University Campus Suffolk responding to the challenge of providing and supporting industry professionals in the tourism sector

Forecasts from the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and VisitBritain predict that global tourism will have a growth rate of 4.2% till 2010 and that Europe will be the leading region for this growth, accounting for 46% of all tourism activity. Globally, international arrivals were 210million in 2002 and are predicted to rise to 478million by 2010. The growth of tourism in Europe is predicted to increase by 3% annually. The WTO recognises the inter-relationships between the sectors of tourism, hospitality and leisure and has identified that tourism related employment worldwide is in the region of 100 million with job creation growing 1.5 times faster than any other sector.

Looking more locally, tourism is already a significant contributor to the economic prosperity of Suffolk and with exciting and challenging developments arising in the near future it is essential that the education, training and research infrastructure within Suffolk continues to develop in order to maximise the opportunities that these developments present.

To support this, University Campus Suffolk (UCS) is offering a series of undergraduate programmes which reflect its aim to be a provider of leading edge educational opportunities in this sector and which support economic growth and enable strong career progression opportunities. Such courses include Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees in Tourism Management, Leisure Management, Hospitality Management, Events Management and from 2008 Creative Industries Management.

As one of a range of forward looking initiatives building on this current portfolio, the Suffolk Tourism Partnership (STP) commissioned UCS to investigate the further contribution higher education (HE) could make to the successful growth of the tourism sector. This work was undertaken by Anita Beresford-Webb, Senior Lecturer in the Suffolk Business School at UCS. Reporting on the outcomes of the research Ms Beresford-Webb said said:

"Our work suggests that the development of UCS creates an opportunity to establish a comprehensive learning framework for the sector that includes a range of undergraduate and postgraduate education supported by an academic and commercial research facility that supports knowledge exchange and innovation."

An early action will be the development of an MBA in Tourism to complement the existing family of MBAs offered by UCS. This new and exciting course will encompass entrepreneurship, leadership and industry specific projects that have local and regional significance, such as food tourism.

Dr Peter Funnell, Director of Enterprise at UCS and Executive Dean for the Faculty of Arts, Business and the Social Sciences said:

“Our work to date with the STP has been enormously productive and has given a clear focus for future development. The development of the tourism sector in Suffolk, and the wider region, needs to focus on our niche offer as well as the opportunities and challenges associated with the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Critical to our success will be the supply of capable people and the development of an intellectual base to support the sector. UCS has identified this as a key focus for development and following the launch of UCS on 1 August 2007 we look forward to working with the sector to achieve our shared ambitions.”

Further information about UCS and its current range of courses and continuous professional development opportunities are available at www.ucs.ac.uk