MSc in Destination Management
Course Overview
The MSc in Destination Management is a 12 to 18-month postgraduate qualification for senior destination practitioners moving into board-level leadership at DMOs, tourism boards, regional government tourism bodies and destination consultancy partners. It sits within LSTITM's Tourism Professional and Strategic Studies portfolio and is aligned with the destination reference frameworks used by the Tourism Society, WTTC, CMI and UKHospitality.
By graduation, students can lead a destination enterprise programme, design a research-informed destination strategy, complete a full postgraduate dissertation and step into a board-level destination leadership role.
Postgraduates work through supervised executive studios, live board rehearsal sessions and structured research seminars so every graduate leaves with a dissertation, a destination executive portfolio and coaching on non-executive board readiness.
Every postgraduate develops a rolling executive destination portfolio across the MSc, gradually building programme, board and stakeholder artefacts credible with regional tourism board chief executives.
Postgraduate assessment is spread across executive coursework, board rehearsals and a full research-informed dissertation, so students build a coherent long-form portfolio credible with regional tourism board chief executives.
Key Features
- Executive-level postgraduate qualification with research-informed destination teaching
- References to Tourism Society, WTTC, CMI, CIM and UKHospitality
- Delivered online, on-campus in London and by distance learning
- Applied executive studios on destination transformation and policy
- Assessment through executive destination strategies, board decks and a dissertation
- Progression into consultancy, executive and board-level destination careers
- Careers-service support with DMOs, tourism boards and consultancy partners
- Live monthly destination executive clinics with practicing tourism board chiefs
- Curated pattern library of UK and international destination executive playbooks
What You Will Learn
- Board-level destination leadership across public and private tourism ecosystems
- Research-informed destination strategy design at regional and national level
- Advanced sustainability and community consent for destination programmes
- How to lead cross-agency partnerships in destination transformation
- Board governance and shareholder engagement in destination policy
- Executive decision making across destination portfolios
- How to run a research-informed postgraduate dissertation project
- How board destination leadership works with airline and accommodation supply
- How to lead a full destination enterprise programme at regional or national level
- How to structure a research-informed dissertation grounded in a live destination challenge
- How to write a board-level destination transformation paper grounded in research
- How to prepare an evidence-informed board proposal for a national destination programme
Who This Course Is For
- Bachelor holders progressing into board-level destination leadership
- Practitioners with 5+ years executive destination experience
- Career changers moving into board-level destination from adjacent sectors
- International applicants aiming at regional tourism authority leadership
- Consultancy partners targeting board destination advisory engagements
- International students targeting UK board-level destination credentials
- Working DMO chiefs on flexible executive study routes
Career Pathways
- Executive Director (Tourism Board)
- Regional Tourism Director (executive)
- Head of Tourism Development (executive)
- Tourism Strategy Consultant (executive)
- Tourism Programme Director (destination)
- Tourism Corporate Development Manager (destination)
- Tourism Consultancy Partner (destination)
- Chief Tourism Officer (destination)
- Non-Executive Director (Destination)
- Advisory Partner (Destination Consultancy)
The LSTITM careers service supports MSc students with executive and non-executive board coaching, portfolio review and warm introductions to DMOs, tourism boards and consultancy partners across the London region.
The careers team also runs non-executive board readiness coaching, with introductions to tourism board and DMO chief executive recruitment cycles across London and beyond.
Recent MSc cohorts have moved into executive destination director roles at UK regional tourism authorities, DMO chief executive tracks and destination consultancy senior partner promotion cycles across London.
Entry Requirements
- A UK 2:2 (Lower Second Class) honours degree or overseas equivalent in any discipline
- Applicants without a first degree may be considered with 5+ years senior tourism experience
- IELTS 6.5 overall (no band under 6.0) or equivalent English proficiency
- A 500-word research statement on the applicant's chosen area of tourism specialisation
- Two academic or professional references and a short interview
MSc candidates on this route also receive termly executive briefings from London regional tourism authority CEOs and DMO chairs, keeping every module linked to live UK destination executive practice at the board level.
Why Study at LSTITM
LSTITM is the London School of Tourism and International Travel Management, a division of Harold International College of London focused on destination, business, systems and strategic tourism disciplines. Every route is aligned with recognised UK bodies including the Tourism Society, WTTC, CMI, CIM and UKHospitality.
The MSc in Destination Management is delivered by lecturers drawn from tourism board chief executive backgrounds, DMO directorships and destination consultancy partner leadership, plus a dedicated careers team.
The MSc in Destination Management sits alongside sister LSTITM Master's routes in tourism destination management and industry leadership, giving postgraduates a rich peer network drawn from senior destination practice.
MSc students also access monthly executive briefings from London tourism board CEOs, regional DMO chiefs and destination consultancy senior partners, so their study translates directly into executive practice.
Apply for MSc in Destination Management
The MSc in Destination Management is a strong executive route into UK-anchored board-level destination leadership. Applications open on a rolling basis across all delivery modes. Advance into executive tourism leadership with LSTITM. Enrol Now.
