by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Tourism and Travel Services Management explores Tourism And Travel Services Management. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Manage Travel-Related Enterprises And Related Convention And/or Tour Services. Includes Instruction In Travel Agency Management, Tour Arranging And Planning, Convention And Event Planning, Travel Industry Operations And Procedures, Tourism Marketing And Promotion Strategies, Travel Counseling, Travel Industry Law, International And Domestic Operations, And Travel And Tourism Policy. Continue reading for the important information every tourism and travel services management student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering tourism and travel services management programs.
Across the country, tourism and travel services management is a popular field of study, with 921 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Tourism and Travel Services Management Schools ranking analyzes these 51 schools to determine the best overall colleges for tourism and travel services management students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of tourism and travel services management programs later in this article.
Programs in Tourism and Travel Services Management develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations tourism and travel services management graduates commonly enter.
Skills emphasized by a tourism and travel services management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a tourism and travel services management major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several tourism and travel services management degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 87 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 116 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 427 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 258 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 6 |
People currently working in careers related to tourism and travel services management tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 50.9% |
| Master’s degree | 16.7% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 10.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 7.6% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.1% |
| Some college courses | 4.5% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.9% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.5% |
| Doctoral degree | 0.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.3% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in tourism and travel services management careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying tourism and travel services management opens doors to many career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to tourism and travel services management.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to tourism and travel services management.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Fitness and Wellness Coordinators | 403,205 | 4.2% |
| Personal Service Managers, All Other | 320,819 | 2.9% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | 206,415 | 9.9% |
| Spa Managers | 184,703 | -2.2% |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | 128,884 | 5.2% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of tourism and travel services management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $35,616 |
| 4 years | $42,558 |
| 5 years | $47,733 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for tourism and travel services management graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers tourism and travel services management grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Personal Service Managers, All Other | $176,674 |
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Spa Managers | $143,396 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
With 51 different tourism and travel services management programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased tourism and travel services management school rankings to help you.
Students interested in tourism and travel services management, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Hospitality Administration/Management, General | 8,041 |
| Hotel/Motel Administration/Management | 1,734 |
| Meeting and Event Planning | 730 |
| Restaurant/Food Services Management | 730 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management, Other | 584 |
| Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management | 432 |
| Resort Management | 130 |
| Casino Management | 23 |
| Brewery/Brewpub Operations/Management | 8 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
