Tourism and Sustainability, Master Programme

120 credits

Are you interested in tourism and sustainable development? Do you want to work with creating the tourism of the future? This Master’s programme gives you in-depth knowledge about how to evaluate tourism and plan for future tourism from a sustainability perspective.

As a globally leading business industry, the tourism industry has to take responsibility for the planet’s limitations. This Master’s programme Tourism and Sustainability provides you with an insight into the paramount challenges that face the tourism industry’s development and our world. You will acquire skills that enable you to grapple with important and often contradictory trajectories of tourism and its sustainable future. This can be, for instance, how tourists often seek the pristine, the authentic or the genuine, while in doing so also burden destinations and travel system through unsustainable patterns of practices and carbon dioxide emissions. On a larger scale, it is not only the tourism industry that is under threat but also the world as we know it. Therefore, the most central question we ask ourselves on the Master’s programme in Tourism and Sustainability is – how do we create the tourism industry of the future?

This Master’s programme in Tourism and Sustainability takes on the challenges that climate change and sustainability issues bring about for the tourism and travel industry. As a truly global business with ties all across the globe, tourism links together the most remote places in a gigantic web of relations in environment, politics, geography, economy, the social and the cultural.

During the first year, you are introduced to tourism as an academic subject with ethics, justice, social, environmental and historical perspectives. You will study the course Tourism and Sustainability in the Anthropocene which addresses tourism in a new geological era where the living conditions of humanity challenge the planetary boundaries and, to an ever increasing extent, determine the future of our planet. The courses Business Models for Sustainability, Evaluation and Planning of Tourism Sustainability, Developing Sustainable Destinations, and Ecological Economics, focus on finding solutions and viable paths forward.

During the second year, you will get thorough methodological training and the opportunity to carry out an internship or study elective courses, before the final semester’s degree project (30 credits).

Autumn 2025

Kalmar, Full-time, Campus

APPLY

Master’s level Syllabus Full-time, Campus English Kalmar 01 Sep, 2025 - 06 Jun, 2027 January 15 Some courses and programmes will accept late applications. LNU-F2706

General entry requirement for studies at second cycle and specific entry requirements:

- Bachelor’s degree in tourism studies or in business administration or in another social science main field of study or equivalent

or

- Bachelor’s degree in a natural science main field with at least 30 credits in social science, business administration or equivalent

and

- English 6 or equivalent.

Individual Assessment

54,900 SEK 219,600 SEK

School of Business and Economics

Career

In the large tourism sector there is a growing need for qualified expertise in evaluating, analyzing and planning for tourism and tourism-related activities in a sustainability perspective. The program provides these skills and prepares students for advanced jobs in the private as well as public sector.

For example, you can work as a destination developer, destination manager, sustainability manager or sustainable business developer.

Degree

Master of Science (120 credits) with specialisation in Sustainability

Main field of study: Tourism Studies

We are accredited

The School of Business and Economics at Linnaeus University is accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, AACSB.

International opportunities

The language of tuition is English. In this way, you will become prepared not only for a career in Sweden, but also for a career in international contexts. The programme admits students from all over the world, which means that you will get international and multicultural experience throughout the programme. Further opportunity for internationalisation is provided through the opportunity to study a semester abroad at one of our partner universities around the world.

Template for the Statement of Purpose intended for individual assessment to be included in the programme application.

Statement of purpose

"I hope my research will contribute to a deeper understanding of how tourism contributes to carbon footprints"

"I have always been curious about tourism as a phenomenon. Growing up close to a national park, I was fascinated by the industry and wanted to understand it better."

Originally from Kenya, Beatrice Waleghwa moved to Sweden to pursue her academic interests in tourism and sustainability. Her decision to study there was influenced by her long-standing friendship with a Swedish family that had worked as missionaries in Kenya.

Read the whole interview with Beatrice

"We developed a strong friendship over the years, and they facilitated my internship at a hotel in Sweden. That experience, working in a hotel and observing the social norms around sustainability, really inspired me.”

Since then, she has been committed to exploring the intersection of tourism and sustainability, particularly in remote areas. She is now in the final stages of completing her PhD in Tourism Studies at Dalarna University, with a focus on sustainability in rural tourism destinations. Beatrice believes that her work is crucial in addressing the environmental impact of tourism.

"Knowledge is important, and I hope my research will contribute to a deeper understanding of how tourism contributes to carbon footprints."

