Top 10 Best Universities for Tourism in Europe in 2024
by Cottonbro studio
Do you like to work hard and play even harder? Then Hospitality and Tourism might be the industry for you.
It is a sought-after and competitive field that offers a fun lifestyle and interesting challenges to solve - as well as the opportunity to travel the globe.
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Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism Management is an extremely diverse industry with a variety of different possible career paths.
It’s not only focused on hotels and strictly touristic services. In fact, it also includes restaurants, casinos, food and beverage, cruises, event management, resorts and spas, airline catering, lodging, attractions, theme parks, festivals, museums, transportation and travel, non-traditional accommodation, and numerous entertainment services.
Even if you are passionate about the sector, it can be difficult to choose a course due to the extensive amount of information there is to take in. Therefore, we’ve compiled the four key characteristics that make this field is a great option for many students:
Fun and exciting: Hospitality is a field in which you will have the chance to meet a lot of new people from different countries and have a dynamic working structure. It’s definitely not your typical 9-5, Monday to Friday.
High job security and employability: Tourism is very vulnerable to adversities such as pandemic diseases, natural disasters and political conflicts. However, the industry’s strong recovery after COVID highlights the strength of this sector and how vital it is to the global economy and people’s lives as a whole.
Opportunities to travel: It goes without saying that there are frequent opportunities to travel in the tourism industry, as well as to attend different events.
Diverse career paths: The responsibilities of these professionals can fall into different areas ranging from direct customer-facing roles, such as reception or housekeeping, up to more internal operations, such as the optimization of the business or its financial performance.
Teaching standards in Europe are recognized worldwide for being first class, so students can expect to get high-quality education in most universities of the continent.
If you are looking to get your degree from a top university, it can be helpful to consider official rankings such as the ones from and by . These take into account a variety of factors including the academic and employer reputation or the international faculty ratio, among others.
Here’s an overview:
| Rank in Europe | Rank in the World | University | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | EHL Hospitality Business School | Switzerland |
| 2 | 3 | SHMS - Swiss Hotel Management School | Switzerland |
| 3 | 4 | Les Roches Global Hospitality Management Education | Switzerland |
| 4 | 5 | Glion Institute of Higher Education | Switzerland |
| 5 | 6 | Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland | Switzerland |
| 6 | 7 | Hotel Institute Montreux | Switzerland |
| 7 | 8 | Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland | Switzerland |
| 8 | 9 | Hotelschool The Hague | Netherlands |
| 9 | 11 | Vatel, Hotel & Tourism Business School | France |
| 10 | 14 | EUHT StPOL Barcelona | Spain |
In addition to the list above, there are several other reputed institutions worth considering for international students seeking quality education in Europe:
Rankings are often flawed as they do not cater to every student’s specific necessities and situation. Furthermore, they can sometimes be biased as a school having a high ranking leads to more job opportunities for its students which in turn leads to higher rankings - thus creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that can make scores less accurate.
When choosing a university, it’s recommended to look for universities that are located close to tourist destinations you are excited about.
This way you have a better chance of getting relevant practical experience during your studies.
It’s also always recommended to look for business schools that are accredited through third-party organizations. The most reputable accreditations are those awarded by AACSB, AMBA, and Equis. These guarantee a certain level of teaching quality which gives schools a seal of approval. Obtaining all three of these accreditations is known as achieving the “Triple crown”.
50業子 Tip: As a future tourism expert, you want to have some international experience on your cv after graduation, so don’t forget to look at the current partnerships of your desired university. If you want a way to jumpstart your career, make sure to choose a school that offers “hands-on” practical experience and many study abroad opportunities.
There are various schools and universities focused on the Hospitality industry that offer courses within this sector.
Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism degrees cover a wide variety of topics, which means there’s a high degree of flexibility that will allow you to apply to different job positions.
If you are looking to start an undergraduate course in Hospitality Management, it is a good idea not to specialise too early in your degree, as this will limit your options later on. You will be offered several elective courses to choose from, so try different paths until you find what you are actually passionate about.
Master’s degrees within these fields will usually expand upon the topics covered by a Bachelor’s degree, diving into subjects such as hotel operation, sports, medical tourism, or travel and tour operation. Keep in mind that the master you choose will have a significant impact on your career path, so take your time to consider in which direction you want to go.
In a typical Hospitality Management and Tourism course, you can expect subjects such as (but not limited to):
Tuition fees for Tourism & Hospitality degrees range from €0 to around €25,000 per year depending on the country in Europe you want to study.
The most affordable (and even tuition-free!) options can be found in public institutions in Germany or Austria. While, universities and business schools in Switzerland and the United Kingdom are know for being more expensive.
European students can study for free in many EU contries, however when thinking about the cost of your study it’s also important to do some research regarding the country’s average cost of living. Cheaper tution fees might not be worth it if the prices for rent, groceries and transport are way too high.
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The admission requirements to enrol in a Bachelor or Master vary depending on the university, but in most cases they include:
Always check the entry requirement for the course of interest on the official website of the university, as requirements will vary from university to university and from course to course.
One of the main advantages of a Tourism & Hospitality degree is that you are introduced to a myriad of different topics. Most degrees cover courses related to management, finance, data, and innovation, so you are not only limited to this industry, but you will as well have a great basis to someday start your own business.
As the Hospitality Management field is exceptionally diverse, there are many different job titles and descriptions for their graduates. Here are some of the most common careers you can have with this qualification:
Hotel manager: Oversees all the daily operations of a hotel, from staff management to negotiating with vendors and dealing with guests.
Travel agent: Helps clients make travel plans by booking reservations and assisting customers in choosing destinations and transportation.
Tourist guide: Show visitors around a place of interest, city, historical site, outdoor location or museum.
Marketing manager: Generates awareness for a company through the development of marketing strategies that target a specific audience.
Event coordinator: Coordinates all the different parts of an event, including choosing a venue, organizing food and beverage, and planning any performances.
Degrees in hospitality management are similar to other business degrees in that they cover many of the same topics. However, hospitality and tourism studies are much more service-driven.
Still unsure about which subject to study? Depending on your personal preferences, some of these may suit you better:
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