Second and Final Year entry only - BA (Hons) Tourism Management

Work placement opportunity

Tourism is arguably the world’s largest industry, with increasingly less and less of the world untouched by its influence. As such, it operates in highly dynamic and diverse sets of environments. The modern tourism industry requires managers with relevant knowledge and skills, consequently the aim of this course is to produce employable, entrepreneurial, innovative and responsible graduates who can manage the challenges facing the industry. The application of established as well as cutting-edge theory to practical situations at regional, national and global levels provides vocational training and prepares you for a wide range of career opportunities.

During this course you can apply for one-year professional placement. Salford graduates who have completed a placement have higher marks than average and much better employment prospects. All one-year placement positions are paid and many of our students return to their placement company when they finish the course.

In addition this is also the opportunity to study abroad in Canada, Finland, France and Spain. Teaching is primarily in English and all EU exchanges are eligible to receive Erasmus grants.

A systemic approach is taken to the study of tourism from the beginning of the course; you will progress from understanding more fundamental issues in year 1 to strategic considerations in year 3.

You will learn about the need for the integrated provision of tourism (including attractions, events, amenities, access, transport and distribution), and recognise the requirement for tourism development to acknowledge the interests of not only visitors but also a variety of other stakeholders. You will also consider the impacts of tourism, and recognise the need for responsible management in order to maximize its potential and minimize associated problems.

Alongside this, you will develop knowledge of broader associated managerial issues relating to human, information and financial resources, as well as communication, teamworking, organizational and analytical problem-solving and creative skills; these will form part of an integrated personal development portfolio.

Structure

Year 2 – Core Modules

Destination Management

This module aims to provide you with an understanding of destinations as a focus of facilities and services designed to meet the needs of tourists. You will understand how destinations develop and compete, and investigate current management practice and modern theories of analysis.

Management Development Programme II

This module extends the learning in the first year of the course with further focus on personal and career development.

Principles of Marketing

The module introduces you to the principles of marketing in a business and management context, focusing on the role of marketing within the organisation and its interaction with other business functions. The module also helps you to develop practical marketing abilities.

Project Management

Project Management is widely recognised as one of the most enduring and generic skills in business. You will develop an understanding of effective project management techniques, methods and tools; and a broad range of issues and techniques relating to project management. These include planning, scheduling and resourcing, estimation, risk analysis, budgeting and contracts, tracking and change management, quality, communications, team working and project leadership, use of methods and their relationship to life cycles and project review.

Accounting Principles

You will gain a theoretical and practical introduction to accounting that covers the fundamentals of accounting methods including the production of financial statements for decision takers within and without various types of organisations.

Year 2 – Elective Modules

Choose one from:

Tourism Transport

You will explore the relationships between transport and tourism, analyse the elements of transport supply for tourists and the demand for tourist travel and trends. You will also examine the effects of transport expansion and innovation on global tourism trends, and the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism transport.

Events Management

The module aims to equip you with the theoretical knowledge to successfully run events. The practical element of the course involves running a live event of your own design.

Language Option

You may continue with a language

Optional year

On completion of year 2 you may choose to undertake either a paid placement, or study abroad for a year. If you choose to study abroad you will spend your academic year at one of our partner universities, enhancing your language skills and international business knowledge.

Year 3 - Core Modules

Contemporary Issues in Tourism

You will explore current issues within the tourism industry and appreciate the diverse nature of contemporary issues in tourism.

Strategic Tourism Marketing

This module will develop your understanding of tourism marketing with reference to relevant theoretical frameworks, contemporary issues and consumer markets in an international context. You will evaluate strategic marketing practice in the tourism industry and related sectors, and analyse the marketing planning process as it relates to management practice in the sector.

Management Practice and Research: Dissertation

You will identify and focus on a specialist area of research related to an aspect of your degree course; execute a substantial piece of independent research and produce a scholarly and critical dissertation.

Tourism Planning and Development

A planned approach helps ensure that tourism developments have a better chance of gaining desirable goals – especially given the complexity of factors affecting tourism situations. This module aims to examine the role of planning in tourism and explore approaches that help ensure a planned approach to tourism developments.

Corporate Strategy

In this module you will acquire an organisation-wide perspective through exploring strategic planning and processes, and learn to relate strategic models and theories to the real world of organisational success and failure. You will develop your analytical and evaluative skills through problem/case analysis and develop your team working and problem-solving skills to evaluate objectively your peers’ performance.

Year 3 - Elective Modules

Choose one from:

Rural Tourism: Innovative Products and Marketing

This course runs in one of four European university partner institutions on a yearly cycle, and is funded by the European Union. The aims of the module are to investigate and appraise real life problems of SMEs who work in the field of rural tourism and to evaluate the additional value given by rural tourism to the regional economy. You will learn to appraise the important role of entrepreneurship in the development of rural tourism in the majority of the European regions and investigate how tourism plays an important role in the preservation and enhancement of cultural and natural heritage. You will develop strategies to maximise the benefits of rural tourism.

Destination Analysis

This course runs in one of three European University partner institutions on a yearly cycle, and is funded by the European Union. The aims of the module are to provide you with the opportunity to focus on the practical application of theory to the analysis of European tourism destinations/attractions/transport systems. You will engage in cross cultural debates on the merits of international destinations and explore the implications of differing cultures. You will gain the experience of learning in a European partner institution, exchange knowledge and become a more effective participant in shared learning environment.

Business Enterprise Development

This module aims to provide you with the opportunity to identify and apply critical factors in the set up of a business enterprise. You will learn to understand the different aspects of entrepreneurial success and failure, and apply strategy as it relates to human resources management, marketing, accounting and operations. You will critically evaluate the environmental, operational and strategic factors involved in the set up of a business, and appreciate the materials required by a bank or financier in the business set-up.

Dark Tourism

In this module you will critically appraise the phenomenon of dark tourism and review its increasing importance. You will analyse the sociological, philosophical and anthropological perspectives of dark tourism and consider the role of dark tourism within a larger historical context.

Management Practice and Research: Management Simulation

This module develops your ability to implement, review and appraise business strategy, objectives and management decisions within the context of a dynamic, competitive market environment. You will develop understanding of the complex interactions that characterise decision-making in organisations, and consequently the importance of thinking beyond a single functional perspective. You will also develop your understanding of the nature and use of planning in dynamic business environments and improve your employability through experience of real-time business decision-making in a simulated environment.