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BA (Hons) - Tourism and Visitor Economy Management

Passionate about tourism and the visitor economy? Ready to explore how destinations can thrive sustainably in a rapidly changing world? Step into our BA (Hons) Tourism and Visitor Economy Management course and gain the skills to shape the future of this dynamic global industry.

You will develop a strong foundation in management, tourism, and visitor economy studies, with a curriculum aligned to the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals. This ensures you will explore both the opportunities and challenges of working in the visitor economy while gaining the knowledge and skills to succeed in the sector. Artificial Intelligence and digital skills are embedded throughout the course, preparing you to adapt and innovate in an evolving industry.

Employability is at the heart of this degree. You will benefit from compulsory work placements, consultancy projects, field trips, and site visits, alongside guest lectures from industry experts. Paid industry placements are built into each year of study, ensuring you graduate with practical experience and enhanced career prospects.

Our strong business connections within the tourism and visitor economy provide exciting opportunities to engage with practitioners and organisations through real-world challenges and applied learning, helping you to build confidence, skills, and networks that will set you apart in the workplace.

A scholarship is available for this course.
View scholarship and eligibility criteria

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Course Overview

This unique programme of study will provide a springboard with which to pursue a management career in one of the most exciting and varied industries in the world, with opportunities to gain experience in areas such as tour operations, visitor attractions management, hospitality management and spa management. The programme combines the latest academic and industry knowledge with real-world experience, helping prepare you for real-world success, and giving you a distinct advantage in an increasingly competitive careers market. Based at our Ambleside campus this is the only programme in the UK to be based in both a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Site and a National Park providing you with the opportunity to explore the complexities of managing a business in one of the busiest tourism locations in the UK.

On this course you will...

Develop the knowledge and skills required to succeed in an increasingly competitive workplace.
Be provided with a minimum of 8 months of industry experience while on the programme.
Be taught by an experienced team of academic practitioners.
Receive high levels of industry engagement throughout the course.
Potential to be awarded one of Two Scholarships: Up to £3000 to support your studies with the Cumbria Business and Tourism Excellence Scholarship Up to £9000 to support you with the Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership Academic Excellence Scholarship.
Undertake a wide variety of assessments to help build your confidence and communication skills.

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Key Details

Recruiting toUK / RoI / Settled in UK
EU / EEA / International
Course LocationAmbleside
Institute Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership
UCAS CodeC305
Mode of DeliveryIn Person
Course DurationFull-time: 3 Years
Course Start PointSeptember
AwardBA (Hons)
More informationProgramme Specification
Prospectus
Open DaysAmbleside
All

Minimum entry requirements

104-112

UCAS Tariff points

N/A

Fees tbc for 2027/28 entry

Tuition Fees Policy

Course Structure

What you will learn

All content is aligned with the UNESCO sustainable development goals around ways of thinking, sustainable competence, and ways of being.  This thread allows you to consider the opportunities and challenges associated with working in the visitor economy and to develop the knowledge, skills and competences needed to ensure success.
You will be supported to develop your own learner identity as part of a programme that combines face-to-face workshops, site visits, guest speakers and work experience.

Year one

Year one of the programme provides you with a holistic understanding of the visitor economy, focusing on the customer and the technologies associated with working in the industry.

Understanding the Visitor Economy
This module will provide you with a holistic knowledge and understanding of the visitor economy, the challenges of managing sustainably and the diversity of sectors involved in attracting, retaining and supporting the visitor experience
Managing Today's Tourist
This module develops your understanding of the customer journey and how this is marketed and managed to provide positive, authentic and memorable customer experiences.
Digital Technologies in the Visitor Economy
This module considers the importance and various uses of digital technologies in the visitor economy.
Personal and Professional Development
In preparation for placement, this module will help prepare you in terms of developing the professional skills needed for a career in industry.
Industry Work Placement
This 40 credit module provides you with the real world operational experience relevant to your programme

Year two

In year two you will develop the knowledge and competencies aligned with more supervisory roles and employability by focusing on project planning, social media management, management of people and revenue management. 

Social Media Management in the Visitor Economy
This module will help you to consider and assess the effects of social media and its application in the tourism and visitor economy.
Revenue Management in the Visitor Economy
Through use of a management simulation you will be supported to develop and utilise the skills needed to manage and measure business performance.
Project Planning
Through experiential learning, you will follow a project planning process to assess the effectiveness of the theoretical models and industry recognised planning tools.
Managing Self and Others
This module introduces you to the principles of building and maintaining good work relationships through understanding communication skills, identifying team type traits and behaviours that impact an organisation's culture.
Industry Work Placement
This 40 credit module provides you with the real world operational experience relevant to your programme.

Year three

The final year of the programme focuses on the more strategic thinking associated with leadership and business success. Having already completed two placements in the industry, you will be able to choose whether to undertake further employment, completing a project for an employer, or to undertake an independent research project in an area of interest.