One key aspect of Beatrice’s work is her collaboration with various stakeholders in Sweden's transport and mobility sectors.

"By interacting with industry actors, I hope to influence change and encourage adopting more sustainable practices."

Her research has revealed that car travel is socially accepted and convenient in rural areas. Still, she emphasises the need to rethink these norms, shift mindsets, and explore more sustainable options.

"Owning a car is often seen as a symbol of freedom, but in a capitalist society that values efficiency, we must reconsider whether this is the best path forward.”

I get to combine my interests in travelling, tourism and sustainability

Madeleine is originally from Germany and was drawn towards living in Sweden. Tourism and Sustainability was the perfect combination of her interest and the perfect reason to extend her stay in Sweden. Something she enjoys about the programme is the way it looks at tourism from many different perspectives. The future of tourism is one of the aspects she found especially interesting.

Read the full interview with Madeleine

Why did you choose this programme?
I came to Sweden to live and work on a permaculture farm a little outside of Kalmar for two weeks. I ended up to stay there for 10 months. After this time, I still did not want to leave Sweden, however I realized that I wanted to go back to a city and start studying again. So, I started looking at Master Programs in Kalmar. That´s how I found the Tourism and Sustainability programme. I chose this programme because it seemed perfect to combine my interests in travelling, tourism and in a sustainable lifestyle.

What do you like about the programme?
I really like in the program that we look at many different areas when it comes to tourism. We started out to talk a lot about climate change and the future of the world as well as the future of tourism. I must say that made us all pretty depressed. But over time with more and more courses we found hope and saw that studying tourism and sustainability is really important. Studying tourism in connection with sustainability is quite new so there is still a lot to discover. That makes it so exciting.

What does your future plans look like?
I don´t plan to much in my life. I realized that plans always change and new doors open every day. My dream is to educate and inspire people to live a more sustainable and respectful life and work in an area where I can change something.

What is the student life like in Kalmar?
I am sure my student life looks a lot different from the others. While I am studying I work in a vegan cafe in the centre of Kalmar. Whenever I am free I spend time in nature, go climbing or do yoga.

Shiva got admitted to a PhD-programme

Shiva is originally from Iran and decided to take a big step in her international career by coming to the northern countries a few year ago. She started her Master’s degree at Linnaeus University on the Tourism and Sustainability programme and very recently she moved to Norway to start a PhD programme at the University of Stavanger.

Read the full interview with Shiva

You recently started a PhD programme, please tell us more about that?
I was thinking about doing a PhD when I started my master in Linnaeus University, so during those two years I was keeping my focus on improving my CV and making satisfactory progress in the studies to be able to apply for PhD positions. It is all about planning, in my point of view. I feel it’s important to know what you want to achieve after doing a master study, whether it’s staying in academics or working in other careers. Right now I’m in the beginning of the road of a PhD, and for now my schedule is packed with PhD-courses and work with my own research project.

What brought you to study Tourism and Sustainability?
I was interested to do my master in an international environment with other classmates from all over the world, plus I found the combination of the tourism and sustainability very interesting. During our courses we learned about climate change, and future of tourism and the planet earth, something I really liked. This course gave me insight of sustainability that is my focus on my PhD study as well.

What did you learn at the programme that you feel is useful for your future career?
As I said earlier the combination of tourism studies and sustainability made this program interesting in my point of view! Now everyone is talking about sustainable lifestyles, responsible travels and so on! I feel so glad that I had the chance to study this informative and interesting program which I know will benefit me in my future career in academics.

Kalmar – the student city by the sea

Right in the heart of Kalmar, by the sea, you’ll find Campus Kalmar. Everything is close by, and no matter where you live in the city, you’ll be within cycling distance of the university.

If you’re a new student, you’re covered by an accommodation guarantee, meaning you have the right to student housing within two months. This is one of the reasons why Kalmar has been recognised as one of Sweden’s best student cities – several times.

The municipality has around 70,000 inhabitants. The city boasts a strong business sector, with leading companies in green industries, e-commerce, and e-health, providing plenty of opportunities to make connections for your future career.

Kalmar has a charming and historic city centre, with small shops, cafés, and gyms nestled along cobbled streets and alleyways. The coastline offers great opportunities to enjoy nature – whether you want to go for a walk, exercise, swim, or simply relax. Plus – Öland is just a bridge away.
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