Studies & Degrees in Tourism Management
Tourism Management Study Programs
Tourism management is the study of how tourism businesses and destinations are run. It covers hotels and other accommodation, travel agencies and tour operators, airlines and transport, events and congresses, visitor attractions and the public bodies that plan and promote a destination. It is a business degree applied to one sector: students take economics, accounting, marketing, human resources and law together with subjects specific to tourism.
The sector is large. According to UN Tourism, an estimated 1.52 billion international tourists were recorded worldwide in 2025, 4 per cent more than in 2024. Spain received close to 96.8 million international tourists in 2025, the highest figure in the series of the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).
Typical subjects are tourism markets and destinations, hotel operations, revenue management, digital marketing and distribution, event management, sustainability, tourism geography and heritage, and foreign languages. Most programmes include a work placement.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degree. In Europe a bachelor's degree has 180 or 240 ECTS credits. In Spain the bachelor's degree (grado) in Tourism has 240 ECTS credits and lasts four years. In the United Kingdom a BA or BSc usually takes three years, or four with a placement year: the University of Surrey offers its BSc (Hons) in International Hospitality and Tourism Management in both formats.
- Master's degree. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Master's programmes in tourism management are open to graduates of tourism and of other fields who want to move into the sector.
- Vocational training (FP) in Spain. The higher-level qualifications Técnico Superior en Gestión de Alojamientos Turísticos and Técnico Superior en Agencias de Viajes y Gestión de Eventos have 2,000 hours each. They lead to supervisory jobs such as head of reception, assistant manager of an accommodation business, travel agency office manager or event organiser.
- Hotel management schools. Specialised schools, many of them in Switzerland, combine business subjects with practical training and internships. Swiss Hotel Management School (SHMS), for example, offers a Bachelor of Arts in International Hospitality Management and several master's programmes. Students should ask each school which body awards and recognises the degree.
Where to study it
Our directory lists 56 schools for this subject. Spain has 22, the United Kingdom 10 and the United States 6. Austria has three, and Switzerland, Mexico and China two each. There are also schools in Canada, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Ecuador.
In Spain, tourism is taught at public and private universities, at affiliated university schools and at vocational centres. In Barcelona, CETT offers bachelor's degrees awarded by the Universitat de Barcelona as well as vocational programmes, and Euroaula teaches a Grado en Turismo. The Open Faculty in Murcia describes itself as the official seat of the Faculty of Tourism of the Universidad de Murcia; its four-year degree is taught in Spanish, online and on campus.
In the United Kingdom, examples from the directory are the University of Surrey in Guildford and London Metropolitan University, whose BA (Hons) in Tourism and Travel Management includes the option of a one-year work placement. In Austria, Modul University Vienna teaches all its programmes in English, among them a BBA in Tourism and Hospitality Management and an MSc in International Tourism Management, and states that they are accredited by AQ Austria.
Language is a practical criterion. Degrees in Spain are mostly taught in Spanish, with some English-taught options. Programmes in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, at Modul University Vienna and at Swiss hotel schools are taught in English. Employers in the sector value a second and third language.
Careers
Graduates work in:
- hotel and accommodation management: reception, reservations, revenue, sales, general management
- travel agencies, tour operators and online travel companies
- event, congress and incentive travel management
- airlines, cruise companies and airports
- destination management and public tourism bodies
- consultancy and tourism market research
A degree is not always required to enter the sector, but it shortens the path to management. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that lodging managers typically need at least a high school diploma, while event planners typically need a bachelor's degree. In the United States, lodging managers held about 54,800 jobs in 2025. Their employment is projected to grow 4 per cent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average, with about 5,500 openings a year. For meeting, convention and event planners the projection is 6 per cent growth, faster than the average, with about 16,800 openings a year.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a tourism management degree take?
Four years in Spain (240 ECTS credits). In the United Kingdom it usually takes three years, or four with a placement year. A master's degree adds one or two years.
What is the difference between tourism management and hospitality management?
Tourism management looks at the whole sector: destinations, travel companies, transport and events. Hospitality management concentrates on hotels, restaurants and guest services. Many degrees combine both.
Can tourism be studied without going to university?
Yes. In Spain the higher-level FP qualifications in tourist accommodation management and in travel agencies and event management take 2,000 hours and lead to supervisory jobs. They also give access to university.
Which languages are needed?
The language of instruction of the programme, at the level the school requires, and English for almost any international job. Applicants should check the language requirement on each school's admission page.