Diploma in Tourism Policy and Governance
Course Overview
The Diploma in Tourism Policy and Governance is a UK Level 4-equivalent Diploma running 9 to 12 months, aligned with practitioner-level tourism study. Delivered by the Tourism Professional & Strategic Studies department at LSTITM, the programme concentrates on how UK and international tourism policy is written, governed and translated into on-the-ground destination decisions within the wider UK visitor economy.
By the end of the diploma route you will be reading tourism policy documents and translating them into practical operator or DMO actions, ready to contribute in tourism professional & strategic studies settings across London and comparable UK tourism environments.
The Diploma in Tourism Policy and Governance grounds policy in the practical work of UK tourism officers, from reading legislative summaries and consultation responses through drafting stakeholder briefings, tracking policy commitments and translating governance decisions into destination-level action plans.
Key Features
- Programme content aligned with Tourism Society, Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT), Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) themes
- Delivered fully in UK English through the Tourism Professional & Strategic Studies department
- Structured articulation from LSTITM Certificate through Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Higher Diploma and honours-level study
- Focus areas include policy reading, governance structures, consultation processes, stakeholder impact analysis for the Diploma in Tourism Policy and Governance
- Dedicated career support covering CV, LinkedIn and interview coaching for UK tourism roles
- Access to LSTITM's employer network across tour operators, OTAs, DMOs and London hospitality partners
- Formative and summative assessment reviewed by tourism industry practitioners
What You Will Learn
- Read tourism policy documents and identify actionable clauses
- Map UK tourism governance from national bodies to local authorities
- Support public consultation exercises on tourism proposals
- Analyse stakeholder impact of policy changes on tourism operators
- Prepare simple policy briefings for junior managers and boards
- Compare tourism policy in UK, European and comparable international settings
- Track policy commitments through operational implementation
- Recognise the role of the Tourism Society in UK policy dialogue
Alongside taught content, the Diploma in Tourism Policy and Governance uses sample UK policy documents, consultation responses and stakeholder submissions. Learners practise reading each source critically, summarising them for busy managers and drafting short position notes that a DMO officer could take into a local authority meeting the following week.
Who This Course Is For
- Junior officers entering tourism boards or DMOs
- Diploma-progressing students targeting policy-adjacent tourism roles
- International learners with public-sector career ambitions
- Career changers from local government moving into tourism policy
Diploma learners join policy-focused industry sessions with UK DMOs, tourism boards and policy bodies, hearing directly from policy leaders on how their teams read consultations, prepare responses and build long-term relationships with public-sector partners that keep tourism voices in the room when new legislation is being shaped.
Career Pathways
- Junior Tourism Business Analyst
- Junior Global Tourism Manager
- Junior Tourism Corporate Development Manager
- Junior Tourism Investment Analyst
- Junior Tourism Research Director
- Junior Chief Tourism Officer
LSTITM's careers service supports every Diploma in Tourism Policy and Governance learner with CV coaching, interview practice and warm introductions across London tourism boards, tour operators, OTAs, airline partners and hospitality employers, aligned with practitioner-level tourism careers in the UK visitor economy.
Diploma graduates commonly move into tourism policy assistant, DMO officer and public-sector tourism support roles across UK destinations.
Entry Requirements
- Age 18+ with completed secondary education (A-Levels, IB, or overseas equivalent), with a stated interest in tourism policy and governance
- An LSTITM Certificate or comparable tourism qualification (preferred, not required)
- IELTS 5.5 or equivalent English proficiency for international applicants
- Short statement of interest describing your career direction in tourism
- Access to a computer and reliable internet for online delivery
Why Study at LSTITM
The Diploma in Tourism Policy and Governance also connects learners to LSTITM's policy roundtables, where UK tourism officers describe recent consultations and their downstream effects.
LSTITM is the London School of Tourism and International Travel Management , a specialist division of Harold International College of London focused on the destination, business, systems and strategic disciplines that shape modern global tourism.
Students on every LSTITM route are supported by dedicated career services covering CV, LinkedIn, interview coaching and introductions to London tourism boards, tour operators, OTAs, airline and hospitality partners.
Apply for Diploma in Tourism Policy and Governance
Applications for the Diploma in Tourism Policy and Governance are open all year through the LSTITM admissions portal, with the admissions team available to guide UK and international applicants through documentation, English requirements and instalment plans. Once accepted, learners receive an induction pack covering policy templates, tutor introductions and a quick primer on UK tourism governance structures that new policy-office staff commonly find useful in their opening study weeks. Applicants can request a call with a policy tutor before enrolling to confirm delivery mode and expected policy reading for this Diploma. Take the next step into professional tourism practice and secure your place on this Diploma in Tourism Policy and Governance cohort. Enrol Now.
