Master Degree: Travel & Tourism Degree and Programs

While travel and tourism conjures up visions of planes, trains, and automobiles for many, the industry reaches much farther and much wider than you may realize. Careers in travel and tourism can include the management of exotic tours abroad, the organization of company retreats and/or business trips, helping the government formulate intercontinental travel policies, and more.

Travel and Fun: An Online Master's Degree in Travel and Tourism

To qualify for such positions, both private employers and the government may require you to possess a master's degree and significant work experience. You can gain work experience by serving as a travel agent, flight attendant, or a domestic tour guide. And a bachelor's degree in the industry can serve as an excellent stepping stone to a master's degree program, too.

In 2007, travel agents earned a median salary of $30,130, with job prospects expected to grow about as fast as average for all occupations through 2016. For the more advance travel and tourism positions that may require master's degrees, salary figures depend on job functions. Lodging managers, for example, earned a median annual salary of $44,240 in 2007, with the upper 10 percent earning a median yearly wage of $83,240. Those who work in higher-end resorts or who cater to business travelers specifically can earn more.