Tourism is one of the strongest sectors of economic and social activity globally. According to the World Tourism Organization, the international tourism stream has been steadily increasing since 2010, with 1.6 billion tourists travelling in 2016, while in Cyprus the tourism industry accounts for 13% of Gross Domestic Product and holds about 40 thousands of working positions.
The demands for quality and added value to the tourism product lead to the continuing need for high-level executives in either hotel or other tourism businesses, fact that creates significant career opportunities for remarkable young scientists.
The programme is unique in the public Cypriot university education and offers specialized scientific training in tourism and hotel management with emphasis on modern strategy, marketing, e-commerce and human resources management. Classes are taught by well-known academics with doctoral studies and teaching positions at major universities of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Australia, with internationally recognized scholarly work and distinguished international cooperation with giants of the global tourism industry. The programme offers an academic background in business management, marketing, accounting, human resource management and finance and deepens into specialized topics of hotel units’ management, tourism policy, e-commerce in the global tourism industry of conference and event management, strategic marketing and consumer behaviour management.
By the end of the fourth semester, students gain a comprehensive knowledge of the topics and functions of the industry so that they can choose a direction according to their interests and future career goals. In the final year of studies students have the opportunity to undertake a thesis related to their subject area.
In order to obtain a degree in Hotel and Tourism Management, at least 240 European Credit Units (ECTS) are required, being summarized as follows:
- General Training in Business Administration (95 ECTS)
Sixteen modules offered by the Faculty of Management and Economics and the Department of Hotel and Tourism Management .
- Basic Training in Hotel and Tourism Management (71 ECTS)
Twelve Hotel and Tourism Management modules offered by the Department.
- Thesis (12 ECTS)
The thesis can be replaced with two elective modules .
- Specialized Direction Modules (18 ECTS)
Three Specialized Direction Modules based on directions: (1) Hotel Management and (2) Tourism Management.
- Limited Elective Modules (24 ECTS)
Four limited elective modules being offered by University departments.
- English Language Programme (12 ECTS)
Three English classes.
- Internship (20 ECTS)
1200 hours internship for students in the Hotel and Tourism Industry