MSc – Tourism, Events & Hospitality Innovation

Module Introduction

This module develops advanced understanding of experience design, service innovation, and sustainability within tourism, events, and hospitality contexts. Students will critically evaluate how experiences are conceived, delivered, and improved using design thinking, service systems, and sustainability frameworks. The module integrates customer-centric innovation with operational feasibility and environmental and social responsibility. It is aligned with UK FHEQ Level 7 expectations and RSBT academic regulations, requiring critical judgement, creative problem-solving, and professional application.

Module Aims

• Develop advanced understanding of experience design and service innovation frameworks.
• Enable learners to apply design thinking to tourism, events, and hospitality services.
• Build competence in service blueprinting, prototyping, and innovation management.
• Enhance awareness of sustainability, ESG, and responsible service design.
• Prepare learners to design, evaluate, and justify innovative and sustainable service experiences.

Learning Outcomes

• Critically evaluate experience design and service innovation concepts and frameworks.
• Apply design thinking and service design tools to create and improve service experiences.
• Develop and justify innovative service concepts with operational and financial feasibility.
• Assess sustainability, ethical, and stakeholder implications of service innovations.
• Communicate design rationale, methods, and outcomes using appropriate academic and professional conventions.

Indicative Content

• Experience economy and service-dominant logic
• Design thinking and human-centred design methods
• Service blueprinting, journey mapping, and touchpoint design
• Co-creation, prototyping, and testing
• Innovation management and change in service organisations
• Sustainability, ESG, and responsible tourism and events
• Accessibility, inclusion, and universal design
• Measuring experience quality and service performance
• Digital and physical service integration
• From concept to implementation: scaling service innovations

Learning and Teaching Strategy

Delivery will include lectures, design studios/workshops, case studies, and guided reading. Students will undertake substantial independent study, including field-based observation, journey mapping, and concept development. As a 30-credit module, the workload and depth of analysis are proportionately higher than 15-credit modules, with emphasis on creative problem-solving, critical evaluation, and applied design.

Assessment Strategy

CW1: Experience audit and service blueprint for a selected tourism, event, or hospitality context. CW2 (60%): Individual Report (3,500–4,000 words) proposing an innovative and sustainable service experience, including design rationale, feasibility, implementation considerations, and impact assessment, with Harvard referencing.

Recommended Reading

• Pine, B. J. & Gilmore, J. H. (2011). The Experience Economy. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Stickdorn, M. et al. (2018). This is Service Design Doing. O’Reilly.
• Getz, D. & Page, S. (2016). Event Studies. Routledge.
• UNWTO (latest). Sustainable Tourism reports.

Module Introduction

This module develops advanced capability in planning, delivering, and governing tourism, events, and hospitality operations within complex destination systems. Students will critically evaluate operational models, risk management, safety, security, and stakeholder coordination to ensure resilient, high-quality delivery. The module integrates operational excellence with destination management and crisis preparedness. It is aligned with UK FHEQ Level 7 expectations and RSBT academic regulations, requiring analytical rigour, professional judgement, and applied decision-making.

Module Aims

• Develop advanced understanding of operations management in tourism, events, and hospitality contexts.
• Enable learners to design and evaluate operational plans for events and destination- based services.
• Build competence in risk, safety, security, and crisis management.
• Enhance awareness of stakeholder coordination and destination governance.
• Prepare learners to manage complex operations with a focus on quality, resilience, and compliance.

Learning Outcomes

• Critically evaluate operational models and delivery systems in tourism, events, and hospitality.
• Design and justify operational plans incorporating capacity, logistics, and quality management.
• Apply risk assessment, safety, security, and crisis management frameworks to real-world scenarios. 2 4. Analyse destination management structures and multi-stakeholder coordination challenges.
• Communicate operational analyses and recommendations using appropriate academic and professional conventions.

Indicative Content

• Operations management in tourism, events, and hospitality
• Event operations planning, scheduling, and logistics
• Capacity management, crowd management, and service quality
• Risk assessment, health & safety, and security management
• Crisis management, business continuity, and resilience
• Destination management organisations and governance
• Stakeholder coordination and inter-organisational collaboration
• Regulation, licensing, and compliance
• Operational performance measurement and control
• Post-event evaluation and continuous improvement

Learning and Teaching Strategy

Delivery will include lectures, case studies, simulations, operational planning exercises, and guided reading. Students will undertake substantial independent study, including developing operational plans and risk assessments for complex scenarios. As a 30-credit module, the workload and depth of analysis are proportionately higher than 15-credit modules, with emphasis on applied operations planning, risk management, and critical evaluation.

