Tourism Management BSc (Hons) Undergraduate - September 2024/25* Entry

As the world re-opens its doors after the pandemic, it’s natural to wonder: Is Tourism Management a good degree for future jobs?

The fact is that tourism remains one of the largest industries in the world with a global value of US$ 1 trillion a year, responsible for six to seven per cent of all employment. With changes to technology, destinations and consumer attitudes, there’s never been a more exciting time to study a BSc Tourism Management.

Blending theory, best practice, industry insight, the opportunity for short and longer-term placements and visits to tourism businesses, our Tourism Management degree provides a solid grounding in tourism management, marketing and economics. It nurtures the creativity, adaptability, and flexibility to succeed in travel and tourism today.

Modern tourism management requires individuals who can respond to the changing needs and sensitivities of all stakeholders: consumers, operators, governments and suppliers, as well as the communities affected by promoted attractions and resorts.

With a focus on sustainable tourism and destination marketing, our BSc in Tourism Management not only considers how to make various destinations attractive, but also the issues that can arise – from respecting local cultural sensitivities and minimising environmental impact, to displacement and second home tourism.

Where better to study, explore and assess the economic, environmental, cultural and social impact of tourism today than in a location that attracts millions of visitors each year. Sitting between the mountains and the sea, Bangor is a historic, cathedral city, with Snowdonia National Park and Anglesey’s coastline close by.

Bangor University’s tourism management legacy dates back over six decades, when one of our original academics first developed the concept of positive economic impact of tourism.

Why Choose Bangor University for this Tourism Management course? 

• Study your BSc in Tourism Management at a ‘live’ destination case study – a North Wales tourism hotspot with popular places to visit, such as Llanberis, Beaumaris, Llandudno and Caernarfon, on your doorstep.
• Practical in focus, this course has been designed with input from local tourism, including Welsh Mountain Zoo, Halen Môn (Anglesey Sea Salt) and Eryri National Park (Snowdonia National Park).
• Our strong links with industry provide opportunities to boost your employability through placements, guest lectures, field trips and projects, working on live briefs solving real-world tourism challenges.
• You’ll be taught by staff with expertise in consumer behaviour in tourism, sustainable and wellbeing tourism, tourism taxation, cultural and geographic branding.
• You can learn a language alongside your degree at no extra cost – we offer free evening classes in French, German, Italian, Spanish and Chinese (Mandarin).

Additional Course Options

While navigating new and ongoing challenges, such as sustainability, security, and infrastructure, the tourism industry must capitalise on opportunities created by big data, personalisation, recognition systems, virtual and augmented reality, and more.

On this BSc Tourism Management, you’ll gain in-depth understanding of the tourism system and how to optimise the value chain, placing particular emphasis on the development of sustainable tourism products and services, from an economic, socio-cultural, and environmental standpoint.

You’ll evaluate tourism policies from local, national, and international industry tourism management perspectives, conducting comparative analyses between different countries and regions, taking full advantage of the lessons learned from our own bilingual location. 

As the industry continues to rethink its future, you’ll cover the latest developments and issues, including digitalisation, package tourism, fragmentation, sustainable and wellbeing tourism, and the ‘double-edged sword’ of tourism: namely, the positive and negative effects on local ‘host’ communities.

Through best practice case studies, guest lectures and on-site visits to a host of tourism businesses, some of whom will assign you ‘live’ project briefs, you’ll learn how to critically assess available tourism options. This includes identifying risk factors, for example, from natural disasters or economic, political and social events, such as war and terrorism.

You’ll also develop a greater appreciation of the role that each member of the supply chain plays in creating a seamless, sustainable, economically viable, enjoyable and memorable experience – from tourism operators and regulators, to transport, accommodation and local hospitality.

What will you study on this course?

In Year 1, students will take 80 credits from the following topics, Tourism Structure and Infrastructure, Discover Economics, Marketing in Practice and Principles of Management and Organisation. Students will also take 40 credits from optional modules available in topics such Business Analytics, Digital Marketing Essentials, Foundations of Marketing, Introduction to Contemporary Management Issues in Ethics, Sustainability, HRM, and Tourism, Introduction to Employee Life-cycle, Personal Finance and Banking, Principles of Financial Accounting, Principles of Management Accounting and Technology in Marketing. Students can also choose optional modules from other Business School level 4 modules or from elsewhere in the University, subject to timetabling constraints.

In Year 2, students will take 80 credits from the following topics, Services and Experiential Marketing, Sustainable Management of Tourism Attractions, Technology and Digitalisation in Tourism and Tourism in Practice. Students will also take 40 credits from optional modules available in topics such as Business Information Systems, Corporate Finance, Leadership and HRM, Management Accounting, Management Planning and Coordination, Marketing and Social Media Communications, Marketing Communications, Marketing Research and CRM, Operations Strategy across the Enterprise and Principles of Leadership and Employee Engagement. Students can also choose optional modules from other Business School level 5 modules or from elsewhere in the University, subject to timetabling constraints and pre-requisites.

