BA (Hons) International Tourism and Events Management

If you're interested in travel, culture, and creating unforgettable experiences, this degree is a fantastic way to turn that passion into a career. You’ll learn how to plan, manage, and market global tourism experiences and live events—with plenty of real-world practice along the way.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1
In your first year, you’ll get a solid introduction to both tourism and events, while also learning some key business skills that set the foundation for your career. You’ll explore areas like marketing, understanding different cultures, and how to communicate effectively with stakeholders—all while working on fun, hands-on activities like social media campaigns and blogging projects.

Year 2
This year, you'll dive deeper into what makes a destination or event truly stand out. You’ll take modules like Destination Development Management and Marketing and Creating and Designing Experiences, where you’ll explore the bigger picture—how tourism is shaped by culture, politics, and global trends. You’ll also pick up useful business tools like project management and accounting.

Year 3
In third year, it’s all about bringing ideas to life. One of the highlights is the Event Planning and Delivery: Festival of the Common Good module, where you’ll actually help deliver a real event. You'll also explore how policies shape tourism and events, and sharpen your decision-making skills with sustainability and financial modules that get you thinking like a manager.

Year 4
By your final year, you’ll be putting everything together. You’ll work on a big final project where you choose a tourism or event topic to explore in depth—great for showing future employers what you can do. You’ll also take modules like Graduate Talent Employability and Networking and Negotiation, to help you transition smoothly into the working world. Optional subjects like Global Brand Storytelling let you tailor your learning to match your goals.

Focus areas

Destination development, event design, sustainability, policy, strategic marketing, and employability preparation.

Learning outcomes

Strategic planning and delivery of events and tourism experiences, understanding global trends, applying sustainability and ethics in business, building financial and leadership skills, and developing strong industry connections.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

While not directly accredited by a specific tourism body, the program benefits from strong ties with industry through the renowned Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development. GCU is also a respected institution known for its focus on employability and practical learning.

Reputation (employability rankings)

• #1 in Scotland for Hospitality, Leisure, Recreation & Tourism (The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025)

• GCU is ranked Top in Glasgow, 2nd in Scotland, and 11th in the UK for graduate employability

• Ranked 44th overall in the UK by The Times University Guide 2025 and 46th by The Guardian University Guide 2025