MSc in Tourism Industry Leadership Development
Course Overview
The MSc in Tourism Industry Leadership Development is a 12 to 18-month postgraduate qualification for senior tourism practitioners moving into board-level leadership at tourism boards, DMOs, multi-country tour operators, airlines and consultancy partners. It sits within LSTITM's Tourism Professional and Strategic Studies portfolio and is aligned with the leadership reference frameworks used by CMI, CIM, Tourism Society and UKHospitality.
By graduation, students can lead a tourism enterprise workstream, design a research-informed leadership strategy, complete a full postgraduate dissertation and step into a board-level tourism leadership role.
Postgraduates work through supervised executive studios, live board rehearsal sessions and structured research seminars so every graduate leaves with a dissertation, an executive leadership portfolio and coaching on non-executive board readiness.
Every postgraduate develops a rolling executive leadership portfolio across the MSc, gradually building board, culture and strategy artefacts credible with tourism enterprise 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 tourism enterprise chief executives.
Key Features
- Executive-level postgraduate qualification with research-informed leadership teaching
- References to CMI, CIM, Tourism Society, WTTC and UKHospitality
- Delivered online, on-campus in London and by distance learning
- Applied executive studios on tourism board and enterprise leadership
- Assessment through executive leadership plans, board decks and a dissertation
- Progression into consultancy, executive and board-level tourism careers
- Careers-service support with tourism boards and consultancy partners
- Live monthly executive leadership clinics with practicing tourism directors
- Curated pattern library of UK and international tourism board leadership playbooks
What You Will Learn
- Board-level leadership models for tourism enterprises
- Research-informed leadership strategy design at enterprise level
- Advanced culture, engagement and coaching frameworks for tourism teams
- How to lead cross-sector partnerships across tourism ecosystems
- Board governance, stakeholder duty and shareholder engagement
- Executive decision making under uncertainty in tourism markets
- How to run a research-informed postgraduate dissertation project
- How board leadership works with policy, marketing and operations teams
- How to lead a full tourism enterprise workstream with clear board KPIs
- How to structure a research-informed dissertation grounded in a live leadership challenge
- How to write an executive-level leadership transformation paper grounded in research
- How to prepare an evidence-informed board proposal for a multi-year culture programme
Who This Course Is For
- Bachelor holders progressing into board-level tourism leadership
- Practitioners with 5+ years executive tourism experience
- Career changers moving into board-level tourism from adjacent sectors
- International applicants aiming at multi-country tourism leadership
- Consultancy partners targeting board advisory engagements
- International students targeting UK executive industry leadership credentials
- Working directors on flexible executive study routes
Career Pathways
- Chief Tourism Officer
- Executive Director (Tourism Board)
- Regional Tourism Director
- Tourism Consultancy Partner (executive)
- Tourism Programme Director (executive)
- Global Tourism Manager (executive)
- Head of Tourism Development (executive)
- Tourism Corporate Development Manager (executive)
- Non-Executive Director (Tourism)
- Advisory Partner (Leadership Consultancy)
The LSTITM careers service supports MSc students with executive and non-executive board coaching, portfolio review and warm introductions to tourism boards, DMOs and consultancy partners across the London region.
The careers team also runs non-executive board readiness coaching, with introductions to tourism board and consultancy partner director recruitment cycles across London.
Recent MSc cohorts have moved into executive director roles at UK tourism boards and airlines, DMO chief executive tracks and leadership 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 tourism board chief executives and airline directors, keeping every module linked to live UK tourism board-level executive practice.
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 CMI, CIM, Tourism Society, WTTC and UKHospitality.
The MSc in Tourism Industry Leadership Development is delivered by lecturers drawn from tourism board chief executives, airline directorships and consultancy partner backgrounds, plus a dedicated careers team.
The MSc in Tourism Industry Leadership Development sits alongside sister LSTITM Master's routes in destination management and strategic communication, giving postgraduates a rich peer network drawn from senior tourism leadership practice.
MSc students also access monthly executive briefings from London tourism board CEOs, airline directors and consultancy senior partners, so their study translates directly into executive practice.
Apply for MSc in Tourism Industry Leadership Development
The MSc in Tourism Industry Leadership Development is a strong executive route into UK-anchored board-level tourism leadership. Applications open on a rolling basis across all delivery modes. Advance into executive tourism leadership with LSTITM. Enrol Now.
