Tourism Management (Tourism & Recreation Management)

Contents

This sector is extremely dynamic, so managers must be prepared to keep up to date with all the latest developments. As a manager you also need to be able to evaluate trends and surveys, and create products that are both sustainable and beneficial to the local community. That is why this programme will provide you with all the knowledge and skills you will require in areas such as management, policy-making, consultancy, accounting, marketing, communication and ICT, besides all the other professional aspects of tourism and travel. Each element of the programme will help you develop the knowledge, skills and attitude necessary for a successful career in tourism and recreation management.

Furthermore the Tourism and Recreation Management programme believes in giving students the opportunity to gain practical experience. This means that you will work independently and learn to take responsibility. You will tackle assignments in multicultural project groups and work closely with other students. What is more, Inholland University of Applied Sciences has professional ties with a range of companies and associations, such as:

• Amsterdam Tourism and Congress Bureau (ATCB)
• Innovation Norway
• Thomas Cook
• Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA)
• European Tour Operators Association (ETOA)
• NS Hispeed Trains
• Rotterdam Airport
• Corendon Holidays

Major/minor

Like all our bachelor's degree programmes at Inholland University of Applied Sciences, the four-year, full-time Tourism and Recreation Management programme is based on the major/minor model. This means the programme consists of a major subject, a specialisation minor and a differentiation minor. The major is the core element of the bachelor's degree programme and focuses on all aspects of management. The specialisation subjects are specific to the Tourism and Recreation Management programme. They include:

• Destination Management
• Global Perspectives on Tourism
• Business Travel and Incentives
• Tour Operating

The differentiation minor allows you to tailor the programme to match your personal interests and ambitions.

Differentiation minor

For the differentiation minor you can select courses related to your specialisation minor or you can take courses from another educational programme. Our programme focuses on different countries and different aspects of tourism and recreation. You will acquire knowledge and skills in management, policy-making, consultancy, accounting, marketing, communication and ICT, as well as other subjects relevant to tourism and travel. You will be able to decide whether to deepen or to broaden your knowledge. Examples of possible differentiation minors are:

• E-Tour Operating
• Spanish Business Studies
• Destination Management
• Community-Based Travel
• Landscapes of Nature

Work placement

Your 20-week work placement is your chance to select a company and a country in which you would like to work. Recently, our students have undertaken work placements in a variety of positions in England, the USA, Canada, Australia, China, Suriname, Curacao, Hong Kong, South Africa, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands.

The work placement allows you to put the knowledge and skills you have learnt in class into practice in a professional environment. You participate in practical aspects of your chosen area of work, integrating the knowledge, skills and professional attitude you have acquired during the programme. At the same time, you can expand your network of international contacts. Good preparation prior to the work placement, together with supervision and reflection both during and after this period, ensure that this is a rich and rewarding experience.

Graduation specialisations

The following graduation specialisations are available for the Tourism and Recreation Management programme:

• Destination Management
• Global Perspectives on Tourism and Cultural Identity (Cultural Tourism)
• Business Travel and Incentives

You will immerse yourself in the field you have chosen, completing projects commissioned by the professional world, such as:

• Organising trips for students at Inholland University of Applied Sciences
• Identifying tourism possibilities at destinations (Senegal, Ghana, Indonesia)
• Coming up with new tourism concepts for a destination (the municipality of Amsterdam, Norway, Berlin or the Pacific Region)

You will also attend courses and training sessions focused on practical research.

What is the study counselling situation?

Study coaching will form an important part of your programme. Over the four years of your study, you will receive personal coaching by a study coach. We also have student career advisors who will provide personal development and career coaching during your time here. This process will focus on competence development and your personal development plan.

Comparable/related programme(s)

It will be important for you to establish quickly whether you have chosen the right programme. For this reason, we will make every effort to explain exactly what career options the Tourism and Recreation Management programme offers you. Your personal reflection and assessment will give you an insight into your strengths and weaknesses.

If you ultimately decide that the Tourism and Recreation Management programme is not the right programme for you, you will be able to transfer to one of a number of programmes during the course of the first year. These include:

• Leisure Management
• Community Work
• Teacher Training (Primary Education)
• International Business and Languages
• Communication
• Media and Entertainment Management

How is the programme structured?

Examples of the activities that you will be involved in are:

• lectures
• training sessions
• workshops
• projects
• group assignments
• independent study
• study trips (international)
• work placements
• field visits

What subjects are taught?

The programme is organised around a number of tourism and recreational themes, as well as supporting subjects such as English, ICT, management (including financial management), research, inter-cultural communication and marketing management.

The five main subjects are:

• Sales and marketing in tourism
• Tourism production processes
• Tourism trends and business ethics
• Inter-cultural communication
• Research techniques

Proficiency:

• Selling concepts, services and products
• Developing, planning and organising products and services
• Maintaining external relations and responding to the market
• Writing policy documents
• Managing quality and business processes

Course load

Each academic year is broken down into four periods of ten weeks. You can expect an average study load of forty hours per week.

First year

The projects during the first year will give you a broad introduction to the tourism profession. You will learn how tourism products are created and developed. You will look at trends in tourism and gain an insight into tour operating, sales and e-business in tourism and destination management. These aspects will be supported by project-based lectures and reading material. To supplement your knowledge with the relevant, underlying theory, you will attend specific lectures and participate in tourism projects. You will also go on a trip to a major tourist destination (this usually involves a field trip in March to Berlin, which will be scheduled, where possible, to coincide with the ITB tourism trade fair in Berlin).

The following are some examples of themes that are covered during the first year:

• The tourism industry
• Product development
• Management game in the field of tour operating

Second year

Like the first year, you will spend the second year at Inholland University of Applied Sciences. You will do various projects. The focus will be on tourism companies and organisations. You will be commissioned to work on certain tourism projects by various companies. For example, you will be asked to develop an innovative product for a tour operator. The programme will also include trips abroad and visits to tourism companies. During your second year, you will also choose two differentiation minors from a wide range of courses.

Third year

In the third year, you will do a work placement and choose your differentiation minors. Your work placement will be in an international business environment (preferably abroad) in an organisation and country of your choice. It is also possible to spend one semester of your studies abroad. We have an extensive network of partner institutions that can help you organise this.

Fourth year

The fourth year will focus on your graduation. You will choose differentiation minors or a graduation specialisation. The second part of the final year will involve a personal research project, culminating in a written thesis. Here you will demonstrate your ability to perform at the level required of a graduate from a university of applied sciences.

Graduation and continuing education

After successfully completing your final research project, which forms the basis for your graduation thesis, you will receive the title Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA). This internationally recognised degree will allow you to apply for master's degree programmes in the Netherlands and abroad.

If you want to continue your education, you will be able to transfer to various postgraduate programmes offered by universities of applied sciences or to a university programme. Examples include:

• Leisure Sciences (Tilburg University)
• Leisure Tourism and Environment (Wageningen University)
• Business and Communication Sciences (Nyenrode Business Universiteit)
• MSc in International Tourism Marketing at London South Bank University