Blantyre International University Bsc. TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT (B.THM)

BACHELOR OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT (B.THM)

The tourism and hospitality industry is one of the world’s fastest growing industries. If the World Tourism Organization’s forecasts are on target, international tourist arrivals will climb from the present 625 million a year to 1.6 billion in 2020. By this date, travellers will spend over US$2 trillion, (against US$445 billion today), making tourism the world’s leading industry. These projections are based on annual growth rates of 4.3% for arrivals and 6.7% for spending, well above the maximum expected expansion of 3% per year in world GDP. Already in 1997, tourism receipts accounted for a little over 8% of the world’s exports in goods and almost 34% of global services exports as stated by UN WTO (World Tourism Organization). Furthermore the UNWTO 2004 stated that tourism is an industry that developing countries can use to develop economically.  Southern African Development Community (SADC) in which Malawi is a member adopted this approach and through its Tourism Board: – Regional Tourism of Southern Africa (RETOSA) launched a massive drive to promote tourism in the region. Thus with the increase in visitors the need for expert service delivery increases hence the need to train professional tourism and hospitality management personnel to satisfy the current and future demands for professionalism in the industry.

The programme aims to develop professional tourism and hospitality personnel who understand the dynamics of this fast growing industry, and will be able to lead their organizations in adapting to the changes in their environment for them to survive and continue providing quality service to their clients. Graduates will have the capacity for self-direction, self-reliance and personal accountability as tourism and hospitality industry professionals. They will also display social awareness and ethics in the professional work environment and demonstrate the knowledge and insight into the international environment relevant to working as a professional in the global tourism and hospitality industry

By the end of this programme students should be able to:

a) Acquire comprehensive understanding of the tourism and hospitality industry, in particular the tourism system and aspects of hospitality skills, and personal qualities and attitudes that are valued by the industry

b) Discuss the positive values and attitudes that contribute to the sustainability of the tourism and hospitality industry

c) Manage any tourism and hospitality establishment;

d) Guide their organisations to higher levels of success despite changes in the business environment;

e) Execute their duties ethically; and

f) Respond positively to societal needs and expectations.

Currently, there is only one university offering a degree in tourism and hospitality management.. If its efforts were complemented by other universities such as BIU, it would enable the industry to get the right numbers of professionally trained managers for their key functions. These include heads of institutions to departmental heads. This way service delivery will be enhanced leading to customer satisfaction and booming of the tourism and hospitality business in the country.

Graduates can get jobs in Malawi and beyond in the following areas:  Food and Beverage Managers, Front Office Managers, Catering Managers, Sales Directors, Marketing Directors, Tour Guide Managers, Tourism Operators, Travel Agents, Travel Consultants, Agency Managers, Cruise Tourism Coordinators, Management Consultants and many more

Graduates can also be entrepreneurs in the tourism and hospitality industry.

THM  111  Introduction to Travel and Tourism Studies

THM  112  Introduction to Hospitality Management

ACF   111  Financial Accounting 1

JRN    111  Communications Skills 1

ECON 111  Introduction to Microeconomics

THM  121  Hospitality Operations

THM  122  Travel and Tourism Practice

IT  113  Computer Programming 1

ENTP 122  Principles of Marketing

JRN  121  Communication Skills 2

THM  211  Food and Beverages Services

THM  212  Lodging Operations Management

BBA   211  Organizational Behaviour

LAW  224  Hospitality Industry Law

BBF   121  Business Finance 1

THM  221  Hotel Logistics Management

THM  222  Food and Beverages Operations Management

THM  223  Hospitality Health and Safety 1

THM 224   Culinary Studies and Nutrition

STAT 221  Research Methods

THM  311  Industrial Attachment/ Internship

2nd Semester

THM  321  Tourism Planning and Development 1

THM  322  Institutional Food Service Management

THM  323  Hospitality Health and Safety 2

BBA   223  Business Ethics and Corporate Governance

ENTP 222  Entrepreneurship in Tourism and Hospitality Industry

THM  411  Tourism Planning and Development 2

THM 412   Event Management

THM 413   Hospitality and Travel Marketing

BBA  321   Human Resource Management

BBA  421   Strategic Management

THM 421  International Hotel Management

THM 422  Hospitality Property and Facility Management

THM 423  Sustainable Tourism Planning and Development

BIU  400   Research Project/Dissertation