The study program “Urban Tourism & Visitor Economy Management” will start in fall 2021. It qualifies students to balance the needs of guests, population and economy.
Vienna, February 16, 2021 – FHWien der WKW is offering a new study program in tourism management. It will train experts to develop and implement creative solutions for tourism in much frequented cities. Special attention will be paid to sustainability. “The goal is city tourism that balances the needs of guests, locals and the local economy,” explains Dr. Florian Aubke, Head of Tourism & Hospitality Study Programs at FHWien der WKW. The part-time Master’s program “Urban Tourism & Visitor Economy Management” is the first program of its kind ever. It will start in the winter semester 2021/22 and will be taught in English. Applications for one of the 35 university places can be submitted until May 3, 2021.
Vienna – the ideal place to study destination management
“What makes tourism in urban areas so exciting is its diverse impact on the local economy and population,” says Head of Program Florian Aubke. The economic potential of urban tourism is undisputed, he says, but its sustainable success calls for prudent planning and management. “Innovative destination management requires relationship managers who act as catalysts of change. As one of Europe’s leading tourism destinations, Vienna is the perfect place to develop these skills,” Aubke emphasizes. Students will benefit from exchanges with faculty from Austria and other countries in Europe. Their leadership skills will also be trained, as well as their ability to gain insights from analyzing data.
Sustainable tourism becomes even more important after Corona
The Master’s program “Urban Tourism & Visitor Economy Management” pursues the vision of a visitor economy that creates added value for businesses operating in it as well as for the city and its residents.
“Shaping sustainable and resilient tourism together with all industry stakeholders lies at the heart of Vienna’s Visitor Economy Strategy which was presented in 2019 and continues to gain importance after Corona,” explains Norbert Kettner, Managing Director of the Vienna Tourist Board. “The new Master’s program starts precisely there and forms an important, future-proof part of our joint efforts. It pairs data-based decision-making skills with creativity and innovation, and offers that holistic approach that will enable international city tourism to successfully address future challenges.”
“A city must be understood as a space where a multitude of stakeholders interact,” says MMag. Dr. Petra Stolba, Managing Director of Österreich Werbung, the Austrian National Tourist Office. “Therefore, city tourism is a complex issue that needs professionals who are able to see the big interdisciplinary picture.” The new study program will produce such specialists and managers.
Career-friendly study format with 50 percent e-learning component
The Master’s program is suitable for people already working in the tourism industry, as well as for architecture and urban planning professionals with points of contact with urban tourism. It is organized on a part-time basis and combines 50 percent teaching on the campus of FHWien der WKW with 50 percent accompanied e-learning phases, during which students are flexible in terms of location and time. In the first year of study, there are five three-day attendance blocks per semester (each from Thursday to Saturday) as well as one attendance week at the end of the semester. Graduates will have careers in destination management and marketing, consulting, project management and urban planning, among others.
Top-qualified specialists and managers for Austria as a tourism destination
In developing the new Master’s program “Urban Tourism & Visitor Economy Management”, FHWien der WKW is benefiting from its many years of experience with practice-oriented academic training in the tourism industry. The diploma program “Tourism Management” was FHWien der WKW’s first study program more than 26 years ago and one of the very first university of applied sciences degree programs in Austria. “With our study programs in tourism management, we fulfill an important task for the tourism industry, which is highly significant for Austria,” emphasizes Ing. Mag. (FH) Michael Heritsch, MSc, CEO of FHWien der WKW. “Because this industry needs highly trained technical and management personnel so that Austria can maintain its place among the top tourism countries.”
Applications for the new Master’s program:
Until May 3, 2021, applications for a university place on the Master‘s program “Urban Tourism & Visitor Economy Management“ can be submitted.
Application on FHWien der WKW’s website
Photos:
“The economic potential of urban tourism is undisputed, but its sustainable success calls for prudent planning and management,” says Head of Program Florian Aubke from FHWien der WKW. The Master’s program “Urban Tourism & Visitor Economy Management” will start in fall 2021.
Download photo
Copyright: Flo Hanatschek | FHWien der WKW
“With our study programs in tourism management, we fulfill an important task for the tourism industry, which is highly significant for Austria,” emphasizes Michael Heritsch, CEO of FHWien der WKW.
Download photo
Copyright: feelimage | Matern
FHWien der WKW
University of Applied Sciences for Management & Communication
FHWien der WKW has been Austria’s leading university of applied sciences for management & communication for more than 25 years. Working in close contact with Austrian corporations, FHWien der WKW offers comprehensive and practice-oriented academic programs to over 2,800 Bachelor and Master students. Two thirds of our teaching staff have a background in business. Our programs are tailored to the needs of companies, optimally preparing our graduates – more than 11,800 to date – for their future careers.
Contact:
Bernhard Witzeling
Head of Corporate Communication, Marketing and Alumni & Career Services, Press Officer
FHWien der WKW
Tel.: +43 (1) 476 77-5733
presse@fh-wien.ac.at
www.fh-wien.ac.at