IE Business School

The Executive Master in Tourism Management is designed to enable participants to maintain a suitable work-life balance. Students acquire, develop and combine knowledge of the tourism industry with an understanding of the latest management tools, and also develop managerial skills (also known as “soft skills”), whilst they broaden their vision of the world through a powerful, exclusive contact network.

The course program combines face-to-face periods with online interactive periods to cater for the needs of a group who cannot repeatedly leave their workplace or who travel frequently. The course lasts for 13 months and starts each year in November.

The four face-to-face periods (10 days each) are distributed throughout the duration of the program. The timetable for these face-to-face periods is Mondays to Fridays 9.00 – 19.30 and Saturdays 9.00 – 14.00.

The face-to-face periods take place in Madrid (Urban IE Campus), Costa Rica and Singapore. In Costa Rica, the world's leading destination for sustainable tourism, participants analyze management policies and promotion of the destination, as well as environmentally sustainable business models applied to hotels and other companies in the sector (travel agencies, active tourism, cultural, etc.). In Singapore, one of the world's leading destinations in business tourism, guest speakers from the public and the private sectors share their best practices with the students through lectures and company visits.

The online interactive periods are flexible so as to fit in with participants’ professional and private commitments.

This unique program is designed for international executives working or aspiring to work in the tourism industry. Admitted participants not only have solid experience in leadership positions but also have:

Global Vision

• A desire to develop global strategic thinking, allowing students to understand how their companies fits into the global context, as well as the geographic and social environments in which they compete.
• Value diversity which provides interaction with executives in other sectors and countries.

Leadership

• The ability to make sound decisions in changing and complex environments.
• The desire to be well prepared to manage and lead.

Innovative Character

• Question the traditional business models and critically analyze possible future models.
• An innovative approach to tackling problems and design strategies, analyzing the existing technologies that can provide business value.

Entrepreneurial

• The employment of innovative processes for converting challenges into opportunities.
• To develop the ability to assess new business projects within their own companies or as a starting point for the creation of new businesses.

Commitment to Sustainability

• Understanding the need for sustainable development and the absolute interdependence between the economy and the environment (biodiversity, social and cultural heritage) in the international tourism sector.
• Understanding the need to reconcile the current welfare and future welfare of societies.

The Executive Master in Tourism Management is an enriching academic and personal experience. Participants obtain a 360º global insight into the business reality of the tourism industry thanks to guest professors and speakers who offer an international perspective of the sector, which enhances students’ understanding of the industry’s complexity and boosts their ability to forecast and react to change.

Belonging to the IE community means much more than just being a student at one of the world’s top business schools. Being accepted for an IE Executive Master means being part of a truly global network which brings together people with similar personal and professional goals and values. As a result of this intense academic experience, participants build up a solid network of contacts which includes Master’s colleagues, professors, and alumni as well as the corporate partners which have backed IE over the years.

The IE Tourism Club and the Tourism ieCommmunity offer a specialized network of contacts in which students can socialize with alumni, share their concerns and knowledge, and continue to grow as professionals.

IE has a commitment to catering for the market and its particular demands. Thus, upon completing an IE Master’s degree, students find a wide range of career opportunities available to them.

The tourism industry is made up of a variety of interwoven sectors, including the accommodation sector (from small hotels and apartments to luxury resorts), travel (cruise ships, airlines), intermediation (tour operators, in-bound and out-bound travel agencies, online and offline agencies), leisure (theme parks, other leisure activities), car rental and catering services.

In many regions of the world the tourism industry is one of the main generators of wealth and employment and is a key source of professional and business development opportunities.

The demanding nature of the Executive Master in Tourism Management requires that all candidates are subject to a rigorous selection process to ensure a top quality student body. The main objective of the admissions process is to fully understand the candidate’s professional background, experience and exposure, to assess the candidate’s abilities to interact and thrive within the demanding program and to select students with the highest potential.

More on the Admissions Process in our Detailed Information.

To be considered for admission, a candidate must have successfully completed the following prior to submission:

• Bachelor's degree. This requirement may be waived in the case of candidates with outstanding professional experience.
• An average of 8 years of professional experience, with a minimum of 3 years experience in managerial positions.
• Admission process: Application form and personal interview.
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