Tourism Systems and Hospitality Management

What is the objective of the course? What is it?
What does it train you for?

The Master’s Degree Course in Tourism Systems and Hospitality Management (TSHM) stems from an agreement between the University of Palermo and Florida International University (FIU) Chaplin School of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Miami.

The course provides students with the possibility to visit FIU on special occasions, as well as to participate in ‘visiting’ periods during the course activities in Florida, to carry out a training term and/or to complete the whole educational process in Florida.

The Master Degree Course aims to:

• Analyse territorial contexts;
• Plan and manage projects for local tourism development;
• Foster the necessary communication for the development and sustainable management of tourism systems, hospitality and food and wine traditions;
• Disseminate advanced socioeconomic research methods in order to analyse the different components of the tourism system from both the demand and the supply perspectives.

What do you learn?

The Course offers comprehensive and highly professionalizing training designed for those who wish to build a career in the international tourism sector.

During the two-year programme (120 ECTS), students acquire skills in the design, management and marketing of tourism systems, with a strong orientation towards sustainable territorial development.

The program delves into the organization and management of events, the creation and promotion of local tourism products, economic analysis of local areas, and tourism marketing research, with a particular focus on food and wine tourism and agri-food systems.

The curriculum includes 15 courses, all in English, including: tourism behavior analysis, tourism economics and regional policies, international tourism law, tourism marketing and positive organizations, event management, revenue strategy, advanced tourism statistics, demography, global economic history, and agriculture and food systems. The training is complemented by a 300-hour internship in the tourism sector and a final research project (thesis), often linked to the internship experience.

The activities take place at the University Campus of Palermo, in a stimulating and multicultural context.

What can you do with it?

After the Master’s Degree, numerous professional opportunities open up in Italy and abroad, thanks to a managerial, international, and labor market-oriented background.

Graduates can pursue careers in the hotel industry, holding management and development roles in international hotels, resorts, and chains, or in cruise lines, in areas related to hospitality management, customer experience, and revenue management.

Another outlet is that of the tourism operator and tour operating, with design, marketing and marketing functions for tourism products and services.

The course also prepares you to work in real estate companies specializing in tourism development and also in the field of organizing conferences and professional events, where advanced planning, coordination, and marketing skills are required.

A particularly relevant area is that of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and destination management bodies, both public and private, where graduates can work in strategic planning, sustainable development, and territorial promotion.

Thanks to the curricular internship, the international network of partners, and placement services, the course promotes direct entry into the world of work and the construction of dynamic careers in one of the most global and ever-growing sectors.