International Tourism Management BA (Hons)

The module will have two key strands:

In Strand 1 you will explore key themes in relation to tourism, tourism destinations and tourism businesses. These will include:

• Definitions, theories and types of tourism
• The size, scale and importance of international tourism
• Factors that influenced the development of international tourism
• Supply and demand including seasonality, sectors, structures and stakeholders
• Tourist types and typologies
• Types of tourism business

In Strand 2 you will be introduced to the real-life processes that help create successful tourism businesses. You will explore live case studies and visit local tourism businesses to experience their operation first hand and understand issues including:

• Operating environment 
• Revenue management 
• Organisation and HR issues 
• Quality management 
• Product design 
• Marketing

This module allows students to explores responsibility in the context of planning and delivering events and tourism objectives and their impacts in a range of environments and stakeholders. Students will be introduced to theories and concepts of sustainability, UN sustainable goals, carbon literacy training, responsible marketing, technology and examples of responsible practices in Events and Tourism. 

The following is illustrative of what the module will cover:

• Sustainability in events and tourism management
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their application
• Carbon literacy training for events and tourism
• Responsible marketing practices in Events and Tourism
• Creative approaches to responsible practices in Events and Tourism
• Technology for responsible events and tourism management
• Environmental, social, and economic impacts of events and tourism 
• Case studies of responsible events and tourism initiatives
• Ethical considerations in events and tourism management
• The future of responsible events and tourism

This module provides students with a critical understanding of the experience economy, focusing on management approaches to designing impactful and memorable experiences. Students will explore the concepts of authentic experience design and the use of interactive technology and creative marketing to shape the customer journey. Emphasis will be placed on atmospherics, storytelling, and the role of sensory stimuli, motivation, and co-creative participation in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of experiences for sustainable outcomes.

The following is illustrative of what the module will cover:

• Principles of the experience economy
• Experience design and customer journey 
• Typology of experience and motivation 
• Creative marketing strategies in the context of experiential economy
• Co-creating and staging experiences
• Evaluating experiences and recovering from failure 
• Planning and implementing immersive environments
• Interactive technologies in experience design

This module will use a series of workshops to explore key themes associated with digital capabilities, academic skills and professional development. Digital and professional skills will dominate the curriculum, offering students rich opportunities to develop their own knowledge and abilities. 

The topics will include, but are not limited to:

• Digital skills 
• Understanding how to utilise different digital platforms and applications 
• Emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
• Academic integrity including academic writing, referencing and responding to feedback
• Idea generation and problem solving
• Developing effective teams: team dynamics, negotiation and conflict resolution
• Commercial and subject/discipline awareness; understanding the academic and environmental contexts
• Personal management; planning and time management, avoiding stress and tackling assignments/exams
• Managing your professional image; CVs, social media profiles, portfolios
• Personal and professional development planning
• Career awareness and action planning

Chinese: Intermediate Language Development (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students who have completed GCSE in Chinese or equivalent. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

French: Communication in Practice (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students that have completed A-Level or equivalent in French. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop your oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

French: Intermediate Language Development (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students who have completed GCSE or equivalent in French. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

German: Communication in Practice (20 Credits) Option

This module enables students with A-Level German or equivalent to further develop their grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop your oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

Spanish: Communication in Practice (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students that have completed a A-Level or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

Spanish: Intermediate Language Development (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students that have completed GCSE or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

Subsidiary Language for Beginners (20 Credits) Option

This module provides the opportunity to study a new language from scratch and introduces you to basic grammar, vocabulary and cultural contexts. You will apply the language to practical situations using both oral and written skills. 

This module aims to investigate the issues associated with international tourism development from a global perspective. It seeks to explore how tourism can be a force for good in these countries but also considers the problems that it can cause; and provide in-depth understanding of different niche tourism.

Key themes include but not limited to:

• Globalisation and tourism
• Development theories
• Societal, environmental and economic impacts on tourism
• Tools and techniques for tourism development
• Destination competitiveness

Niche Tourism module explores specialised and emerging forms of tourism that cater to specific markets, interests, and motivations. Students will critically analyse the dynamics of niche tourism, its contribution to the tourism industry, and its socio-cultural, economic, and environmental impacts. By engaging with a variety of niche tourism examples and conducting research, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities within this diverse sector. This module will complement broader tourism studies by focusing on unique market segments and innovative practices shaping the future of tourism.

