Master of Tourism Management (MTM)
Introduction
Tourism is the leading and fastest growing industry in the world. It has been estimated that the international tourist arrivals exceeded the 1 billion mark, while international tourism receipts hit US$ 1,075 billion worldwide in 2012 (UNWTO, 2013). Consequently, many countries have invested in tourism, making tourism a key driver of socio-economic progress (UNWTO, 2013). Nonetheless, the development of tourism in different parts of the world has shown that the industry presents both opportunities for development and threats to existing resources and culture. The industry has both positive and negative impacts, particularly to the environment and the local communities that live in proximity to tourism development. In Africa, Kenya is one of the most popular destinations ranked 9th in Africa, 5th in Sub-Saharan Africa and 1st in Eastern Africa in terms of number of visitor arrivals by UNWTO in 2011. The Kenyan tourism industry has maintained a steady growth to position tourism as a major foreign exchange earner for the country contributing over 12% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2012. Thus Kenya’s Vision 2030 recognizes tourism as the leading player in spearheading national economic growth. However, the rapid development of tourism in Kenya has presented many challenges both at the local, regional and national levels. The challenges include environmental degradation, inequitable distribution of tourism benefits among interest groups, increasing local hostility towards the development of tourism and wildlife conservation, and negative socio-cultural impacts. These appear as threats to the industry that indicate if tourism is not properly planned, managed and developed, the industry may not be sustainable in the long-run.
This Masters programme works to fill the gap in professional tourism training in Kenya and the East African region as a whole. The programme equips graduates with skills, knowledge and competencies to effectively manage the sustainable development of tourism. This programme builds professional capacity to meet the challenges of this rapidly growing industry through innovative and applied research.
The MTM programme shall normally last for a duration of two academic years (4 Semesters). The first year of the study will focus on course-work and development of a research proposal. In the second year of the programme, students will conduct their field research and write a thesis.
