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Studies & Degrees in International Tourism Management

International tourism management is a business degree applied to travel. Students learn how hotels, tour operators, airlines, destinations and event companies are run, and how tourism affects the places and people that receive visitors. The word "international" points to two things: the industry works across borders, and the programmes usually include languages, study abroad or work placements in other countries.

York St John University, in England, describes the approach in its BA (Hons) International Tourism and Hospitality Management: students discover how businesses operate and learn to apply these principles to the tourism and hospitality sectors. They also study the importance of tourism and hospitality in global economic development, with a focus on sustainability and ethical practice.

What students learn

  • business foundations: economics, accounting, marketing, statistics and law
  • tourism subjects: destination planning, tourism marketing, the structure of the tourism market, heritage and sustainable tourism
  • hospitality and events operations
  • foreign languages, which carry particular weight in Spanish degrees
  • practical experience through placements, study tours and a final project or thesis

Practical experience takes different forms. York St John students can take a placement year between years 2 and 3 and can study abroad for a semester at a partner university. London Metropolitan University offers work placement opportunities, including a one-year sandwich placement, on its BA (Hons) Tourism and Travel Management, but it does not guarantee a placement: students are required to find and secure it themselves. The same course includes an overseas study tour.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree in the United Kingdom. The York St John degree takes 3 years full time, or 4 years with a placement year, and is accredited by the Tourism Management Institute. The minimum entry requirements are 104 UCAS Tariff points and 3 GCSEs at grade C/4 or equivalent, including English Language.
  • Bachelor's degree (grado) in Spain. Official Spanish bachelor's degrees have 240 ECTS credits. The Grado en Turismo taught at The Open Faculty in Murcia, the official seat of the Faculty of Tourism of the Universidad de Murcia, lasts 4 years, is taught in Spanish on campus or online, and includes English plus German or French.
  • American-style bachelor's degree. Schiller International University offers a Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality and Tourism Management: 4 years, 120 American credits (240 ECTS), taught in English at its campuses in Madrid, Paris, Heidelberg and Tampa. Through a partnership with the University of Roehampton, students can earn a dual degree without relocating to London.
  • Master's programmes. EAE Business School in Barcelona offers a full-time Máster en Gestión Turística Sostenible de Recursos y Destinos of 60 ECTS credits, taught in English from October 2026. Its qualifications are the schools' own (títulos propios), including a máster de formación permanente from the Universitat de Lleida; they are not official master's degrees. Candidates need a university degree with prior knowledge of the field or extensive professional experience in the sector.

Where to study it

The SpainExchange directory lists 10 schools for international tourism management. Four are in the United Kingdom and two in Spain; Germany, the United States, Italy and Australia have one each. Most of these programmes are taught in English. In Spain, students can choose between Spanish-taught official degrees and English-taught programmes at private business schools.

When comparing programmes, check whether the degree is official in its country, how much language teaching it includes, whether a placement is guaranteed or must be found by the student, and whether study abroad is part of the plan.

Careers

Graduates work in hotels and resorts, tour operators and travel agencies, destination marketing organisations, airlines, events companies and public tourism bodies. A degree is not always a formal requirement, but it helps with access to management roles.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics illustrates this. Lodging managers, who ensure that guests have a pleasant experience at an accommodation facility, typically need at least a high school diploma, although full-service facilities may prefer candidates with a bachelor's degree in hospitality or hotel management. The Bureau counted 54,800 lodging manager jobs in 2025 and projects employment to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. Meeting, convention and event planners typically need a bachelor's degree, and their employment is projected to grow 6 percent over the same period.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an international tourism management degree take?

Three to four years. The York St John degree takes 3 years full time or 4 years with a placement year. The Spanish Grado en Turismo and the Schiller bachelor's degree both last 4 years.

Can I study tourism management in Spain in English?

Yes. Schiller International University teaches its bachelor's degree in English at its Madrid campus, and the EAE Business School master's in Barcelona is taught in English. The Grado en Turismo at The Open Faculty in Murcia is taught in Spanish.

Is a work placement guaranteed?

Not always. York St John offers an optional placement year. London Metropolitan University states that it cannot guarantee a work placement and that students must find and secure it themselves, with guidance from the university.

Is the EAE master's an official degree?

No. The Máster en Gestión Turística Sostenible leads to the schools' own qualifications (títulos propios) of 60 ECTS credits, not to an official Spanish master's degree.