MA International Tourism Development

Overview

The international tourism sector — together with related fields like hospitality and event management and cross-sector services such as spas, prevention centres, rehabilitation clinics, sports and recreation facilities, and culture and leisure centres — generates billions of euros each year. This expanding and profitable industry offers a wide range of career opportunities. This master's programme is designed to deepen your understanding of the contemporary, globalised tourism market and to prepare you to work across these diverse sectors.

What you'll study

The course focuses on current global tourism trends and their managerial implications, including:

• health and wellness tourism driven by demographic change and growing health awareness
• continued globalisation and urbanisation of destination package offers
• the emergence and development of new international destinations
• increasing digitisation through online booking engines
• rising demand for customised travel products, including dynamic packaging
• the use of social networks for marketing and destination reviews
• shifts toward ecological and green tourism

Programme structure

All aspects of the modern, global tourism market are addressed through four main modules: International Tourism Management, Empirical Research Methods, Business Economics, and International Destination Management. The programme is taught in English and combines sector-specific knowledge with empirical and economic tools to help you analyse and manage international tourism destinations and offerings.

Requirements

• Language of instruction: English.
• Specific admission requirements were not included in the provided description; consult the university’s official programme page or admissions office for precise entry criteria, application deadlines, and any supporting documentation needed.

Overview

This MA programme is organised into three taught (theoretical) semesters followed by a supervised Master's thesis. All courses are delivered in English, so a solid command of the language is required to follow lectures, participate in seminars and complete written work. Studies must begin in the summer semester, and successful completion of the coursework and thesis leads to the award of the Master of Arts degree.

The curriculum’s structure places emphasis on advanced, theory-based study in international tourism development and culminates in an independent research project that demonstrates mastery of the field. Because every element of the programme is conducted in English, students will engage with discipline-specific concepts and academic skills at an advanced, English-medium level.

Practical note for international applicants: plan your applications and any visa/relocation arrangements around a summer-semester start, and be prepared to provide evidence of English proficiency as part of the admissions process.

Requirements (key points)

• Instruction language: all lectures are taught in English — a sound understanding of English is essential
• Start term: studies must be begun in the summer semester
• Programme structure: three theoretical semesters plus a Master's thesis
• Degree awarded: Master of Arts upon successful completion of coursework and thesis

Graduates are prepared for professional roles across the tourism and hospitality sector, including destination management, tourism product development, event and hospitality management, wellness and health tourism operations, and roles in tourism marketing and digital distribution. The programme’s emphasis on empirical methods and business economics also suits careers in consultancy, market analysis and policy advising for public and private organisations.

The combination of applied project work, study trips and international perspectives equips you to work for tour operators, destination management organisations, hotels and resorts, wellness and leisure centres, travel tech companies and nongovernmental bodies focused on sustainable tourism. The research skills acquired also provide a foundation for further academic research or doctoral studies, although the programme itself does not form part of a combined master–PhD pathway.