Bachelor's Degree in International Tourism Management

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Bachelor's Degree in International Tourism Management (B.A.) in Germany

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What is Tourism Management and why you should study it?

You could be forgiven for believing that you’ve got a good understanding of what tourism management entails. The familiarity of booking a trip and experiencing a destination as a marketable entity seems almost second nature to us. However, even the shortest excursion often involves intersecting with various facets of hospitality, aviation, event, service and hotel management. What’s more, tourism is directly affected by the environment – and vice versa. Economic, ecological, political and geographical factors greatly influence the touristic landscape. Complex and captivating, tourism management itself is an ever-changing adventure, and a fantastic industry to be a part of.

With an analytical eye, we query the ethics and sustainability of tourism in relation to the wider world, beyond the walls of the classroom, asking questions such as:

Cheap holidays are nice – but at whose expense?
What are the implications of visiting an area before it is “destroyed” by tourists?

By putting the industry in dialogue with academia, our international tourism management team will help you answer such questions through evaluating the multi-vocal perspectives of different stakeholders. Most importantly however, we invite you to reflect on your own involvement and discover how you can meaningfully contribute to the tourism of the future.

Tourism Management Degree at CBS – Where Theory Meets Practice

Tourism management operates within a multi-trillion-dollar industry. As one of the biggest global employers with the most international career opportunities, working in tourism could quite literally mean working anywhere in the world. Our English-language BA International Tourism Management programme offers a bridge between theory and practice – integrating our students with industry experience right from the start by way of the following:

City rallies of Cologne, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, or Bruges hosted by the Department of Tourism Management.
Business projects in collaboration with TUI Cruises, Hilton, Köln Tourismus, BOYOCA, Turkish Airlines, etc.
Annual CBS Study Trips to South Korea, for example, supported by the German Academic Exchange Service and the Korea Tourism Organization.
For over 15 years CBS participated in the world’s biggest tourism fair, ITB Berlin, which saw CBS students awarding the Best Exhibitor Award (BEA).
We prioritize the application of theoretical knowledge in real-life situations.
As international tourism management heavily involves internationalization and digitization, we incorporate these fields into every aspect of our curriculum ensuring that you have the key skills employers are looking for in budding young professionals.

International Tourism Management at a glance

*The displayed prices are semester fees. For non-EU students' fees please check the tuition fees information page. Status: January 2024.

Study Course Plan

Some information about the study plan for the study programme Bachelors in International Tourism Management:

General business teaching units

Business Operations3 ECTS

Introduction: Basic business, economic, and market principles and key terms
External Business Environment
Global Markets
Competitive Environment
Internal Environment
Management, Leadership & Motivation
Business Function: HR, Operations, Marketing, Finance & Accounting
Entrepreneurship
Business Ethics and CSR
Emerging Business Trends

Business Law3 ECTS

Survey on different legal systems and the harmonizing effect of EU Law
Concluding a contract
Different types of contracts and their typical features
Performance and obligations
Solving problems (e.g. failure to perform, liabilities)
Safeguarding creditors’ rights
Forms of business organizations

Mathematics3 ECTS

Introduction to functions, graphs and interpretations
Understanding Derivatives
Applications of Derivatives
Understanding Differential Equations
Applications of Differential Equations
Understanding Logarithms
Applications of Logarithms

Statistics3 ECTS

Introducing data and statistics
Descriptive statistics and exploratory data analysis
Introduction to probability theory
Discrete and continuous probability distributions
Sampling and sampling distributions
Interval estimations
Hypothesis development and testing
Simple linear regressions

Financial Accounting3 ECTS

The purpose of accounting
Formal rules and assumptions, national law, IFRS, US-GAAP
The system of financial statements and accounts
Accounting for services and merchandising
Inventory valuation
Receivables
Plant, natural and intangible assets
Liabilities
Owner’s equity of corporations
Value-added tax

Applied Financial Accounting3 ECTS

The purpose of accounting
Formal rules and assumptions, national law, IFRS, US-GAAP
The system of financial statements and accounts
Accounting for services and merchandising
Inventory valuation
Receivables
Plant, natural and intangible assets
Liabilities
Owner’s equity of corporations
Value-added tax

