WITH THE REGION'S hospitality and tourism industry expected to expand significantly over the next decade, many professionals in the sector are taking online courses to open doors to faster career advancement and a range of new job opportunities.
One such programme is the MSc in tourism and travel management, launched just a year ago by the University of Nottingham and online graduate school U21Global. It incorporates tourism courses run by the former institution and elements of the latter's executive diploma in business administration, allowing students to obtain both a master's degree and a diploma on graduation.
U21Global was established in 2001 and is a joint venture between Universitas 21, an international network of 19 distinguished universities, and Thomson Learning. The course is designed to attract three types of student: those already in management positions, those looking to move up and those wishing to make a career switch.
'The course aims to develop leaders in the travel business to think more strategically and in an integrated manner, rather than just focusing on skills,' said Helen Lange, director of U21Global's MBA programme and associate professor.
'The objective is to give your career greater competitive edge and allow people to have a better strategic business and industry view.'
Professor Lange said the course was a little like an MBA in tourism, with its focus on broad-based management capability. 'There is a huge need for such a programme,' she said. 'We believe demand will grow rapidly as people become more aware of the necessities.'
