Leisure management is an area of study which concerns the hospitality industry, usually concerning tourism and consumer experience. It is often used as an umbrella term to describe hospitality management, events management, attraction management and travel and tourism management.
The primary focus of leisure management is to maximise customer satisfaction through the effective management of staff, commodities and logistics. It is a highly vocational area of study which typically uses a holistic approach that suits students with a business mindset and drive to succeed in a customer-focused environment.
If you have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and hope to work in the hospitality and/or tourism industry, a degree in leisure management is a great way to kickstart your career. Courses related to leisure management include hospitality management, hotel management, events management, recreation management, sports management and tourism and travel management.
It’s worth noting that studying leisure management in conjunction with sports management is a slightly different degree, with its primary focus being the running and organisation of activities, facilities and events relating to sports and recreation.
Studying leisure management abroad usually takes three years, depending on your study destination, degree and study mode. Leisure management can be studied as an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma, and even PhD level.
A degree in leisure management is delivered through lectures, seminars and tutorials alongside group work and independent projects. You may also have work placement opportunities to gain industry knowledge as part of your degree.
Degree modules and options will vary depending on the specific type of qualification you choose and your university. Some areas that you may cover in a leisure management course include:
1. Business and management
2. Customer experience
3. Digital consumer experience
4. Industry practice
5. Marketing
6. Operations management
7. Sustainability in tourism
Within leisure management, you may choose to specialise in a particular area of the leisure and/or tourism industries, such as:
1. Attractions
2. Cruise ships
3. Events
4. Hotels
5. Restaurants
6. Resorts
7. Tours
8. Travel
To study leisure management as an international student, you must meet basic entry requirements. These may differ between institutions, but generally, to enrol on an undergraduate degree in leisure management, you will need:
1. Three A-Levels (or equivalent qualification)
2. Grades equivalent to a minimum of BBC at A-Level / International Baccalaureate score of 32 points
3. IELTS overall score of 6.0 with no band score lower than 5.5 At the postgraduate level, you will usually need a 2:1 in a related undergraduate degree. A 2:2 may be accepted from applicants with substantial relevant work experience.
You will also likely need an IELTS overall score of 6.5 with no band score lower than 6.0. Remember to check with your prospective university that they will accept your existing qualifications.
If you hope to study overseas, there are plenty of top-quality leisure management courses available to choose from. According to QS World University Rankings by subject, the best universities for hospitality and leisure management are:
1. EHL Hospitality Business School (Switzerland)
2. University of Nevada, Las Vegas (USA)
3. Swiss Hotel Management School (Switzerland)
4. Les Roches Global Hospitality Management Education (Switzerland)
5. Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland)
Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of studying leisure management in the USA. If so, the QS World University Rankings by subject state that the best American universities for leisure management programmes are:
1. University of Nevada, Las Vegas
2. University of Central Florida
3. Cornell University
How about studying in New Zealand? The best leisure management courses there, according to QS World University Rankings by subject, can be studied at:
1. Auckland University of Technology
2. Lincoln University
3. University of Auckland
Jobs in leisure management are typically easy to find, especially if you are interested in seasonal work or short-term contracts. However, you must be prepared to work long hours, with evening and weekend work being extremely common. If you dream of working internationally, the leisure and tourism industry is well-equipped to provide leisure management graduates with job opportunities abroad.
Proficiency in a foreign language may be advantageous in securing these positions. Careers in leisure management are renowned for their flexibility and job satisfaction. However, salaries are variable, depending on your line of work.
An entry-level tourism officer in the UK, for example, may earn only GBP 15,000 to GBP 20,000, whereas in the hotel industry, starting salaries can be up to GBP 40,000. With experience and/or additional qualifications, jobs in leisure management can be lucrative. A general manager of a prestigious hotel in the UK, for example, may earn up to GBP 200,000.
Some of the roles you can fulfil with your leisure management degree include:
1. Air cabin crew
2. Cruise ship crew
3. Holiday representative
4. Hotel manager
5. Restaurant manager
6. Tour manager
7. Tourism officer
8. Travel agent
Common employers of leisure management graduates include:
1. Cruise ships
2. Hotels
3. Restaurants
4. Tourism boards
5. Travel and tourism agencies
6. Visitor attractions