotland, the Canary Islands, Malta, Cyprus, Mauritius, and Brazil. His research has provided both theoretical advances and research-based evidence for government organisations. 

With articles in journals such as Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, and Tourism Economics, Adam is a well-known researcher in the field of tourism economics. He is also a resource editor for Annals of Tourism Research, a member of the editorial board of Tourism Economics and a former President of the International Association for Tourism Economics.  

More recently, this has included modelling and analysis of the economic effects that tourism has on poor households in developing countries and the suitability of tourism promotion as a means of alleviating poverty. 

Tim joined Bournemouth University in June 2015 as Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management. He completed a PhD at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), successfully defending his thesis on the decline and restructuring of British seaside resorts in 2002.  

His research interests have since expanded to include new tourism spaces, places and experiences (such as urban beaches, virtual worlds and immersive events and performances), and tourism education/ pedagogy. These interests are underpinned by ideas associated with the ‘new mobilities paradigm’ and critical realism as a philosophy of/ for the social sciences. He has written several refereed journal articles, book chapters and other works, from positioning papers and literature reviews to multi-method empirical studies incorporating questionnaire surveys and interviews, document analyses and visual methods, and has co-edited three books to date.  

Tim’s involvement with the design, data capture and analysis for surveys of visitors to Bristol Urban Beach and the 2010 Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) Races illustrates the potential in much of his work for industry engagement and impact. Tim teaches/ has taught a range of units at undergraduate and postgraduate levels on tourism geographies, event management, marketing and research methods. He has supervised two PhD students to completion and examined several others. 

Dr Anya Chapman joined Bournemouth University in 2013 as a Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management. Anya previously worked at Liverpool Hope University as Programme Leader for undergraduate courses in Tourism and Leisure. Prior to joining academia Anya worked as a manager for a number of tourism organisations in the UK, including Blackpool Pleasure Beach, the Trafford Centre, and Namco Operations. Anya gained her PhD from the Management School at the University of Liverpool in 2012, with a thesis entitled ‘The Arcade Fire and Other Misdemeanours: Organisational Subcultures and Employee Misbehaviour in Amusement Arcades’.

Her current research interests and publications include work on the regeneration of coastal resorts; tourism development in Malta; tourism employment; and traditional attractions at British seaside resorts such as fairgrounds, piers, and amusement arcades. Anya serves on the Executive Committee of the National Piers Society and has visited all 61 seaside piers in the UK!

Steve is a senior lecturer in Tourism, and currently delivers units on tourism development and planning, introduction to tourism, visitor attraction management and research methods. He has over ten years consultancy experience which has encompassed development projects, policy reviews and evaluations, market appraisals, environmental impact assessments, and social and economic assessments.