Programme specific teaching units

Introduction to Tourism Management3 ECTS

History and development of tourism
The tourism system in the era of globalisation
Ecologic, economic, and social impacts of tourism
Tourism: a multi-component service industry
Business models and forms of tourism
Tourism organisations and lobbyism
Backlash issues: terrorism, natural disasters, diseases

Tourism Geography3 ECTS

The Demand and Supply for Recreation and Tourism
Linking World-wide Issues to Tourism
Climate and Tourism
Geographical Influencing Factors on Tourism Development
Tourism and Natural Catastrophes
Sustainable and Responsible Tourism

Interdisciplinary competencies

Foreign Language2 ECTS

Depending on the student‘s choice, language courses are offered, for example, in English, Spanish or French. If you choose the English-Only track, the lessons will focus on the intensive development of your English skills.

Academic Business English2 ECTS

This course aims to solidify the students’ existing language competencies as independent users of English and to enable them to apply this to their studies, focusing on educational and business domains. Students will learn the skills and process of critical thinking and analysis and how to express and elaborate their thoughts, opinions, and arguments. Students will have gained an understanding of complex language and writing skills to organize and develop their ideas in a scholarly way.

Personal Skills2 ECTS

In courses such as Rhetoric and Presentation or Business and Society your social and leadership skills are trained. In addition to various compulsory courses, there are optional subjects where you can choose which of your competences should be particularly strengthened.

General business teaching units

Microeconomics3 ECTS

Introduction into microeconomic models
Consumer theory
The theory of the firm
Competitive markets
Market failure
Market power and monopoly
Oligopoly and monopolistic competition
Externalities
Asymmetric information
Introduction to game theory

Applied Microeconomics3 ECTS

Introduction into microeconomic models
Consumer theory
The theory of the firm
Competitive markets
Market failure:
Market power and monopoly
Oligopoly and monopolistic competition
Externalities
Asymmetric information
Introduction to game theory

Market Research3 ECTS

Introduction to Market Research
Defining the marketing research problem and developing an approach
Research design
Secondary Data
Qualitative research
Quantitative research
Scaling and sampling
Fieldwork and Data preparation
Basic data analysis (how to use it)
Report preparation and presentation

Cost Accounting3 ECTS

Rationales of cost accounting
Simplistic methods of overhead allocation
Job costing
Process costing
Activity-based costing
Overcapacity costing
Joint product costing
Overhead analysis sheet
Concepts of relevant cost and revenue
Budgeting

Human Resource Management3 ECTS

Recruitment and Attraction
HR Planning, Controlling & Instruments
Training and Employee Development
Motivation and Leadership
Compensation and Benefits
Performance Appraisal and Management
Certificate of employment
HR Ethics
Trends in HRM

Marketing3 ECTS

Marketing Definition and Process
Marketing in Context of Corporate Strategies
Internal Analysis and Marketing Environment (Micro)
Marketing Environment (Macro)
Consumer Buying Behaviour
Market Segmentation
Strategic Brand Management
Marketing Instruments (Product, Price Place, Promotion)
Marketing and Sustainability

Programme specific teaching units

Tourism Law3 ECTS

The Warsaw convention
Visa and vaccination requirements
EU legislation: freedom of services
EU legislation: passenger rights
German law: the legal status distinction between tour operators and travel agents
German law: the role of travel alerts issued by the Federal Foreign Office

Tour Operations3 ECTS

The package tour value chain
Market structure of tour operators
Business models and strategies in tour operating
Purchasing of accommodation and transportation capacities
Travel agencies and their market structure: chains, franchise, co-operation models
Tour operators vs. travel agencies: commission structures, fee models, legal status
Global players in tour operating and travel distribution
Specialized tour operators and niche markets
New distribution channels, online travel agencies, and virtual tour operating

Interdisciplinary competencies

Academic Business English2 ECTS

Foreign Language2 ECTS

Personal Skills2 ECTS

General business teaching units

Macroeconomics3 ECTS

Indicators: Gross Domestic Product and its major components, Inflation
Labour Markets and unemployment
The classical AS-AD model
Keynes’ IS-LM Model
The basic RBC model
Monetary Policy
Fiscal Policy

