Tourism Schools and Programs in Venezuela

Tourism Studies in Venezuela

In Venezuela, tourism is studied at university level mainly as a management degree. The usual route is a licenciatura in the administration of tourism companies (administración de empresas turísticas), which combines business subjects with the running of hotels, travel agencies, restaurants and destinations. Teaching is in Spanish.

SpainExchange lists one university in Venezuela with a tourism degree: the Universidad Nueva Esparta (UNE), a private university in the Caracas area. Spain's foreign ministry, in travel advice valid on 8 October 2026, recommends extreme caution when travelling to Venezuela and describes the security situation as very delicate in many parts of the country. Read the current advice for your nationality before planning a stay.

How the degree is organised

Undergraduate studies (pregrado) in Venezuela lead to a licenciatura or a professional title. At UNE, the School of Administration awards the title of Licenciado Administrador de Empresas Turísticas. The university describes its teaching model as competence-based, linking theory with professional practice.

According to UNE, students learn to create and manage tourism companies and to take strategic, financial, marketing and operational decisions. The degree page lists five specialisation areas:

• Hotel management, including accommodation, food service and events
• Management of tourist destinations
• Management of travel agencies
• Restaurant management
• Tourism planning and development

The published study plan also includes English courses up to the final periods, professional ethics, strategic planning, an elective on quality in tourism companies and a final degree project (trabajo de grado).

By law, every undergraduate student in Venezuela must complete community service before graduating. It lasts at least 120 academic hours, spread over no less than three months. UNE has its own coordination offices for community service and for work placements (pasantías laborales).

UNE does not list a postgraduate programme in tourism. Its master's degrees are in project management (Gerencia de Proyecto), aeronautical sciences and criminal law.

Where to study tourism

The Universidad Nueva Esparta is in Los Naranjos, in the municipality of El Hatillo in Caracas. Tourism is at the origin of the institution. Its founders opened the Colegio Nueva Esparta in 1954 and created a School of Tourism in 1968. In May 1973 they set up the Instituto Universitario Nueva Esparta, specialised in tourism companies. The university itself opened on 20 September 1989.

Today the degree in Administración de Empresas Turísticas belongs to the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, next to degrees in Administración and in the administration of design companies. The university also teaches civil and electronic engineering, computing, law and forensic psychology.

Admission, costs and visa

UNE handles enrolment itself and publishes an enrolment guide and application form for new students for each academic period; the documents on its site in October 2026 refer to the May to August 2026 period. The enrolment office is on the Los Naranjos campus. The university's public pages do not give tuition fees, so ask the university directly. Applicants who finished secondary school outside Venezuela should also ask which legalised documents are needed.

Foreign nationals need a visa for stays of more than three months, according to the Spanish travel advice. Recognition matters in both directions. In Venezuela, the recognition of foreign university degrees (reválida) is reserved for the national universities. Students who want to use a Venezuelan tourism degree in another country should check the procedure there before enrolling.

Careers

UNE states that graduates can work in the public, mixed or private sector, in any area of hotels and other tourism companies. The roles it mentions include:

• Management of hotels, resorts and other establishments
• Tourism marketing for companies and travel agencies
• Promotion and management of destinations in tourism offices
• Development of sustainable tourism projects
• Organisation of events, from festivals to conferences

No current official employment figures for tourism graduates in Venezuela were found.

Frequently asked questions

Which tourism degree can I study in Venezuela?

The Universidad Nueva Esparta in Caracas offers a licenciatura in Administración de Empresas Turísticas, a management degree focused on hotels, travel agencies, restaurants and destinations.

Is the degree taught in English?

No. Teaching is in Spanish, although the study plan at the Universidad Nueva Esparta includes English courses.

Is community service compulsory?

Yes. Venezuelan law requires every undergraduate student to complete at least 120 academic hours of community service, over no less than three months, to obtain a degree.

Do foreign students need a visa?

A visa is required for stays of more than three months, according to Spain's foreign ministry travel advice valid on 8 October 2026. Check the requirements for your nationality with a Venezuelan consulate.