International Relations and Tourism

International relations and tourism might seem an unlikely pairing, but the connection between them is more substantive than it appears. Tourism is one of the world's largest industries and one of the most globalised: it involves the movement of people across borders, depends on geopolitical stability and international cooperation, raises questions about the impact of external economic forces on local communities, and is shaped by the cultural and political relationships between nations. Understanding these dimensions properly requires exactly the kind of analysis that international relations provides.

At Liverpool Hope you will study the global political system alongside the principles and practice of the tourism industry. International relations content covers the theory and practice of diplomacy, the causes and management of conflict and cooperation between states, the role of international organisations, and the economic and cultural dimensions of globalisation. Tourism content gives you knowledge of the tourism industry's structure and economics, destination management, sustainable tourism, events management, and the commercial and operational realities of the sector.

The four-year full-time programme includes a sandwich placement year and a year abroad, giving you direct professional experience in a tourism or international context and the opportunity to engage with tourism in a genuinely international setting during your studies.

Graduates pursue careers in tourism management, event planning, destination management organisations, international business, the civil service, diplomatic services, NGOs, research, and organisations concerned with global development. The combination of geopolitical awareness and commercial tourism understanding is distinctive and useful in a sector that is increasingly attentive to its own relationship with the political and social environments in which it operates.