Applied Macroeconomics3 ECTS

Indicators: Gross Domestic Product and its major components, Inflation
Labour Markets and unemployment
The classical AS-AD model
Keynes’ IS-LM Model
The basic RBC model
Monetary Policy
Fiscal Policy

Strategic Management3 ECTS

External Analysis: understanding opportunities and threats the environment offers
Internal Analysis: uncovering strengths and weaknesses of the organization
Basic corporate-level strategic choices for long-term profitability
Diversification strategy
Mergers, acquisitions and alliances
Strategic entrepreneurship and innovation
Organizational structure and controls
Social Responsibility and Ethics of Strategic Management
Basics of Corporate Governance

International Management3 ECTS

Global competition and the transnational corporation in the global economy
Institutions governing competition
Organizational designs for multinational companies
Location-based aspects: Competitive advantages of countries
Organization, local adaptation and the need for standardization
Networks and innovation
Managing people in multinational enterprises
Leadership and management behaviour in multinational companies
Organizational culture

Introduction to Social Science3 ECTS

Social sciences and its methods
Individual and society
Human behaviour and organisation
Development of civilisations
Culture and the individual
Decision making and power
Politics and society
Social and political institutions
Economics and society
Global issues

Empirical Social Research3 ECTS

Theory and hypotheses
Qualitative method
Quantitative method
Research designs
Data collection methods
Correlation and Causality
Sampling
Data collection
Coding
Ethics

Programme specific teaching units

Aviation Management3 ECTS

Major aspects of Aviation industry
Business Relations: Mergers, Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances
Airlines and their interaction with their environments
Airport Business Models
New trends and future perspectives

Hotel Business Operations3 ECTS

Classification and service quality issues
Investors, owner-operators, franchise, and hotel chains
Food & beverage operations
Rooms division and yield management
Banquet and conference sales
Human resources management
Traditional vs. design hotels

Interdisciplinary competencies

Foreign Language4 ECTS

Personal Skills2 ECTS

Programme specific teaching units

Tourism Marketing3 ECTS

The 7 P’s of service marketing
The marketing environment for hospitality and tourism
Consumer markets and the context of tourist buying behaviour
Destination marketing specifics
Hotel and restaurant marketing
Major distribution channels
Web 2.0: opportunities and risks of user-generated content
Consumer behaviour: individual, social, and group aspects
Perceiving and choosing destinations
The tourists’ on-site experience

Event Management3 ECTS

Legal aspects of event management
Communication, information and office management, software applications
Event marketing and branding
Event production and mise-en-scene
Invitation management
Event management strategy and planning
Meetings, conventions, trade fair and exhibition management
Marketing & media interaction

Social Media Marketing3 ECTS

Every year, state-of-the-art topics in Social Media Marketing will be presented, analyzed, and developed. The topics will be changed in the respective semester, responding to current trends. Examples for the contents of Social Media Marketing are:

Crowdsourcing
Personality Branding
Social Media Customer Service Center
Social Media for B2B communication.

Digitalization & Tourism3 ECTS

Every year, state-of-the-art topics in eTourism will be presented, analyzed, and developed. The topics will be changed in the respective semester, responding to current trends.

eTourism and eBusiness
Web 2.0 and user generated content (link to Social Media Marketing)
Augmented and Virtual Reality applications for the Tourism industry
Platforms and tools
ICT solutions for tourist destinations, service providers, tour operators, distribution and sales
Technology acceptance and backlashes

Elective area

Business Project6 ECTS

The overall objective of this course is to provide students with possibility of applying their business knowledge on concrete business situation (real or scenario-based), related to the field of their specialization. By the end of the module students should be able to:

Define project goals for the “client”.
Work under the set timeframe and agreed project scope.
Cooperate in the international project teams.
Plan and conduct secondary and primary research to gather necessary information: understand which information is needed and where to look for it.
Conduct analysis of the “client business”: be able to understand the researched information in a wider context.
Evaluate markets/ industries/ competitive landscapes.
Develop possible strategic directions for the “client” business.
Formulate recommendations

Business Elective 13 ECTS

These courses aim to enable the students to develop and/or strengthen relevant skills that are of particular interest to them. Electives allow students to expand their knowledge. The following are examples of the types of courses on offer. Typically you have the choice between two or three different electives.

