International Tourism Management
International tourism management is concerned with one of the world's largest industries: the movement of people across borders for leisure, culture, business, and pilgrimage, and the complex systems of transport, accommodation, experience, and destination management that make that movement possible. Tourism is also an industry with significant environmental, social, and economic consequences, and managing it well requires not only commercial acumen but an understanding of sustainability, cultural sensitivity, and the political and regulatory environments within which tourism operates.
At Edinburgh Napier University, this four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, reflecting both the inherently international character of the subject and the value of studying tourism from within another national context. Edinburgh is a major tourist destination in its own right, and studying there gives you access to a real and sophisticated tourism ecosystem from the outset. You will study the business and management principles underlying tourism operations, including marketing, finance, operations management, and strategy, alongside tourism-specific content covering destination management, heritage and cultural tourism, sustainable tourism, and the role of technology in shaping modern travel behaviour.
The year abroad extends your perspective and your professional network beyond the UK.
The degree develops both practical management skills and the critical analytical frameworks to understand tourism as a social and environmental phenomenon. You will learn to evaluate tourism development from multiple perspectives and to make management decisions that take account of competing interests and long-term sustainability as well as commercial performance.
Graduates in international tourism management work across the tourism and hospitality industries in roles spanning destination management organisations, tour operators, hotel management, event management, airlines, heritage attractions, and national tourism boards. The international dimension of the degree, including the year abroad, opens opportunities in global hospitality companies and international organisations concerned with travel and sustainable development. Postgraduate study in tourism, hospitality management, or sustainable development is pursued by those who want to specialise further or move into senior management or policy roles.