BA (Hons) Tourism Management at University of East London

Tourism is a fast-growing industry, contributing over £2.7 billion to the UK economy in 2017. This course is designed to give you the best possible start to a career in the sector, taking full advantage of our prime location in one of the world’s greatest tourist destinations.

The course is designed with your career in mind; it is accredited by the Institute of Hospitality and you’ll benefit from placements and guest lectures held with industry leaders across London. You’ll have a choice to study the core BA, or one of two targeted pathways – International Tourism and Tourism Entrepreneur – that allow you to focus on tourism on a global scale or entrepreneurship in the tourism industry.

UEL is conveniently located a short walk away from London City Airport and some of the capital’s most famous venues – including the Excel Centre and O2 Arena – and learning in London gives you access to some of the best hotels, restaurants and attractions in the world.

What you'll learn

The course covers a wide range of topics that are essential for a career in tourism management, as well as broader themes in business management that will root your understanding of tourism in the wider business environment, helping you to remain flexible in the job market and contribute more to your employer.

Pathways
During your degree you may choose to study one of the following pathways:
BA (Hons) Tourism Management
BA (Hons) International Tourism Management
BA (Hons) Tourism Entrepreneur

The first and second years are the same for all pathways and you’ll be able to choose your specialism after completing the second year. If you choose the International Tourism pathway, you will study for an extra year, taking a year-long placement at one of our overseas partners after the second year. If you opt to study the core BA you will go straight into your final year and choose between a Research Project or Consultancy Project. Opting to take the Tourism Entrepreneur pathway will ensure you study the Enterprise Project module, giving you practical training in establishing and running your own tourism business.

Course structure
The first year is focused on building your key skills in tourism management while cementing the basics of good business, such as people management and marketing. 

In the second year, you will study core modules that cover different practical aspects of tourism management, including destination marketing, strategic management and finance. You will also have the chance to choose from a number of optional modules that allow you to focus on themes such as e-business, social media or events. You will also have the option of undertaking a work-based project that takes the form of a real internship at an organisation in the tourism industry.

The third year is the overseas placement year for International Tourism students or the final year for those taking the core BA or Tourism Entrepreneur pathways. In this year you will focus on an individual Research Project, Consultancy Project or Enterprise Project (for Tourism Entrepreneur students), giving you the chance to apply your skills to a practical project of your choice. You will also study core modules covering innovation and enterprise, sustainable tourism, sports and event tourism, and anthropology with further optional modules to choose from.