International Marketing
International Human Resource Management
Organisational Behaviour
Global Supply Chain Management
Entrepreneurship
Diversity in Business
Corporate Social Responsibility
International Accounting
Advanced Statistics
Design Thinking
Quantitative Social Media Research
SAP as Enterprise Resource Planning Software
Snack Content
Harvesting and analyzing social media data for business purposes
Industry 4.0

Business Elective 23 ECTS

International Marketing
International Human Resource Management
Organisational Behaviour
Global Supply Chain Management
Entrepreneurship
Diversity in Business
Corporate Social Responsibility
International Accounting
Advanced Statistics
Design Thinking
Quantitative Social Media Research
SAP as Enterprise Resource Planning Software
Snack Content
Harvesting and analyzing social media data for business purposes
Industry 4.0

Interdisciplinary competencies

Foreign Language4 ECTS

Personal Skills2 ECTS

Semester Abroad

Semester Abroad25 ECTS

You will spend the fifth semester at one of our numerous partner universities abroad. Our International Office supports you in the selection & application process and coordinates the courses to be taken abroad with you in advance.

Programme specific teaching units

Bachelor Thesis12 ECTS

During your 6th semester you are working on your Bachelor thesis. You have 12 weeks to complete your thesis and the subject is freely selectible. A supervisor from CBS will support you and you can write the thesis in collaboration with a company as well.

Bachelor Thesis Tutorial1 ECTS

During the Bachelor Thesis Tutorial you will learn the fundamentals for your Bachelor thesis: Defining the topic as well as structuring the thesis and you will learn the theoretical knowledge for scientific working.

Business Simulation Game4 ECTS

In a business simulation game participants have to manage their own virtual company which operates in the same market as other participant-operated competitors. This involves making typical management decisions in realistic environments. Beside the deepening and active examination of subject-specific knowledge the simulation games also include the team environment, where interaction, communication and prioritization are of paramount importance. Participants learn how to manage risk and uncertainty while time is limited and information constrained. Group-reflections help to take over different perspectives and to discuss pros and cons of content- as well as behaviour-related actions.

Destination Management3 ECTS

Public and private destination management
Destination target marketing and affinity group marketing
Sustainable destination management tools
Destination financing and controlling
International destinations
New trends and future perspectives of destination management
Destination Management or Destination Marketing Organisations

Tourism Mobilities3 ECTS

Forecasting domestic and international demand of transportation
Supply Analysis for tourism transportation
Sustainable considerations in the choice of tourism transportation
The Future of tourism transportation
Cruises, Railways, Coach Tour
Individual Cars, Car Rental Services

Interdisciplinary competencies

Personal Skills2 ECTS

An internship (10 ECTS) in Germany or abroad is integral part of your degree. Our Career Service is happy to support you in finding the perfect company.

bachelor-international-tourism-management-studentin

Meet Likeminded Tourism Management Enthusiasts at Tourism Events

The Faculty of International Tourism Management understands the value of extra-curricular activities and champions the many opportunities International Tourism Management students have to gain new experiences. In addition to company visits, projects, and industry-led presentations, the faculty hosts regular ‘Tourism Mixers’ in which ITM students, lecturers, and alumni alike meet twice a semester to exchange ideas and to get to know each other in a relaxed environment. This encourages a habit of lifelong learning and innovative, critical thinking, setting up our tourism management students for long, rich careers.

A Tourism Management Degree That Broadens Horizons

The International Tourism Management Team also plan CBS study trips, giving our students the chance to explore exciting destinations twice a year (e.g. South Korea and Oman). Utilizing our international networks, global corporate partnerships and university alliances, the CBS study trips strike the right balance between theory and application, including exchanges with company representatives and students from different cultures.

Our tourism management excursions not only furnish you with international travelling experience, but you will be expected to actively contribute to the trip and plan parts of the journey yourself. Hence, a study trip is not a holiday, but a fruitful learning experience that is rewarded with ECTS.

