Erasmus Mundus For Responsible Tourism Management

ended

Only if the mind of tourism managers change, business models will change. While there are almost ten European master degree programmes focusing on aspects of sustainable tourism, there is none with a holistic responsibility approach, integrating leadership, entrepreneurship and digitalization. Tourism is a global phenomenon that occurs in highly localized contexts. Effective solutions require strong leadership skills, and state-of-the-art knowledge tailored to local needs. Therefore, it is crucial that future tourism leaders develop an international perspective on local tourism destinations and products. However, there is currently no Erasmus Mundus transnational programme in responsible tourism management or even general tourism management. The objective of this EMDM is to create Erasmus Mundus for Responsible Tourism Management (EMFORTM), a transnational joint master degree programme combining the underrepresented areas of responsible tourism, leadership & entrepreneurial thinking, social impact & female empowerment, economic development, and digitalization. Five universities develop EMFORTM in a co-creation process involving industry partners and students. All universities have a strong tourism background and diverse interdisciplinary expertise: Management Center Innsbruck, Austria (MCI), the Zagreb School of Economics & Management, Croatia (ZSEM), Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland (HH), the University of Genoa, Italy (UNIGE), and the Technical University Košice, Slovakia (TUKE). This geographic allocation allows students to learn from destinations covering the diverse European tourism product: the Alps, the Mediterranean, Central/Eastern Europe, and Northern Europe. The main target group are students with BA degrees in management or tourism, but also more experienced tourism professionals with a BA degree, who wish to update their knowledge with current responsible approaches. The expected result is a concept ready for an EMJM accreditation.