Adventure Tourism Management

Adventure tourism management is the discipline concerned with the planning, delivery, and management of outdoor and adventure-based tourism activities in natural and wilderness environments. It encompasses activities such as hillwalking, mountaineering, kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and other forms of active outdoor recreation, as well as the businesses, organisations, and management structures that enable people to access and enjoy these experiences safely and sustainably. The sector sits at the intersection of tourism management, outdoor education, and environmental stewardship, requiring both commercial acumen and a genuine commitment to safety and sustainability.

At the University of the Highlands and Islands, this part-time programme is delivered in one of the most spectacular and ecologically significant natural environments in Europe, the Scottish Highlands and Islands, which is also one of the UK's most important adventure tourism destinations. The location gives the programme an authenticity and practical relevance that is difficult to replicate elsewhere, and the flexible study mode allows you to combine your studies with work in the outdoor or tourism sector or with other commitments. You will study tourism management principles, business strategy, outdoor recreation leadership, safety management, risk assessment, and the environmental and sustainability dimensions of operating in sensitive natural environments, developing both the management knowledge and the professional judgment that the sector requires.

Graduates go on to careers in outdoor education, adventure tourism operations, national park management, conservation organisations, and the broader leisure and recreation sector. Many build careers as adventure guides, outdoor instructors, or activity centre managers, while others move into destination management, tourism development, or policy roles in the rural and outdoor recreation sector. The combination of management knowledge and outdoor competence the programme develops is valued across the range of organisations that support access to and enjoyment of the natural environment.