Tourism (with Foundation Year)
 Tourism (Major).jpg)
UCAS Code: Combined Honours only – see combinations tab|Duration: 4 years|Full Time|Hope Park
UCAS Campus Code: L46
Work placement opportunities|International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries and a major source of employment. This Tourism degree examines the sector from both management and academic perspectives, covering contemporary issues such as industry structure, tourism’s relationship with host environments and cultures, evolving consumer trends, destination management, and global tourism development. The Tourism course provides opportunities to analyse and understand the complexities of the modern tourism industry.
Liverpool is an ideal location to study Tourism, with key attractions such as the Royal Albert Dock, Tate Liverpool, Premier League football, National Museums Liverpool, and the Beatles legacy. The city’s European Capital of Culture year in 2008 has contributed to the ongoing growth of its tourism sector, offering students a dynamic environment to explore contemporary aspects of an international destination.
Taught by a team with extensive industry and academic experience, the Tourism degree develops critical thinking, transferable skills, and practical knowledge. A Placement Year is available as part of the Tourism course, allowing you to gain valuable work experience alongside your studies.
Course structure
Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures, where all students are taught together, seminars of smaller groups of around 20-25 students, and tutorials which typically have no more than 10 students. There are also a number of fieldtrips each year, as well as the opportunity to have a one-to-one meeting with your tutor each week.
In your first year there are approximately 12 teaching hours each week, which reduces to approximately 10 teaching hours in your second and third years. On top of teaching hours, you are also expected to spend a number of hours studying independently each week, as well as group study to prepare for any group assessments you may have.
Accreditation
All Tourism degrees, which includes the Tourism major as a combined honours option, are accredited by the Tourism Management Institute (TMI), the professional association for the destination management sector.
Professional Membership
Liverpool Hope University is a member of the Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE), the subject association for tourism in higher education in the UK. Its objectives include promoting the development and recognition of tourism as a subject of study in the UK at foundation degree, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels, and encouraging high standards in learning, teaching and research.
Assessment and feedback
Throughout your three years of study, you will have a number of assessments, including written exams at the end of each year, reports, essays and portfolios. In your final year, you will also complete an honours project which will either be a research project or integrated dissertation (with your other subject).
You will be given written feedback on your assessments, and you will have the opportunity to discuss this with your tutor in more detail.
Foundation Year
The Foundation Year is a great opportunity if you have the ability and enthusiasm to study for a degree, but do not yet have the qualifications required to enter directly onto our degree programmes. A significant part of the Foundation Year focuses upon core skills such as academic writing at HE level, becoming an independent learner, structuring academic work, critical thinking, time management and note taking.
Successful completion of the Foundation Year will enable you to progress into the first year (Level C) of your chosen honours degree. Further details can be found here.
Year One
Global Governance and World Regions
This module explores the interconnected nature of our world and examines how decisions made at local, national, and international levels influence global governance and shape opportunities and it is constructed in two sections. One section focuses on globalization, governance, citizenship, and sustainable development, with particular attention to climate policy and tourism. The other section emphasis shifts to Understanding the World—analysing different regions, including Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania. Students will explore how the environment, geography, tourism, and culture intersect, and how global policies are experienced in diverse regional contexts.
Academic and Professional Skills
This module is designed to equip students with the skills needed to succeed at university and beyond. It builds confidence in academic reading, writing, and research, while providing practical tools such as data analysis and mapping, and guidance on the responsible use of AI. The module also strengthens time management, teamwork, and presentation skills, while encouraging students to explore career pathways and plan their future goals.
Fieldwork (residential and/or non-residential)
Year Two
Niche and Alternative Forms of Tourism
An exploration of new and alternative forms of tourism, including heritage and cultural tourism; dark tourism; volunteer and backpacking tourism.
Contemporary Human Geographies and Tourism
An exploration of, for example, contemporary social, economic, cultural and environmental contexts (e.g. socio-cultural awareness; urban/economic geography; urban regeneration; and tourism dimensions).
Research Methods
An exploration of a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, which considers data collection and data analysis.
Fieldwork (residential and/or non-residential)
Year Three
Destination Management
An exploration of global trends and advances in destination management, for example, strategic marketing, planning and management of destinations; organisational management principles and practices at international destinations and attractions; as well as, economic, environmental and socio-cultural impacts on destinations.
International Fieldwork
You will undertake fieldwork internationally. Past countries have included Malta. Following a brief introduction to the international fieldwork destination, this will comprise the design and execution of individual project-based fieldwork involving data collection relating to a negotiated topic of relevance to the destination.
Honours Project (integrated dissertation/research project)
As a combined honours student you have the option to either complete a research project or integrated dissertation (in combination with your other subject).
Entry requirements
There may be some flexibility for mature students offering non-tariff qualifications and students meeting particular widening participation criteria.
Careers
The global expansion of the tourism industry means there will continue to be a need for trained graduates in this field.
Graduates in Tourism are well suited to a wide variety of careers within the industry, including tourism marketing, arts/heritage/attractions management, tour operations, tourism product development, public sector tourism, urban regeneration, resort/destination management, transportation, or hotel and hospitality management. Many of our graduates have found employment in the tourism industry in Liverpool.
In addition, studying Tourism develops valuable transferable skills, which prepare students for many graduate jobs and for other careers in both the private and public sectors.
There are also increasing opportunities to study Tourism at postgraduate level and an increasing number of our students go on to train to be teachers of tourism.
Enhancement opportunities
Work Placement Opportunities
In your final year, your Honours Project can be completed through a work placement. This placement enables you to gain relevant work experience so that you can apply your tourism knowledge and experiences into a work setting. Please note that you must organise this work placement yourself.
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2026/27 academic year are £9,535* for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,535*.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
*subject to Council approval.
Additional costs
As well as your tuition fees, you need to consider the costs associated with compulsory and optional residential and other fieldwork trips. Cost depends on the nature of the fieldwork or location, but we estimate you will need around £400. You also need to budget for key textbooks (approximately £200).
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation pages for further details about our Halls of Residence.
Scholarships
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
International tuition fees
The International Tuition fees for 2026/27 are £14,500.
Visit our International fees page for more information.
Course combinations
This course is only available with Foundation Year as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects:
| Degree Title |
|---|
| Tourism and Business Management (with Foundation Year) |
| Tourism and International Relations (with Foundation Year) |
| Tourism and Media & Communication (with Foundation Year) |