Assessment Strategy

CW1: Operational and risk management plan for an event or destination-based service. CW2 (60%): Individual Report (3,500–4,000 words) critically analysing operational strategy, risk management, and destination coordination for a chosen case, with Harvard referencing.

Recommended Reading

• Getz, D. & Page, S. (2016). Event Studies. Routledge.
• Evans, N. et al. (2012). Strategic Management for Tourism, Hospitality and Events. Routledge.
• Ritchie, B. & Campiranon, K. (2015). Tourism Crisis and Disaster Management. CABI.
• UNWTO (latest). Destination Management and Risk reports.

Module Introduction

This module develops advanced understanding of digital transformation, revenue management, and commercial strategy in tourism, events, and hospitality organisations. Students will critically evaluate digital platforms, data-driven pricing, distribution strategies, and performance optimisation to enhance profitability and resilience. The module integrates technology strategy with financial and commercial decision-making. It is aligned with UK FHEQ Level 7 expectations and RSBT academic regulations, requiring strategic judgement, analytical rigour, and professional application.

Module Aims

• Develop advanced understanding of digital transformation in tourism, events, and hospitality sectors.
• Enable learners to design data-driven revenue management and pricing strategies.
• Build competence in distribution, channel management, and performance optimisation.
• Enhance skills in evaluating digital investments and transformation roadmaps.
• Prepare learners to integrate technology, analytics, and commercial strategy for sustainable growth.

Learning Outcomes

• Critically evaluate digital transformation strategies and technology platforms in hospitality and tourism contexts.
• Design and justify revenue management, pricing, and distribution strategies using data and analytics.
• Apply appropriate methods for demand forecasting, capacity management, and performance optimisation.
• Assess financial, organisational, and change management implications of digital transformation initiatives.
• Communicate strategic and commercial recommendations using appropriate academic and professional conventions.

Indicative Content

• Digital transformation strategies in tourism, events, and hospitality
• Property, venue, and experience management systems
• Revenue management, dynamic pricing, and yield optimisation
• Demand forecasting and capacity management
• Distribution channels, OTAs, direct channels, and channel mix optimisation
• Data analytics for commercial decision-making
• Customer data platforms, CRM, and personalisation
• Investment appraisal for digital initiatives
• Change management and organisational capability
• Cybersecurity, data protection, and platform risk

Learning and Teaching Strategy

Delivery will include lectures, case studies, simulations, analytics exercises, and guided reading. Students will undertake substantial independent study, including analysing commercial data, designing pricing strategies, and evaluating transformation initiatives. As a 30-credit module, the workload and depth of analysis are proportionately higher than 15- credit modules, with emphasis on applied analytics, strategic judgement, and commercial decision-making.

Assessment Strategy

CW1: Revenue and digital capability audit for a tourism, event, or hospitality organisation. CW2 (60%): Individual Report (3,500–4,000 words) proposing a digital transformation and revenue strategy, including pricing, distribution, analytics, investment appraisal, and implementation roadmap, with Harvard referencing.

Recommended Reading

• Hayes, D. & Ninemeier, J. (2018). Hotel Operations Management. Pearson.
• Ivanov, S. & Zhechev, V. (2012). Hotel Revenue Management. Zangador.
• Buhalis, D. & Leung, R. (2018). Smart Hospitality—Interconnectivity and Interoperability.
• McKinsey (latest). Digital Transformation in Hospitality and Travel.

Module Introduction

This module is the capstone of the MSc Tourism, Events & Hospitality Innovation programme and represents a substantial, independent piece of work at Level 7. Students will undertake either a research-focused dissertation or an applied industry project addressing a complex problem in tourism, events, or hospitality innovation. The project requires critical engagement with literature, appropriate methodology, ethical compliance, and professional-quality reporting. As a 60-credit module, it demands a high level of autonomy, depth of analysis, and originality, aligned with UK FHEQ Level 7 expectations and RSBT academic regulations.

Module Aims

• Enable students to design and execute an independent research or applied innovation project in tourism, events, or hospitality.
• Develop advanced skills in problem definition, research design, and project management.
• Strengthen critical engagement with academic literature and industry practice.
• Ensure ethical, sustainable, and evidence-based research and innovation practice.
• Produce a substantial, coherent, and professionally presented dissertation or project report.

Assessment Strategy

Single major submission: Dissertation / Project Report (12,000–15,000 words, excluding references and appendices), demonstrating independent work, critical analysis, methodological rigour, and professional presentation. The submission may be accompanied by artefacts (e.g., service designs, event plans, business models, datasets, or evaluation tools) where appropriate.