Illustrative topics that may be covered include:

• Adventure and extreme tourism
• Culinary and gastronomy tourism
• Heritage and cultural tourism
• Wellness and medical tourism
• Dark tourism
• Eco and sustainable tourism
• Volunteer tourism
• Film and pop culture tourism
• LGBTQ+ tourism
• Luxury and bespoke travel experiences

This module focuses on social media campaign planning and approaches to successfully engaging audiences through social media channels. 

This may include an exploration of social media marketing as a crucial component of broader marketing communications strategies; content creation for user engagement; methods for ensuring consistency across various digital touchpoints to strengthen brand presence; an overview of legal/regulatory considerations for social media marketers and an introduction to social media metrics for measuring campaign performance. 

The People Management module will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of key human resource management (HRM) principles and practices, particularly in the context of contemporary organisations.

Students will gain a solid foundation in upholding the standards and ethical behaviours outlined in the CIPD Code of Professional Conduct, ensuring that they develop a professional approach to people management. It will deepen their knowledge of HRM functions, allowing them to recognise and carry out critical activities such as resourcing, retention, reward management, employee engagement, and supporting the employment relationship.

Throughout the module, students will engage with both theoretical and practical aspects of people management. They will be encouraged to evaluate and improve the techniques used in managing people in the workplace, developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Real-world application of academic concepts will be a key focus, with students exploring case studies and presenting solutions to practical HR challenges.

Assessments will allow students to demonstrate their grasp of HRM concepts and their ability to apply them to real-life scenarios.

This module will enhance your employability through experiential learning. It will develop your graduate-level employment skills and enhance your understanding of workplace practice and lifelong learning. You will refine your transferable skills which will ensure your work readiness and employability prospects within the tourism industry. 

The project can be a city based, or company based. It may include field trips or simulation cases.

This module provides a structured, university-level work placement for 4, 5 or 7 weeks as one continuous block / period with a placement provider (i.e. a local employer from the private, public, or charitable sector). It is designed to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.  

The placement can either be organised by you or with support from university staff.  

All work placements within this module must be university-level; this means:  

• Undertaking high-skilled work commensurate with level 5 study (e.g. report writing, attending meetings, delivering presentations, producing spreadsheets, writing content on webpages, social media, marketing services/products etc)  

• Physically placed (albeit part of it can be hybrid) within an employer setting in one continuous block / period for 5 weeks for a minimum of 140-147 hours over the course of the entire work placement 

• Where applicable, your existing part-time employer can be approached/used as the placement provider, if the high-skilled work criterion above is fulfilled for the full duration of the placement.   

• All quality assurances/agreements provided by the University are adhered to, by you and the employer.  

The work placement context may not necessarily, reflect your degree discipline per se, but rather, it will give you an enriched experience to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting. 

Or you can choose ONE of the following:

• University Placement Year Optional
• Subject Placement Year Optional
• International University Placement Year Optional

This module considers how public bodies and destination management organisations (DMOs) can contribute to the development of sustainable places. It includes:

The need for sustainable destination planning and management

Theories and models used in the development and management of international destinations

Practical approaches to destination planning and management applied at international, national, regional and local levels and in a range of different types of place according to their environment and the extent of their existing tourism volume and challenges.

Topics covered include: 

• Stakeholder engagement
• Destination research and forecasting
• Strategic Policy development
• Destination planning techniques
• The role of different types of destination management organisation
• Destination branding and place shaping
• Place promotion and marketing
• Destination management techniques

The module will provide a critical understanding of most current trends and innovations that impact the tourism and events industry. By researching a diversity of issues and sharing the findings with their classmates during presentations, all students will gain an in-depth insight into the ‘state of play’ of 21st-century tourism. The subject takes a macro approach of trends and students will find knowledge gained useful when they are studying other, more specialized aspects of the hotel and tourism industry during their course. 

