Tourism

Overview

Objectives and justification

The Tourism programme of the Autonomous University of Barcelona has the following objectives:

• Train new researchers who can fill the gaps detected in academic and industrial research, and address the issues, future challenges and questions posed daily by the tourism sector.

• Promote innovative research that can help in adopting new tourism models based on social, environmental and economic sustainability

• Apply the scientific method to obtain tools, innovative products and planning strategies that can lead to a tourism sector that is outstandingly well organised, diverse, forward-looking and sensitive to social, environmental and economic issues – in contrast to the improvisation and lack of models that characterised the previous stage of tourism development in this country.

Candidate profile

The ideal student profile should consist of the following: good academic record, research vocation, communication skills, language competence, and an ability to conduct quantitative and qualitative research (or a clear willingness to acquire this). It is also an advantage to have qualifications in Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences or Law.

In any case, a requirement for all students is direct or indirect prior knowledge of the tourism sector – especially from having taking a master's degree. Students must also have the necessary knowledge and skills concerning the basic concepts and tools for conducting competitive research in the field of tourism. For this reason, priority of access to the PhD programme in Tourism is given to applicants with a research-oriented master's degree linked to one of the programme's disciplines or lines of research.

Professional opportunities

This PhD programme provides the following principal career options.

• University lecturer specialising in tourism

• Consultant and/or entrepreneur with expertise in the creation and development of tourism products

• Manager and director of tourism businesses and institutions

• Tourism planning officer and manager of public-sector policy on tourism

• Expert on sustainable and social tourism development

• Manager of the cultural heritage with links to tourism

• Analyst of tourism markets and commercialisation strategies