Studies & Degrees in Tourism
Tourism Study Programs
Tourism studies deal with how travel works as a business and as a public policy: hotels and other accommodation, travel agencies and tour operators, transport, events, destinations and the heritage and nature that visitors come to see. It is an applied, interdisciplinary subject that mixes business administration, economics, marketing, geography, law and foreign languages. The sector behind it is large: according to UN Tourism, an estimated 1.52 billion international tourists were recorded worldwide in 2025, 4% more than in 2024.
A typical degree covers the economics and structure of tourism markets, company management and accounting, marketing, tourism law, destination planning, cultural heritage, quality and sustainability, and at least one or two foreign languages. Work placements in companies are a common part of the course.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degree. In Europe a bachelor's degree consists of either 180 or 240 ECTS credits. In Spain the official Grado en Turismo has 240 ECTS credits, at 60 per year. The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) teaches it fully online in Spanish or Catalan: 60 credits of basic subjects, 126 compulsory, 48 optional and a 6-credit final project, with compulsory English to level B2 and German or French. The UOC states that its degree holds the UNWTO.TedQual certification of the World Tourism Organization. In the United Kingdom, the University of Westminster in London lists a Tourism Management BA Honours alongside degrees in event and hotel management, and Anglia Ruskin University offers a BSc (Hons) Tourism Management with an optional placement year.
- Vocational training in Spain (FP). The hospitality and tourism family has three higher-level qualifications of 2,000 hours each that lead directly to tourism jobs: Técnico Superior en Agencias de Viajes y Gestión de Eventos, Técnico Superior en Guía, Información y Asistencias Turísticas and Técnico Superior en Gestión de Alojamientos Turísticos. The education ministry describes the second as the qualification for those who want to work as tourist guides.
- Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Graduates in tourism and in other fields use them to specialise in areas such as destination management, hotel management or events; Westminster, for example, offers a Tourism Management MA full-time or part-time.
- Hospitality schools. Specialised private schools concentrate on hotel and luxury management. Glion, founded in 1962 and with campuses in Switzerland and London, offers bachelor's and master's degrees that combine classes with professional internships.
Short courses and language courses for tourism staff also exist. They can be useful for work, but they are not degrees; ask the school what recognition its certificate has.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 223 active schools for tourism. Spain has the most, with 74, followed by the United States (21) and the United Kingdom (20). Argentina has 8, Australia 7, Ecuador 6, and Canada, Cambodia and Brazil 4 each; Italy, France and Bulgaria have 3 each.
In Spain the list includes public universities such as the Universidad de Cádiz and the Universidad de Oviedo, the online UOC, and private schools such as EIDE in the Bilbao area. Abroad it includes the University of Westminster, London South Bank University and Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom, The Ohio State University in the United States, the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, Avignon Université in France and Glion in Switzerland.
Degrees are normally taught in the language of the country, and tourism adds languages on top: the UOC degree, for instance, includes English and German or French. For international students this makes tourism a practical way to combine a degree with language learning, but check the level required at entry.
Careers
Graduates work in accommodation (hotel management, reservations, sales), food and beverage, travel agencies and tour operators, event organisation, destination promotion and tourist offices, heritage and product development, and consultancy. The UOC lists roles such as hotel manager, head of reservations, tourist office manager and local development agent.
For the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of lodging managers to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035 and employment of meeting, convention and event planners to grow 6 percent. Employment of travel agents is projected to show little or no change, with about 5,900 openings each year. A degree is not always required: the Bureau notes that lodging managers typically need at least a high school diploma, and that travel agents need at least a high school diploma although employers may prefer candidates with a college degree or travel-related courses. These figures refer to the United States only.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a tourism degree take in Spain?
The official Grado en Turismo has 240 ECTS credits. Spanish degrees are organised at 60 credits per year, so it takes four years full-time.
Is there a shorter route than a university degree?
Yes. In Spain the higher vocational qualifications (FP de grado superior) in travel agencies and event management, tourist guiding and information, and accommodation management last 2,000 hours each.
Which languages do I need to study tourism?
The language of the country where you study, plus foreign languages that are part of the course. The UOC degree, for example, includes English to level B2 and German or French.
Can I study tourism online?
Yes. The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya teaches its official Grado en Turismo 100% online, and other listed schools, such as the University of Phoenix and Warnborough College Ireland, teach at a distance.