The following is illustrative of topics that can be covered:

• Digitalisation (e.g. AI, AVR, Hybrid, mobile technology) in the tourism and event
• Overtourism/detourism issue
• Terrorism, security, crowd management and  risk management
• Diversity and inclusion in tourism and event setting
• Cultural sensitivity 
• Tourist and event attendees' health and disease
• Innovations in tourism and event development
• Attendee's and tourists' behaviour 
• Sustainability trend
• Authenticity and commercialisation in tourism and events

This module enables students to develop their expertise as professional consultants in events and tourism. Students will applyindustry-specific methods, techniques, and practices to develop problem-solving solutions. By engaging with real-world challenges faced by organisations, students will learn to craft practical and innovative consultancy proposals that address these challenges effectively. The module emphasises creative thinking, critical thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively.

Illustrative topics include:

• Building a personal and professional brand as a consultant
• Interpreting client briefs and managing expectations
• Understanding and solving business challenges specific to events and tourism
• Industry-specific research and analysis
• Stakeholder management and engagement
• Developing and presenting creative concepts and proposals
• Marketing strategies for events and tourism industries
• Budgeting and financial management for projects
• Risk management in events and tourism consultancy
• Negotiation and conflict resolution strategies
• Technology and digital transformation in events and tourism
• Evaluating project or campaign outcomes
• Sustainability practices in events and tourism
• Ethical considerations in consultancy for events and tourism

This module will explore and examine a range of key themes, theories and concepts in order to develop knowledge and understanding for students to appreciate the complexity of managing, leading and operating in the Third Sector. Via a range of interactive lecture/workshops students will study inter-related themes such as:

• Fundraising mechanisms, approaches and opportunities 
• Reasons and motivations for giving and supporting the Third Sector
• The role of the Charity Commission
• Contemporary trends and issues in the Third Sector
• The role of philanthropy and altruism 
• Third Sector Regulations and Governance 
• Trustees and board management
• Financial management in the Third Sector
• The Donor Pyramid and Donor Journey
• Association with celebrity's as Patrons and the Brand impacts
• Challenges facing the Third Sector 
• Public support and perception of the Third Sector 
• Legislation and law within the Third Sector 

This module should be advantageous for graduates seeking employment in any industry. For Non project managers to develop knowledge of the concepts, processes, tools and competencies for managing projects and be able to apply these in real life situations in any industry and job role. Module should enable students to acquire up to date knowledge on Project Management in a modern workplace, specifically looking at what makes projects successful and why they fail.

Retail Management

An interactive module examining the contemporary retail environment.

Food, fashion, cars, houses, books, electricals, DIY, etc etc.; retail is a significant and important sector employing almost 3 million in the UK alone.

The module does not simply teach students ‘how to run a shop’ – as the sector is so broad, and this is best learned on-the-job with the specific retailer. This module is more strategic in nature, examining the challenges and opportunities of the constantly changing retail landscape, exploring retail management concepts, contemporary topics as consumer behaviour and preferences evolve.

As well as learning about retail, this module will also provide you with an opportunity to develop your commercial awareness by learning from not only academics but also retailing specialists who contribute to the module.

Students will also develop employability skills, in readiness for your graduate job opportunities due to the nature of the assessment.

The module is designed to enable students to develop and apply business research and analytical skills that will enhance their employability and rapid progression to management positions in the workplace. It requires them to: 

• Undertake a research project that is 'scoped and framed' within a required degree programme of study.
• Design and conduct appropriate in-depth research in an elected area of study.
• Acquire, consolidate and apply theoretical knowledge, methodologies, and research approaches in a ‘real world’ environment.
• Develop and utilise skills in critical investigation; analysis and synthesis of evidence; reflection and autonomous learning.

This is a self-directed module which enables and empowers students to initiate and develop their own project concept appropriate to their discipline of study.

Students within their final year of studies are very focussed on their ultimate work aspirations, and this module aids them to gain 'graduate trajectory' and enable them to better move into their chosen profession / industry as seamlessly as possible upon graduation.  

After the initial lectures setting out the style and scope of the module and opportunities, students decide on the content of their project and assessment (co-creation), and pitch this to staff by way of an initial project proposal.

Students then receive tutorial support and supervision throughout the year and agree the form that their final assessment will take. Students are encouraged to work with other stakeholders (internally or externally) where appropriate in the developing the project or work.