Diploma in Tourism Strategic Planning
Course Overview
The Diploma in Tourism Strategic Planning is an LSTITM Diploma (UK Level 4-equivalent) programme delivered over a 9 to 12 months window, sitting inside the school's Tourism & Destination Management portfolio and focused on how destinations, tourism boards and larger operators translate long-range vision into structured, funded tourism plans. It is aligned with recognised UK tourism-sector practice through bodies such as the Tourism Society and the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT), giving applicants a credible, industry-referenced study route into the field.
By the point of graduation, students on the Diploma in Tourism Strategic Planning are contributing to a five-year destination plan, running stakeholder workshops and drafting funded project briefs at practitioner level, ready to move into the next step of their tourism and travel career with structured evidence of study behind them.
Key Features
- Curriculum written by former tourism strategy managers and consultants
- Aligned with Tourism Society, CMI and WTTC planning practice
- Structured modules on situation analysis, vision-setting and phased delivery
- Case libraries covering UK city, coastal and rural tourism plans
- Guest sessions from destination CEOs and tourism policy leads
- Assessed by a full destination strategic plan and consultation deck
What You Will Learn
- Build a PESTLE and SWOT analysis for a working destination
- Draft a 5-year destination vision statement and pillar structure
- Map stakeholder power and interest using standard planning grids
- Prepare Gantt schedules and phased KPI targets
- Write a destination funding case for local authority partners
- Model tourism scenarios under different visitor volume assumptions
- Design consultation events that meet UK public-engagement expectations
Who This Course Is For
- Tourism officers moving into strategy and planning teams
- Destination marketing staff wanting a formal planning skill set
- Local authority and regeneration officers with tourism briefs
- International Diploma applicants preparing for planning careers
Career Pathways
- Tourism Planning Officer
- Destination Manager (Planning)
- Tourism Development Officer
- Tourism Policy Assistant
- Tourism Research Analyst
- Regional Tourism Coordinator
- Tourism Consultancy Analyst (Junior)
The LSTITM careers service supports every Diploma in Tourism Strategic Planning 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 Strategic Planning 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 Strategic Planning 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 Strategic Planning 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 Strategic Planning 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 Strategic Planning 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 Strategic Planning 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 Strategic Planning 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 Strategic Planning
Ready to take your next step in tourism? Applications for the Diploma in Tourism Strategic Planning 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 Strategic Planning. Enrol Now.