We look forward to exploring the globe with you!

Research within the scope of the tourism management degree - How does it help to become a better tourism manager?

Research is an essential aspect of the international tourism management program. Our tourism management professors are dedicated to equipping you with all the tools you need to start digging deep into scholarly articles, discover connections and engage critically with source material. We aim to nurture a culture of learning through a combination of independence and commitment.

Further, it is essential that our students keep up-to-date with current global trends, markets and tourist behavior. In light of this, ethical issues must also be taken into consideration. Questions such as how terrorism affects tourism, or how tourism affects the environment, people and culture must be asked in order to foster critical perspectives and worldly knowledge, which are essential for understanding tourism at a managerial level.

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Practical experience, soft & intercultural skills trainings prepare you for the job market

Several practical phases are integrated into the curriculum of the International Tourism Management Bachelor's Degree so that you can optimally prepare yourself for the job market and get to know various aspects of different industries during your studies. For example, you will complete an eight-week internship during your lecture-free period and work on complex issues in a joint business project with corporate partners. Our Business Simulation Game also offers you the chance to apply your knowledge in practice. Our Career Service supports you in finding an exciting internship in Germany or abroad with a renowned company!

In addition, our soft skills courses teach you how to lead teams and communicate effectively with your fellow students at all levels of the hierarchy. Whether in a job interview or at an important final presentation - a confident appearance is the sum of your experience and targeted training in which you can improve your skills. with convincing charisma and rhetoric, you will always be successful in your working life.

In addition to these practical insights, you will strengthen your intercultural skills during your semester abroad. As CBS has a large network of partner universities, you can spend your semester abroad at one of over 120 universities all over the world. The International Office staff will assist you with your choice and the whole application process.

What can you do with a tourism bachelor's degree?

After completing a BA in International Tourism Management at CBS, a diverse array of career opportunities will open up to you:

Prioritize flexibility, international experience and service-orientated roles? Then hospitality management or hotel management might be a good fit for you.
Interested in logistics and operations? Then it might be worth considering a job in the tour operator sector or in destination or aviation management.
Perhaps you’ll want to dive deeper into the world of tourism academia, in which case it might be worthwhile to pursue a doctorate.

The opportunities within the global and digital climate of tourism are indeed, endless. Consequently, studying BA International Tourism Management at the CBS will provide you with a world-class environment from which you can springboard into a promising career in the tourism industry!

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This is What Our Students Say

Philip Kollmann

Project Manager
Wayne´s Coffee

"Especially the soft skill courses have been of great help for my performance in job interviews. Through my work in the Finance and Business Club I have built up a broad network and acquired project management skills that have enabled me to score points with companies."

Katrin Rieger

Bereichsdirektorin Reisevertrieb Deutschland / Vice President Sales
HanseMerkur Krankenversicherung

"The practical learning in small groups prepared me optimally for today's project and team work. The CBS provided me with the decisive soft skills and current knowledge from the world of business."

Christopher Rosenbaum

Manager
Ernst & Young GmbH
Wirschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

"The Management Studies programme prepares you thoroughly for the tasks of a consultant. In particular, the development of presentation techniques as well as analytical thinking is of enormous importance in the everyday life of a consultant."

Oliver Kiderle

EMEA Regional Product Expert
Google Inc.

"The focus on internationality and practical skills have had a very positive influence on my development at Google. Especially the structured and very versatile project work, which is often found at a private school, was extremely helpful."

Kalle Kenkel

Commercial Excellence Manager
GE Healthcare

"My studies at CBS prepared me for a career in today's dynamic, global work environment. As one's origin and physical location become less and less decisive, it has become increasingly important to have a multinational network and adapt quickly to various cultures and environments."

Neil Jordaan

Global Digital Content Manager
Elanco

"Many professors shared their professional business experience with us in class and were able to illustrate dry theory with practical examples. I also enjoyed the international atmosphere on campus."

Patrick Stein

Head of Human Resources
Boston Consulting Group

"The strongly practice-oriented studies and the international orientation of the CBS, as well as the lectures held in English, were an absolutely necessary basis for starting a career with a renowned, international company."

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