In Year 3, students will take 80 credits from the following topics Enterprise, Creativity and Innovation, Managing Sustainable and Resilient Tourism Destinations and Tourism Applied Project. Students will also take 40 credits from optional modules available in topics such as Corporate Governance, International Business and Global Competency, International Strategic Marketing, Strategic Management and Tourism Summer Placement. Students can choose optional modules from other Business School level 6 modules or from elsewhere in the University, subject to timetabling constraints and pre-requisites Please note course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.

How will you learn? 

Your learning will be through a mix of lectures, interactive workshops, online support material, and insights from practitioners across a broad spectrum of different aspects of tourism. On this course we will look at enterprises of all sizes and structures, their operating times (seasonal and non-seasonal) and a range of business models from Wales and beyond. There will be opportunities for work experience and involvement in projects relevant to the tourism sector. As part of the preparation for the work place you will also undertake some tasks as a group, building your communication and team work skills. 

Your learning will be assessed by a variety of methods including coursework, presentations, examinations, project reports.

Bangor Business School is a leading teaching and research focused business school offering a full range of disciplines from undergraduate to doctoral level. Our staff have strong links and credibility with professional bodies, banks, regulators, and financial institutions, many have worked professionally in the accounting industry.

Many of our courses are accredited by professional bodies including: the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA); Chartered Insurance Institute (CII); Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM); Chartered Management Institute (CMI); and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA). This not only provides a solid foundation for future professional qualification, but can also exempt you from certain professional exams and/or enable yo to fast-track your certified status.

We are proud to be a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) and have held the Athena SWAN Bronze Award since 2019, demonstrating our commitment to equality and inclusion.

Business, Management and Marketing Facilities & Support 

Bridging theory and practice, our business, management and marketing courses are designed to provide an insight into the trends and challenges impacting the world of business. Feeding their latest findings into your learning, our staff are active researchers with particular strengths in leadership and knowledge management; place and destination branding; strategic management, entrepreneurship and innovation; growth and development strategies in business; consumer behaviour; place attachment, social media marketing and marketing in small-and-medium sized enterprises.

We firmly believe in the importance of gaining hands-on, business-related experience, offering plenty of opportunities to work on real-world projects and gain work experience through placements and internships.

Bangor Business School adopts the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) and has signed up to the UN Global Compact and UN Sustainable Development Goals. This means you’ll graduate with an appreciation and knowledge of sustainable practices, much sought-after by employers. To build your own network, raise your profile and develop new skills, you’ll also be encouraged to take part in national and international competitions, such as The Pitch and Universities Business Challenge Worldwide.

General University Costs

Home (UK) students

• The cost of a full-time undergraduate course is £9,000 per year (2021/22 entry and 2022/23 entry).
• The fee for all placement, international, and sandwich years is £1,350 (2021/22 and 2022/23).
• More information on fees and finance for Home (UK) students.

International (including EU) students

• International Student Tuition Fees
• International Student Living Costs and Scholarships

Additional Costs
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:

• If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
• If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for additional guest tickets (c.£12 each).

Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:

1. Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
2. Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
3. Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.

General University Requirements

To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.

We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.

All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.

As part of the University’s policy, we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.

We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.   

EU and International Students' Entry Requirements

For detailed guidance on the entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.

Bangor University offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Bangor University International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.

In 2021, there were 289 million jobs in the travel and tourism sector worldwide. Here in the UK alone, it remains one of the largest employers with millions working in travel companies, transport, accommodation, hospitality, leisure and more.

It’s a career that can take you all over the world, which is a good reason to learn a second language for free during your time here at Bangor. You can also study or work abroad during your time here.

On successfully completing the BSc in Tourism Management, you’ll have gained the knowledge and skills to take the tourism industry forward and into the future, with a particular focus on the development of sustainable tourism products and services.

You could go on to pursue a wide range of roles from destination and tour management to tourist information and visitor bureaus, passenger transport, consulting or for the operators themselves – cruise companies, airlines, hotel chains, heritage and cultural organisations, music venues, conference centres or theme parks, to name just a few.

Tourism management is a good course for the transferrable skills you develop – interpersonal, intercultural sensitivity, communications, critical thinking and problem-solving, time management and project management – are much sought-after by employers. This allows you to follow more general career paths if you prefer, anything from business and marketing to human resources management.

Typical roles may include:

• Destination manager/marketer
• Manager of tourism associations
• Manager/marketer of tourism attractions
• Tourism planner
• Marketer of hotel chains and consortia
• Marketer of convention centres
• Consultant for a wide range of tourism companies
• Entrepreneur of tourism companies/attractions
• Holiday representative
• Tour guide
• Travel agent

Opportunities at Bangor

The University’s Careers and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions. 

The Bangor Employability Award (BEA) 

The BEA is a comprehensive online course that you can work through at your own pace, taking you through all the steps you need to take to explore, prepare and apply for your dream career.

Internships

Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments. 

Student Volunteering

Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about volunteering on the Students’ Union’s website. 

A 'with Foundation Year' option is available for this course. Apply for Business Management (with Foundation Year).