Tourism Destination Management

Tourism Destination Management Master's Degree

NHTV Breda offers, since 2006, a unique and internationally recognised degree: Master in Tourism Destination Management. Tourism is booming. Globally, tourism has developed into a dynamic and fast growing sector, creating an interdisciplinary field of study and research. The tourism sector offers services to growing amounts of tourists and travelers. It also generates income and revenues for people and governments in destinations and business that cater to the needs of both domestic and international tourists.

Tourism research has centred for many years on business, economics and management. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, there was an evolutionary process where the influences of other disciplines, like geography,
sociology, anthropology, and political sciences, increased. Today, tourism is for many students an interesting area of study and research: it influences people and places and, in return, is influenced by those surroundings. There are many ways of looking at tourism and the opportunities that it offers. Tourism offers economic benefits, growth and opportunities, for people and businesses that operate at a destination. At the same time, the match between demand (tourists) and supply (destinations) is the main challenge.

Without trivialising the role and the importance of the tourist, it is clear that the position of the destination areas is becoming more and more important. One of the causes of this is the changing role of operators in tourism in a world, which is becoming increasingly transparent as a consequence of the development of information technology. With continued developments taking place at the destination level, the tourism sector is in need of professionals able to participate in the management of a destination. This entails for example the management of continuously changing flows of tourists, professional destination marketing, destination management and understanding of effective cooperation between the public and private sectors. And last but not least: managing finance and attract investments.

The commercial position of tour operators in the areas of origin (tourism markets) is under pressure from an increasingly empowered position of the suppliers of tourism products and services at the destination. It is expected that a shift of power will take place from the tour operators in the market areas towards the operators of tourism products and services at the destination areas. This shifting balance of power requires knowledge and expertise, which is closely interwoven with the destination areas themselves. This Master in Tourism Destination Management is designed to contribute to this.

Aim of the Tourism Destination Management Master's Degree

This master programme offers graduates the required qualifications for international managerial and consultancy positions with private, public or non-profit organisations in the tourism sector. Due to the clear international character of the programme, students can also work for international organisations in other service industries.

For more information regarding the content of this programme, admission requirements and the application procedure, please visit www.nhtv.nl/tdm or make an Information Request below to order application information.

This one-year master programme focuses on practice, policies and future of tourism destinations and is divided into three phases: Theory, Practice and Dissertation. During the first phase in Breda, destination theories, models, developments and practical cases will be studied. Courses are given by lecturers, along with an interesting team of visiting lecturers from international organisations and universities. In Breda, students interact on a daily basis with this specialised team of academics and tourism professionals.

The second phase offers a very unique learning environment. It focuses on practical research and consultancy assignments at three different destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. Students stay at these destinations for a period of three months and work on research assignments. They interact with managers of large tourism organisations, governments, Non Government Organisations (NGO’s) and tourism entrepreneurs at the destination. Finally, the third phase of the programme comprises of the carrying out of independent, individual research assignment: the writing of a dissertation at (applied) master level. Students select their own subject and can conduct their research in cooperation with a
commissioner or individually, at a place of their choice. Worldwide.

Tuition fee: 8.422 euro

NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences

NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences is a higher education institution, located in the South of the Netherlands, in the city of Breda.

NHTV has a different twist on studying. Rather than ‘receiving’ education in the traditional manner, students design and direct their own plan of study. The lecturers at NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences are professional experts acting as role models for students, rather than being tutors who tell them what to do. Each programme is delivered through a mixture of (guest) lectures, group assignments, field trips and internships. In this way, students are thoroughly prepared for their future (international) career. So if you are looking for a place to pursue your studies, NHTV is a good choice!