International Leisure and Tourism Studies

RATIONALE

The Master of International Leisure and Tourism Management is grounded in an integrated leisure concept and is approached from the economic service management perspective.

LEISURE FIELDS:

> Culture and arts
> Hospitality
> Media and education
> Sports, recreation and wellness
> Events and conferences
> Tourism

The relationships between the leisure fields are becoming increasingly interdependent. Tourism has grown into the most important area of leisure time spending and is now a key driver of socio-economic progress. In fact, tourist attractions are leisure facilities that primarily serve the citizens of the host community. Moreover, leisure and tourism activities stimulate the cross-cultural interaction of people from different countries around the world. The interdependent relationship between leisure and tourism, and the cross-cultural interaction of people generate complex dynamics that should be taken into account in the development of leisure and tourism. This particularly applies to the sustainable development of society; an issue that demands a great deal of attention today. The Master programme is unique in its integration of leisure and tourism. The emphasis is on the sustainable development of leisure and tourism, with quality of community life serving as an important frame of reference. The programme uses a holistic, interdisciplinary approach. Students can opt to specialize in any one of the following leisure sectors: Tourism, Recreation, Sports, Events and Conventions, Media, Education, and Culture and arts.

OBJECTIVES

As a graduate from the Master programme in International Leisure and Tourism Studies and a future professional in the leisure and tourism industry, you will be able to:

o Monitor, describe and analyze international and national developments in the leisure and tourism industry;
o Assess and understand the individual, social, economic, environmental and developmental values of (planned) leisure and tourism developments;
o Contribute to the planning and sustainable development of leisure and tourism, at local and regional level, in the context of national and international developments and based on a responsible and fair weighing of the interests of the stakeholders involved;
o Apply appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods to collect meaningful
information that supports the decision-making process using both desk research and field research;
o Support your decisions with sound argumentation, both orally and in writing;
o Demonstrate a well-developed system of personal values;
o Demonstrate a set of effective leadership skills.

The Master in International Leisure and Tourism Studies focuses primarily, but not exclusively on the public and semi-public sector at local and regional level. Our graduates typically find jobs in:

* Policy and Planning (e.g. policymakers at local, regional and national level);
* Management consultancy in larger Leisure and Tourism companies, such as hotel chains and leisure parks;
* Research and Education (e.g. lecturer in tourism, or to do a PhD at another university);
* Consultancy and Development (e.g. at a consultancy firm or research institute);
* Management and coordination of the interests of different industries and stakeholders (e.g. in NGOs and other intermediary, bi-lateral and multi-lateral organisations).