Digital Presence, Product and Place
You will also consider a range of digital products and places and their suitability for inclusion in an effective integrated digital marketing presence and strategy.
Visitor Economy Futures
The aim of this module is to provide you with a personal contemporary view on economic thinking and management responses within the visitor economy.
Sustainable Strategies in the Visitor Economy
This module develops your ability to manage the ecological footprint of a business and consider the tangible benefits that can be gained from proactively managing a sustainable agenda.
Leadership Insights
This module will develop your knowledge and critical thinking on sustainability, diversity, and inclusion to ensure business dynamics and financial success.
Industry Work Placement (Option)
This 40 credit module provides you with the real world experience relevant to your programme.
Industry Research Project (Option)
The 40 credit module provides you with the opportunity to focus on an in depth research project into an industry problem/issue/opportunity that is of particular interest to you.

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

The teaching team adopts an applied learning philosophy that influences teaching, learning, and assessment through the following approaches:

• Module Delivery: Modules combine site visits, guest speakers, real-world cases, and industry experiences, allowing students to apply theory in an industry context. This approach helps students develop critical thinking and employability skills as they progress through the programme.

• Module Content: All modules are aligned with UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on ways of thinking, sustainable competence, and ways of being. This framework encourages students to explore the opportunities and challenges of working in the visitor economy while reflecting on their own perspectives on sustainable development.

• Integrated Placement: As employees, students will learn from and reflect on their workplace experiences and interactions with colleagues. This provides opportunities to apply their academic knowledge in real-world settings. The curriculum integrates academic and work-based learning, helping students demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and behaviours valued by industry.

• Learner Support: The programme team supports students in developing their learner identity, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and real-world experience. Tutors play a central role in this support, and an online discussion forum for the programme and individual modules provides students with easy access to both peer and academic support throughout their studies.

How you will be assessed

The application of theoretical concepts in real-world environments ensures assessments are appropriately challenging at every stage of the programme. These assessments foster the critical, analytical, and creative thinking necessary for students to thrive as future managers in the visitor economy.

Assessments are diverse and often applicable in real-world contexts, offering opportunities for engagement with industry partners and enhancing employability by developing essential skills and knowledge. Assessment methods are designed to build communication skills vital for a career in the industry and include:
• Simulations
• Infographics
• Debates
• Reflective journals
• Presentations
• Content creation
• Reports

Career Outcomes

An emphasis on applied learning, authentic assessment, and skill development equips graduates with the knowledge and abilities required to excel as future managers in the visitor economy, while also enhancing social impact and reach.
Existing placements often open pathways to full-time employment with host employers, enabling faster career progression both in the UK and abroad.

Overview

104-112 UCAS Tariff Points, You can find out more about the tariff and qualification options from the UCAS tariff table.

Qualifications

Entry Requirements

A-levels: BCC-BBC

T-levels: P (C+) - M. All subjects are accepted for entry to this course

Access to HE: 15 Credits at Distinction and 30 at Merit

CACHE Technical Level 3 and Level 3 Extended Diploma: C – B

OCR Cambridge Technical & Edexcel/Pearson BTEC Level 3 (National) Extended Diploma: MMM – DMM

Scottish Highers: BBBC – BBBA

Irish LC Highers: B1, B2x3 – B1x3, B2

Fair Admissions

When you apply, our Admissions specialists will review your whole application. We are looking for your potential to succeed so will assess your qualifications, any relevant work experience, your personal statement, and references.

Where you have received a conditional offer subject to achieving particular grades/UCAS tariff scores, and do not quite meet these scores, please try not to worry, where vacancies exist our Admissions specialists will review your whole application again and take account of any mitigating circumstances and reassess your suitability for the course.

Selection Criteria

As part of the application and selection process we are looking for commitment to the programme. In your personal statement you should demonstrate your motivation for choosing the course and highlight any relevant practical experience you have gained. Preference will be given to UK applicants that attend an open day and international applicants to the programme will be invited for interview.

Contextual Admissions

Going to higher education can transform a person’s life. We use contextual admissions to make sure that we are accessible to everyone who has the potential to succeed. Qualifications and grades are important, but they are considered alongside other information that helps universities to identify potential and widen access to university level study. For some individuals, the disadvantages they have experienced in their life mean that they have not been able to demonstrate their full academic potential. Where a person lives and their personal circumstances can all affect their educational attainment.

We take this context into account and look for an applicant’s potential when making admission decisions. The University of Cumbria will make offers at the bottom of any UCAS Tariff range to applicants that live in postal code regions with the lowest participation in Higher Education (Polar 4 quintile 1 – you can check your postcode here), applicants that are estranged from their parents, are care leavers or have caring responsibilities or are in receipt of or received free school meals during their secondary education. Attendance at our Masterclasses and Summer Schools will also allow applicants to receive an offer lower within the tariff range. (T&Cs apply).

Contact ugadmissions@cumbria.ac.uk for more information.

Returning to Education

If you are over 21 and returning to study after being in relevant employment for a minimum of 3 years and do not meet the published entry requirements for Year 1 of our degree courses, please do not assume you are not qualified to join us. Our experienced Admissions and Academic staff will review your prior qualifications and professional experience to support your application.

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Location
Ambleside Campus
Nestled in the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Ambleside campus is the perfect place for world-savers, animal lovers, and adventurers. There is never a dull moment when surrounded by such natural beauty and opportunity.
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BA (Hons) - Tourism and Visitor Economy Management