How long is the MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies?

The MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies is a 12 to 18-month postgraduate programme, with full-time students typically completing the MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies in around 12 months.

Is the MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies UK recognised?

Yes. The MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies is a UK postgraduate degree aligned with CIM, Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Society practice.

What entry criteria apply to the MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies?

Applicants for the MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies need a UK 2:2 honours degree or 5+ years senior experience, IELTS 6.5, a research statement and an admissions interview.

MSc Tourism Innovation and Creativity | LSTITM | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies is a 12 to 18-month LSTITM postgraduate programme within the Tourism Professional & Strategic Studies department. It develops senior practitioners into research-informed leaders of tourism innovation and creativity across destinations, operators and consultancies, aligned with Institute of Hospitality, CIM and Tourism Society practice, with a supervised dissertation.

By dissertation stage you will be authoring executive innovation briefs, defending creative-programme investment cases and coordinating cross-portfolio innovation programmes.

Study on the MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies is structured around case cohorts, weekly tutor clinics and applied studios that mirror the pace of a UK-facing tourism organisation. The programme runs over 12 to 18 months and layers reading, guided practice and small-group work so learners can apply frameworks the following week at their operator, tourism board or agency. It sits inside the LSTITM Tourism Professional & Strategic Studies department and is designed to develop research-informed executive practice with policy and board-level applications for candidates working across tourism strategy, policy, consultancy and advisory work.

Key Features

Curriculum aligned with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) creative frameworks
Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Society innovation practice referenced
Research-informed methods with supervised dissertation stage
Studios in executive innovation-programme design
Coverage of portfolio-level creative-investment appraisal
Sessions on responsible-innovation ethics in tourism
Assessment blends coursework, executive innovation brief and dissertation
Structured tutor-led clinics that unpack case material week by week
Peer cohort review sessions modelled on UK operator working groups
Termly employer showcase sessions with LSTITM industry partners

What You Will Learn

Author an executive tourism innovation programme brief
Coordinate a cross-portfolio innovation programme at director level
Defend creative-investment cases to a board-level panel
Interpret innovation-portfolio dashboards executively
Design a governance model for tourism-innovation programmes
Handle creative IP and co-creation contracting professionally
Author a full postgraduate dissertation on a tourism-innovation topic
Apply UK consumer-protection and equalities duties to innovation work
Build a personal reading and reflection log across the MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies modules
Use tutor feedback to develop a portfolio artefact you can share at interview

Who This Course Is For

Senior innovation directors moving into chief-innovation-officer roles
DMO creative-programme heads formalising executive methods
Tour-operator product-innovation directors preparing for portfolio mandates
International practitioners preparing for a UK postgraduate credential
Boutique-consulting partners formalising executive innovation practice
Working professionals seeking a structured UK-referenced msc in tourism innovation and creativity studies credential
Alumni of Harold International College of London progressing across the school portfolio

Career Pathways

Chief Innovation Officer (Tourism)
Head of Tourism Creative Programmes
Director of Tourism Innovation
Executive Director (Tourism Board Innovation)
Senior Tourism Consultant (Innovation)
Head of Tourism Portfolio Innovation
Tourism Creative Director
Independent consultant or freelancer using the MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies portfolio as evidence
In-house progression within your existing tourism employer using the MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies

LSTITM's careers service supports Master's learners with executive coaching, LinkedIn optimisation and structured introductions to London DMO innovation directorates and tour-operator creative-programme leaderships.

Graduates of the MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies typically progress into roles across UK inbound tour operators, destination management organisations, OTAs, airline commercial teams and boutique tourism consultancies, and LSTITM alumni support networks help learners identify open vacancies and prepare tailored applications.

The MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies also equips learners with a concrete portfolio of coursework and applied artefacts they can present at interview, and LSTITM careers advisers help match those artefacts to live vacancies advertised by London tour operators, tourism boards and international travel employers each intake.

Entry Requirements

A UK 2:2 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 with no band under 6.0, or equivalent English proficiency
A 500-word research statement on your innovation-and-creativity specialisation
Two academic or professional references and a short admissions interview

Why Study at LSTITM

LSTITM is the specialist tourism and international travel management arm of Harold International College of London. Every programme is aligned with recognised UK bodies including the Tourism Society, ITT, ABTA, the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Institute of Hospitality, CMI and UKHospitality, giving graduates credible study behind them.

Teaching combines former DMO chief creative officers, tour-operator innovation directors and boutique-consulting innovation partners, delivered on-campus in London, live online and by distance learning.

Choosing the MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies at LSTITM also opens articulation into the wider Harold International College of London portfolio, so learners on this MSc route can progress into higher LSTITM qualifications or move sideways into related Harold International schools when it fits their career plan.

Apply for MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies

The MSc in Tourism Innovation and Creativity Studies is a credible postgraduate route into executive innovation practice. Contact admissions about the next intake, dissertation supervision and instalment plans. Advance into executive tourism leadership with LSTITM. Enrol Now.