Fleur Blanford
MA Tourism Management, 2006
In contrast with many of my fellow students I undertook my Masters in Tourism Management a little later in life! I have worked in travel and tourism in some guise or another since leaving school and am a passionate traveller taking the opportunity to participate in the practical side of the business whenever possible! Some 20 odd years later I decided that the time was right to enter into the in depth theory and research aspects of this fascinating and constantly evolving industry. I have witnessed many changes during my career, not least of which an increased awareness of the environmental and socio-economic responsibilities that tourism has. I chose the MA as it would enable me to study these aspects and many others and question much of which I had sometimes previously passively accepted.
The School of Service Management was luckily for me an obvious choice as it is close to my home, but more importantly it offered me the course I wished to pursue and the electives were particularly interesting. The teaching staff have between them a wealth of knowledge – many of which like myself gained from practical ‘real-life’ experiences that are so important in order to make meaning of the academic content. Students are also fortunate to have fantastic library and electronic resources at their fingertips. The campus and its facilities including administrative staff are incredibly welcoming and friendly, moreover one of the most attractive things about the SSM is the truly international feel. Each class room session was like travelling around the world. The variety of opinions and experiences shared between cultures that led to testing discussion and debate bought a depth to the learning that I had not expected. The group field study exercises were both educational and fun and again the mixture of age, experience and background allowed for an exchange of ideas that enriched the learning of all participants. Importantly also for perhaps the more ‘mature student’ thinking of undertaking a course with SSM, I was accepted readily and warmly by my fellow students in each of the two years part time study I undertook. A further positive example of the nature of the students attracted to Eastbourne and SSM.
In terms of skills growth I feel that I have been allowed to develop a far more critical approach to study. Quite rightly at Masters level the tutors would rarely let you ‘get away with’ an ill thought out or weak argument and would challenge you to explore in greater depth your reasoning where appropriate. Whilst sometimes taxing, the positive and encouraging approach they offered had the result of really making you think – an invaluable asset in any situation be it theoretical or practical. In terms of additional skills, the diversity of the various modules has enhanced my knowledge of a huge range of issues from strategic planning to marketing and service operations. All of which are highly relevant and vital knowledge bases for the industry of the 21st century.
Personally I feel now that I can pursue with renewed confidence any aspect of the travel and tourism industry, however, options within research and exploration of critical issues is one area I had not previously considered prior to undertaking the MA. Additionally I have for the past 4 years been teaching travel and tourism to Further Education students and I feel well equipped and confident to devolve my new skills and knowledge to future students. These are areas that for me – not quite at the beginning of my career – hold particular interest and the Masters at SSM with the support of my peers and tutors has provided me with opportunities I had not thought possible.
