The content of tourism degree courses in the UK

Abstract

The content of tourism degree courses has been considered and debated for as long as tourism has been studied at degree level. In the UK this is nearly 30 years and during this time nearly 100 courses have been introduced. Against the background of the debate about content, the aim of this paper is to examine what these courses are currently offering. Following an outline of the development of the core body of knowledge for tourism the paper reports on the findings of a research study that was carried out in the Summer of 1997 into the aims and content of courses in the UK. The main findings are that the aims of the courses are substantially vocational and business orientated, that most courses include common areas of knowledge and that there is a range of opinion about the need for a common core body of knowledge. These findings contribute to the suggestion that there is a commonality around the tourism courses with a business focus but that there is less agreement about the courses that do not have this focus. This sets an agenda for further research.