Hospitality, leisure, and tourism are all dynamic, people-oriented industries focused on providing experiences and services for travellers and consumers across the world. From hotels and restaurants to attractions and events, these sectors play a vital role in shaping the global tourism landscape. Many countries rely on tourism for their economic growth and countries all around the world benefit from a diverse cultural exchange.
Updated: 09 Apr 2026
These sectors carry a large variety of specialisations, to match the varied interests and resources of tourists, event goers, and travellers. From boutique one-off events to managing entire holiday resorts, there is a person or more likely a team of people running the show. Specialist areas include:
Event management: Events such as conferences, weddings, festivals, and corporate functions can't happen without planners and coordinators. From aspects like venue selection, budgeting, and logistics, to catering and entertainment event managers ensure successful and memorable experiences for attendees while meeting their clients’ expectations.
Ecotourism: Responsible travel is important to natural areas of the world which sustain the well-being of local communities and educate visitors about conservation efforts. It emphasises eco-friendly practices and cultural preservation, aiming to minimise the negative impacts on fragile ecosystems while providing economic growth.
Hotel management: Entails overseeing the operations of hotels and other rented accommodations. It involves managing staff, ensuring guest satisfaction, maintaining facilities, and optimising revenue through effective marketing and pricing strategies. Hotel managers work very hard to create memorable guest experiences while upholding high standards of quality.
Leisure marketing: Involves promoting leisure and recreational activities through market research, branding, advertising, and promotional campaigns aimed at attracting visitors. This can be applied to theme parks, museums, sports events, and cultural attractions, driving visitor participation and revenue generation.
Tourism policy and planning: Involves managing the sustainable development of tourism while enhancing destination competitiveness. It addresses challenges such as over-tourism, community impacts, and resource management, aiming to provide a better service to travellers, and a healthy economy for locals.
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Operations management
Tourism marketing
Event planning
Leisure and recreation management
Destination management
Consumer experience
Service quality control
Sustainable tourism practices
Sports marketing
Hospitality law and ethics
You can expect to learn about how to understand consumer behaviour and management principles within these sectors. You’ll learn about various operations, marketing strategies, event planning techniques, and leisure management practices, gaining practical skills and knowledge to succeed in many roles and responsibilities. You’ll learn through industry placements, case studies, and experiential learning opportunities, to develop a host of transferable skills alongside your more specialised education.
These transferable skills will prove useful in a wide range of working environments and can include:
Critical thinking
Problem solving
Leadership
Time management
Organisational skills
Are you ready to start looking for your future university degree? Use our handy search tools now to check out hospitality, leisure and tourism courses across the UK and find the perfect one for your needs.
Tourism courses can be accredited by organisations like the Tourism Management Institute (TMI), the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT) and the Institute of Hospitality (IoH).
Some hospitality & catering degrees are accredited by the Institute of Hospitality and the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME).
Courses may be accredited by organisations like the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) or the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
If you're interested in aspects of studying hospitality, leisure, and tourism but want to explore alternative pathways, consider related subjects which offer overlapping subject areas and may align with your specific career goals. These include:
Business and management
Marketing
Sociology
Project management
Operations management
With a degree in hospitality, leisure, and tourism, jobs are abundant. Hospitality and tourism graduates can find work in the UK or abroad in hotels, leisure groups, travel companies, restaurants, food businesses, event management companies and other hospitality organisations. Leisure graduates can find work directly in the world of sports coaching and management, or its associated industries.
"One might be surprised to learn that this degree is not just about helping people have a good time and enhancing well-being. It is a robust management degree that equips students with foundational and applied knowledge of management, preparing them for various leadership roles in the industry. "
Examples of specific roles include:
Hotel and resort manager
Tour operator
Sports administrator
Event planner
Food and beverage coordinator
Leisure and recreation manager
Travel agency executive
Corporate event coordinator
Theme park manager
Cruise ship and hospitality manager
Performance analyst
These are just a few of the most common job roles. You'll find plenty of other options available to you, and you can also continue your studies by completing a postgraduate degree in hospitality, leisure, and tourism, or a related subject.
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Single Honours
Hospitality
Tourism Management
Event Management
Leisure Studies
Hotel Management
Joint Honours
Hospitality Management and Business
Tourism Management and Marketing
Event Management and Public Relations
Leisure Studies and Sports Management
SOURCE: COMMON DEGREE TITLES FROM WHATUNI
Alternative options
Foundation years: Providing an introduction to key concepts, industry practices, and management principles, and importantly, offering a pathway to degree level study for those without the necessary grades, a foundation year is a reliable one-year option for starting your undergraduate course in confidence.
Sandwich degrees: By taking an additional ‘sandwich’ year, between Year 2 and 3 of your course, you can complete a year-long work placement in hospitality, leisure or tourism organisations, which give you a competitive edge when looking for work after graduation.
Integrated Master’s: You can extend your undergraduate studies by one year with an integrated Master’s degree, giving you a postgraduate qualification for relatively little additional cost.
Degree apprenticeships: Degree apprenticeships in hospitality, leisure, and tourism allow you to earn a wage while getting industry relevant on-the-job training. The best part is that your employer will pay for your tuition fees, so you graduate in three to six years with much less student debt.
FIND OUT MORE: Different types of undergraduate degree
QUALIFICATION | REQUIREMENTS |
|---|---|
UCAS points | 88–153 |
A-levels | ABB–BCC |
BTECs | DMM–MMP |
Scottish Highers | AAABB–BBB |
International Baccalaureate | 36–26 |
SOURCE: WHATUNI
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Entry requirements for hospitality, leisure, and tourism programs do vary, however universities generally accept all A-level subjects (or equivalent) and are most likely to give you an offer based on UCAS points.
FIND OUT MORE: How to choose your A-level subjects
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