Tourism

Tourism is one of Australia's largest and fastest growing industries, and is an exciting area of business, research and innovation. Tourism courses are provided on an inter-Faculty basis by the Newcastle Business School. Tourism courses form a major in the Bachelor of Business and the Bachelor of Social Science programs. It is also possible for students to study Tourism courses as an elective in a wide range of degree programs.

Why study with us?

Tourism is a dynamic and evolving field of study. Studying tourism at the University of Newcastle will enable you to gain a critical understanding of the complexity of the tourism industry, and knowledge of the economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts of tourism. A Major in Tourism will provide you with theoretical understanding, and practical skills and knowledge about tourism, through teaching that involves traditional methods together with student centred, problem-based learning.

The Bachelor of Business and the Bachelor of Social Science programs include core and elective foundation subjects, which are complemented by specialist topics, all of which reflect a concern for sustainable tourism. The courses you can study include:

  • Tourism Principles and Practices
  • Leisure Behaviour and Development
  • Ecotourism and Resource Management
  • Tourism, Culture, and Heritage Management
  • Visitor Management
  • Tourism Planning and Policy
  • Events Management
  • Tourism Marketing
  • Leisure, Tourism, and Environmental Issues

Academic staff in the Tourism Discipline are actively engaged in research. A strong focus of current research projects includes ecotourism and outdoor recreation in protected areas, regional tourism, indigenous cultural tourism, volunteer and education tourism, backpacking and independent travel, film and literary tourism. Our tourism staff have received awards recognising their contributions to teaching and learning in leisure and tourism studies.

Tourism staff have close connections with the tourism industry, and local, regional and government organisations. The Faculty of Business and Law is a Tourism Industry Partner of the Hunter Regional Tourism Organisation (HRTO). Representing Tourism New South Wales in the Hunter region, our partnership with HRTO demonstrates our commitment to community engagement at both the regional and state level.

Research Higher Degree students in tourism are undertaking a range of research projects including studies of marine based tourism, adventure tourism, community based tourism and tourism marketing.

Honours in Tourism

Honours in Tourism in the Newcastle Business School is open to all suitably qualified students who have successfully completed their undergraduate degree with a major in Tourism. Entry to Honours in Tourism is competitive and based on academic merit. The minimum entry requirement is a Credit average for the whole undergraduate degree. However, preference will be given to students with a Distinction average or better in their Tourism major. The final decision will also depend on the availability of staff and resources to enable the proposed area of thesis research to be undertaken and remains at the discretion of the Head of the School, in consultation with the Tourism staff. Dr Kevin Lyons is supervising the honours program in the tourism discipline and teaching TOUR 4000 Theory in Tourism.

Career opportunities

A Major in Tourism will provide you with excellent transferable skills that can be applied within a range of public and private sectors, with outstanding domestic and global employment opportunities. Careers in tourism contribute to the economy, increase understanding of human behaviour, and build international relationships. Graduates with a Major in Tourism are able to pursue a variety of professional careers in the tourism industry. The tourism industry has many distinct sectors, and career opportunities in tourism are numerous and diverse. Careers include:

  • Conference and events management
  • Tourism and travel marketing
  • Tour operations and guiding
  • Attraction management
  • Visitor centre management
  • Environmental management
  • Hospitality
  • Tourism authorities (national, state and regional)
  • Government policy
  • Research
  • Education