Postgraduate - Area of study Tourism

In the twenty-first century, the international tourism industry can more accurately be described as the global movement of people for a variety of motivations including; business, study, work, conferences and exhibitions, leisure, special events, working holidays and visiting friends and relatives.

Over the past two decades, international tourism arrivals have more than doubled from 473 million in 1992 to 1035 million in 2012. By 2030 the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) forecasts the industry to exceed 1.8 billion international tourism arrivals. This rapid global change is increasing demands for highly skilled managers in the tourism and associated industries.

The current era of rapid global change is increasing demand for highly skilled managers in the international tourism industry and associated industries.

Australia is widely recognised internationally for its skill in the strategic management and marketing of the tourism industry. Students have the opportunity to engage with the industry via case study based field schools in Melbourne, Sydney, regional Victoria and overseas.

The UNWTO forecasts the growth in tourism in emerging economies will be double that of advanced economies by 2030. The graduate tourism program has a strong focus on emerging economies and how the tourism industry can be harnessed to maximise the benefits for these nations.

Some of the key issues that the graduate tourism program addresses include the following:

• associated impacts of tourism on the environment
• developmental and planning issues associated with managing tourism growth
• how destinations are marketed and the notion of whether countries can become 'brands'
• how new technologies such as the internet will impact on the industry
• the current state of the global tourism industry
• the patterns of global tourism development and why some regions are growing faster than others
• the role 'culture' plays in the industry
• the role of special events such as major sporting events in tourism development
• the role of the government in managing the industry
• the segments of the market which offer the greatest growth prospects
• type of tourism emerging in the 21st century
• where the proposed tourism growth will come from and where will it occur in the world.