Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies
Course Overview
The Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies is an LSTITM Diploma (UK Level 4-equivalent) programme delivered over a 9 to 12 months window, sitting inside the school's Tourism Business, Marketing & Operations portfolio and focused on how national, regional and local tourism policy is shaped, funded and translated into operating rules for the travel industry. It is aligned with recognised UK tourism-sector practice through bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and the Tourism Society, giving applicants a credible, industry-referenced study route into the field.
By the point of graduation, students on the Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies are reading tourism white papers, contributing to policy consultations and drafting briefing notes for tourism board or association leaders, ready to move into the next step of their tourism and travel career with structured evidence of study behind them.
Key Features
- Tutors from UK tourism policy, association and public-affairs backgrounds
- Aligned with Tourism Society, WTTC and British Chambers of Commerce policy standards
- Modules on tourism regulation, taxation, funding and consumer protection
- Comparative studies of UK, EU and international tourism policy regimes
- Live consultation-response exercises using real UK policy calls
- Assessed by a full tourism policy briefing pack and consultation response
What You Will Learn
- Read and summarise UK tourism policy papers at practitioner level
- Track the tourism-relevant work of DCMS, VisitBritain and devolved bodies
- Draft a formal response to a UK tourism consultation
- Analyse tourism taxation, levy and licensing frameworks
- Compare tourism policy regimes across UK, EU and selected markets
- Prepare briefing notes for MPs, councillors and association chiefs
- Assess how policy shifts change travel-industry commercial behaviour
Who This Course Is For
- Tourism board and association staff moving into policy work
- Public-affairs assistants at travel-industry bodies
- Council tourism officers with regulatory briefs
- International Diploma candidates targeting UK tourism policy careers
Career Pathways
- Tourism Policy Assistant
- Tourism Association Executive
- Tourism Development Officer
- Tourism Communications Manager (Policy)
- Tourism Research Analyst
- Public Affairs Officer (Travel)
- Tourism Board Coordinator
The LSTITM careers service supports every Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies student with CV clinics, LinkedIn reviews, interview coaching and warm introductions to London-based tour operators, tourism boards, OTAs, airlines and hospitality partners across the visitor economy.
Progression from the Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies feeds naturally into LSTITM's higher-level routes, so students who complete this qualification can articulate cleanly into an Advanced Diploma, Higher Diploma or full honours degree without repeating study already covered.
Every module on the Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies is written to leave learners with concrete evidence they can add to a portfolio, whether that is a report, a plan, a pitch or a reflective log, so the study time turns directly into materials that employers value.
Tutors on the Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies come from the working UK tourism and travel industry and set assessments that mirror real briefs, so learners are practising against the same problems their future employers face rather than abstract textbook exercises.
Learners on the Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies join a live cohort with structured peer review, group projects and mentor conversations, meaning the LSTITM study experience carries an informal professional network beyond the modules themselves.
The Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies is deliberately mapped to the language, KPIs and workflow that recruiters recognise in tour operators, tourism boards, OTAs and travel-technology employers, so applications reference concrete deliverables from the course.
Assessment on the Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies is spread across the study window rather than concentrated at the end, so tutors can coach improvement between submissions and learners avoid the pressure of a single high-stakes exam.
LSTITM keeps the Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies cohort size intentionally moderate so that every learner receives personal tutor time on their assessment work, which is critical for the reflective and applied elements of the syllabus.
Entry Requirements
- Age 18+ with completed secondary education (A-Levels, IB, or overseas equivalent)
- 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
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.
Every LSTITM programme is aligned with recognised UK tourism and marketing bodies including the Tourism Society, Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT), ABTA, the Chartered Institute of Marketing and UKHospitality, so graduates step into the sector with credible, industry-referenced study behind them.
Apply for Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies
Ready to take your next step in tourism? Applications for the Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies are open now through LSTITM Admissions, with rolling intakes across the year and support for UK, EU and international applicants. Take the next step into professional tourism practice and secure your place on the Diploma in Tourism Policy Studies. Enrol Now.
