Hospitality and Tourism
Hospitality and tourism are already among the world’s most significant industries, with further future expansion virtually guaranteed. Opportunities abound, but with them come problems for the places and societies that people wish to visit.
Research programmes
Taught programmes
Research Environment
Surrey is a world-leading centre of research and teaching in hospitality and tourism management, producing many top scholars in this area over the last 40 years. We are proud to be the number one UK institution for the study and research of our subject, with a particular reputation for expertise in sustainable tourism.
Our programmes are recognised by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and we have previously been chair of the UNWTO Education and Science Council. Our PhD graduates work in hospitality and tourism academia around the world and make an enormous contribution to the development of the subject.
Our academic staff have international reputations for research that shapes the agenda of scholarship and practice. We support an internationally diverse community of doctoral students whom we regard as important collaborators in this venture.
As a doctoral student, you can expect us to challenge you with new ideas and to help you develop as a critical researcher. You will participate in seminars and conferences, and become part of a vibrant international community of over 150 doctoral researchers, over half of whom are researching full-time.
We provide our research students with office space, PCs, access to major business databases and a wide range of online research tools and resources. Research students are normally members of a subject/research group and participate with academic staff in its activities, including the School’s PhD researcher seminar series and an annual four-day intensive research retreat. Research students also run their own annual conference.
Key Research Areas
- The Hospitality and Food Management Group (HFMG)
- Tourism and Events Management Research Group
Research centres and groups
The Hospitality and Food Management Group (HFMG)
HFMG conducts research into management policies, procedures and processes that lead to enhanced performance, both for large firms and SMEs competing in all sectors of the hospitality and food industry. HFMG seeks to understand consumer behaviour in our target industries and thereby identify successful strategies, core capabilities and best practices that lead to competitive advantage. Research to date has focused on key concepts such as internationalisation, productivity, quality, service, value, entrepreneurial and consumer behaviour. HFMG contributes to the understanding of these concepts through both the development of underpinning theory and empirical studies, using a wide variety of appropriate research methods and tools.
www.surrey.ac.uk/shtm/research/hospitalityandfood
Tourism and Events Management Research Group
Tourism research at Surrey was commended for its high quality in the last national Research Assessment Exercise and includes a high proportion of work that was ranked as world class. The research group includes academics who are international leaders in their fields, and the leading international research journal – Annals of Tourism Research – is edited by Professor John Tribe who leads the Surrey Tourism and Events Management Research Group. We have a thriving community of PhD students and welcome applications in most areas of tourism, but our particular specialisms include: education and theory, sustainability and ethics, human resources and employment, demand modelling and forecasting, culture and heritage, visuals and visuality, social tourism, innovation and risk, and mobility and migration.
Research Academics
Career Development
Following their PhDs, many of our students continue their academic careers, often in countries other than the UK. Others join government or private-sector research organisations or consultancies. Examples of positions achieved by our students after earning their postgraduate qualification with us:
- Lecturer in Marketing, Middlesex University
- Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management, Anglia Ruskin University
- Lecturer in Tourism, University of Surrey
- Director of Center for Economic Excellence in Tourism and Economic Development, University of South Carolina, USA
- Professor of Marketing, Oxford Brookes University
Links with Industry
Because of our reputation and history in hospitality and tourism research, we have very close links with all sectors of the industry. This proves invaluable in gaining access to companies for co-operation and support.
It’s not all about studying. I used to represent India as a gymnast and found a job as a coach, teaching gymnastics to children in a town nearby.
Namrata Nanda
MSc Tourism Management
After taking my business degree in Bangalore, I decided I wanted to specialise in tourism management and take the opportunity to travel abroad. I’d heard of Surrey’s reputation in this area and was pleased to discover that it was possible to complete my Masters here in just one year.
Learning to study at a UK university was a bit of a challenge at first, but all the friendly staff were very helpful. They explained what was involved and how to use important resources such as the Library and the computer systems. One of the highlights of the course was a visit to Wimbledon for a project on the Lawn Tennis Museum.
It’s not all about studying. I used to represent India as a gymnast and found a job as a coach, teaching gymnastics to children in a town nearby. I also enjoyed sightseeing with my new friends and took the chance to see more of England
while I was here.
Funnily enough, I don’t come from a family of business people. My father, brother and sister are all pilots – but I wasn’t tall enough to learn to fl y! I travelled halfway round the world for my postgraduate degree at Surrey and I don’t regret a minute of it. I have learned so much in the UK and made plenty of new friends from all over the world.