PhD in Tourism

Academic year 2024-25

Lines of research

Tourist/visitor behaviour

Tourism is about mobility and affects the welcome given by inhabitants and a discovery by tourists. The behaviour of each stakeholder becomes an element for analysis so as to avoid confrontations and unrest that societies may experience as negative consequences.

Tourist destination magement and marketing

Analysing tourism destinations as mechanisms for management across all areas (economic, social, geographic) and analysing tourist marketing and awareness.

Impacts from tourism and sustainability

Tourism takes place in spaces that are impacted both positively and negatively, and where all viewpoints must be taken into account. Social, economic and environmental sustainability in its broadest sense needs to be looked at across all academic fields.

Innovation, management and creation of tourism products

The world of tourism constantly evolves and, in order to move forward with so many competitors, it needs to constantly meet demands and innovate in terms of offer, facilities, lifestyles, etc. This innovation creates new tourism products that require suitable and specific management.

General and specific competencies

The reasons for undertaking this doctoral programme include:

  1. Professional interest, since tourism has become a hugely important economic, social and territorial activity. In turn, the rapid changes in international tourism require that the sector adapt to new strategies and expectations based not only on the strength of the classic destinations, but also on the potential of new destinations, particularly in Southeast Asia and the Americas. All of this requires skilled professionals to meet the challenges of tourism in the 21st century
  2. The strength of research in tourism at the UIB and the University of Girona (UdG). The UIB and UdG, alongside the CSIC and ICRA, comprise the Euro-Mediterranean Tourism and Water Campus. Both universities are amongst the top Spanish tourism research and training institutions, and in 2011 alone in the specific field of tourism, both universities took part in nine international and 50 national R&D&i projects, as well as winning research contracts with businesses and institutions to the tune of 700,000 euro
  3. The programme's endorsement by external references. Renowned overseas universities, such as in the UK (Oxford, Newcastle, Exeter and Surrey) or the US (Stanford, Washington, or Calgary) offer PhDs in tourism. Moreover, there are 36 indexed journals on Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism topics, demonstrating the broad global interest in research and training in tourism.

Core Skills

  • CB11 - Systematic comprehension of a field of study and mastery of research skills and methods related to this field
  • CB12 - The ability to devise, design or create, implement and adopt a substantial research or invention process
  • CB13 - The ability to contribute to widening the frontiers of knowledge through original research
  • CB14 - The ability to perform a critical analysis, assessment and synthesis of new and complex ideas
  • CB15 - The ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community, as well as with society as a whole, about their areas of knowledge in the methods and languages commonly used within the international scientific community
  • CB16 - The ability to promote scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural advancement in academic and professional settings within the knowledge-based society.

Personal Skills and Abilities

  • CA01 - Work in contexts where there is little specific information
  • CA02 - Uncover key questions that need to be answered in order to resolve a complex problem
  • CA03 - Design, create, develop and undertake new and innovative projects in their area of knowledge
  • CA04 - Work in a team and independently in an international or multidisciplinary setting
  • CA05 - Incorporate knowledge, handle complexity and provide opinions with limited information
  • CA06 - Intellectual criticism and defence of solutions.

Other Skills

  • OT1 - The ability to incorporate, analyse, synthesise and effectively use knowledge related to the PhD programme's areas of research
  • OT2 - The ability to master the main theoretical and methodological techniques used to write the Doctoral Thesis and linked to the field of tourism research.

Acces and entry Requirements

Based on the documents submitted by the applicants, the criteria that the Academic Committee will consider for admission and selection of the candidates are:

  • The previous training in tourism of the applicant and, in particular, its relevance to one of the research lines that make up the program (tourist behaviour and demand analysis, Innovation and management of tourism destinations Territorial Planning, Tourism Cultural Heritage).
  • Among others, also will merit favourable professional experience in the field of tourism, the literature on the subject, participation in national competitions and international research and level of accredited language and ITC (20%).
  • The average rating of academic record (40%).
  • The research interests declared by the applicant in the covering letter submitted and, in particular, its relevance to one of the research lines that make up the program (40%).

Once rated the above criteria, the Doctoral inform candidates the decision on their application for admission to the program.

List of agreements of the doctoral programme

Open University for Adults (UAPA)

University of Girona (Inter-university)

Agreements and framework agreements of UIB. Search of agreements  .

Support and guidance information

The supervisor is ultimately responsible for the direction of the candidate in research activities leading to the completion of the PhD, consistency and adequacy of the training, the impact and novelty in the subject field of the dissertation and guidance in planning and its relevance, if any, to other projects and activities where the doctoral student enrolls.

The academic committee of the Doctoral Programme will assign a tutor to the applicant (once he or she is admitted). The tutor will be a doctor with accredited research experience and involved in the doctoral programme. Within six months from the first enrolment, the academic committee of the doctorate will assign to every student a thesis supervisor, which may or may not be the same as the tutor.

Supervision and monitoring of doctorand training activities and their PhD theses shall be in line with the UIB procedures for PhDs (RD 99/2011), the UIB Doctoral Degree Regulations (https://seu.uib.cat/fou/acord/13084/) and the verified degree report that you may consult on the "Results" webpage. The administrative and academic procedures that students must perform during their PhD may be viewed on the "Procedures" section of the UIB Doctoral School website: