Abstract

In the past few years, there has been a visible increase in the demand for postgraduate programmes in the area of travel and tourism, mainly lead by growing developments in the visitor economy and implicitly demand for skilled professionals. The re-validation of the MSc International Tourism Management Programme aims to incorporate practical and educational skills essential to equip students for an ever changing business environment.
The joint industry and academic team coaching side of the programme is a way of shifting the dynamics of the traditional classroom and unlock creativity and innovation by developing the three pillars of learning: individual, team and community learning. In times when TEF ratings are key to reputation, our pedagogy should be adapted to tomorrow‟s graduates. The re-validation proposal encompasses a holistic approach to developing learners‟ capabilities by taking into account what the „new kind‟ of graduate needs. With this in mind, the programme aims at creating a heutagogical learning environment where students take ownership of their learning.