Tourism and Entrepreneurship

Tourism is called upon to create a change in the quality of life of each of us, to achieve emotional and cultural balance in the prosperity of communities and economies, and their sustainable development is the driving force for economic growth and cultural exchange between people, in the preservation of nature and the cultural heritage of peoples for generations.

Tourism today, more than ever, is a particularly dynamic and rapidly changing industry, vital to the success of many economies around the world. Millions of jobs are linked to the successful development and management of the tourism sector.

The “Tourism and Entrepreneurship” BA program aims to prepare you as specialists with a deep understanding of the specifics of entrepreneurial business in tourism, possessing the knowledge, skills and competencies to create and manage models for sustainable development of the tourist product or service.

If you dream for your profession to create a world filled with experiences and positive emotions, if you are an explorer and adventures are your passion, if you are energized by meeting new people and cultures, if you appreciate the beauty of our nature and realize the importance of its popularization, if you want to contribute to the preservation and transmission of knowledge about our cultural and historical heritage, if entrepreneurial business in tourism is your dream, if you want to manage all these processes yourself, then the BA program “Tourism and Entrepreneurship” is for you.

Education Format: Full-time, part-time and distance learning

Study Duration: 4 years (8 semesters)

Language: Bulgarian

ECTS credits: 240

The quality of education is ensured by highly qualified lecturers. This is a guarantee for successful professional realization of the graduates. The academic environment is supportive and establishes equality for all. We provide opportunities for the practical application of acquired skills through participation in research and applied projects.

In the tourism industry, you will have to deal with the development of tourist products, the management of tourist destinations, the security of travel, and the creation of services in the hospitality industry. With the training in the “Tourism and Entrepreneurship” program, you will understand the essence of the tourist product, its spatial management and marketing, in order to turn it into a profitable business. You will acquire hard and soft skills that are extremely useful for your professional career development, which define you as a successful entrepreneur and highly qualified competitive tourism expert. After successfully completing the bachelor’s program, you will acquire:

Hard skills:

• Participate in the development of tourism policy and spatial planning;
• Apply modern tourism management theory and practice;
• Create and develop tourist products or services;
• Use modern information and communication technologies in tourism;
• Offer solutions to the main problems of development of modern international integration processes in tourism;
• Build an appropriate marketing concept and brand of the destination and tourist product;
• Use the potential and opportunities for planning, organizing and controlling activities related to entrepreneurship in tourism;
• Apply the current regulations and social entrepreneurship;
• Make adequate management decisions, both at the company level and at different levels in the public and private sectors.

Soft skills:

• Empathy and emotional intelligence;
• Communication skills;
• Teamwork and networking;
• Customer service skills;
• Problem solving and conflict management;
• Creativity and innovation.

With the skills you will acquire in the Bachelor’s program in “Tourism and Entrepreneurship”, you will be able to find a job quickly and easily, as the shortage of highly qualified personnel is huge. Your career path can be related both to work in tourism companies in the production and intermediary sector, and to starting your own business. Examples of professions you can practice are:

• Individual entrepreneurs with a successful business
• Expert in municipal and regional administrations, whose responsibilities include planning and territorial management of tourism at local and regional level
• Consultant in the institutions of the executive power and its various structures (governmental organizations) involved in creating a favorable environment for the development of tourism in Bulgaria
• Expert in national, regional and local branch and professional tourism organizations (councils, associations, unions, etc.) and tourist information centers
• Manager in hotels, restaurants, sports, cultural and entertainment parks, related to offering a wide range of basic and specialized tourist services
• Manager in tour operator companies and travel agencies, offering the professional challenge of researching and creating new attractive tourist products, as well as mediation and information and consulting activities

During the first two years, you will lay the foundations of economic knowledge and start speaking the language of economics and business.

1st year

• Microeconomics
• Research Ethics
• Business Communications
• Fundamentals of Management
• Business Mathematics
• Macroeconomics
• Fundamentals of Law
• Computer Science

2nd year

• Fundamentals of Tourism Marketing
• Business Statistics
• Introduction to Tourism
• Human Resource Management
• Psychology
• Finance
• Accounting
• Philosophy/Economic History

In the third and fourth years, you will take on the role of a tourism expert and future entrepreneur. You will get acquainted with important tools for developing tourist products and developing a tourist destination when applying smart solutions. You will develop a business project for a start-up, in which you will apply in practice everything you have learned in your training.

3rd year

• Intercultural Differences and Hospitality
• Tourist Demand
• Introduction to Entrepreneurship
• Planning and Development of Tourist Destinations
• Tourist Supply
• Regulatory Framework in Tourism
• Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development
• Digital Transformation in Tourism
• Social Entrepreneurship

4th year

• Development of a Tourist Product Concept
• Business Planning
• Standardization and Quality Management in Tourism
• Geography for Travel Agents
• Tour Guiding/Hospitality Industry
• Tourist Organizations/Organizing and Planning Catering Events
• Tour Operator and Agency Activities/Hotel Operations Technology
• Business Negotiations/Special Events Management

• We succeed together!

  The program includes the possibility of choosing and specializing in three specializations – management of tour operator and agency activity, management in the hotel industry and management in the restaurant industry.

  The training is provided by highly qualified academic lecturers and experts from the tourism industry. This guarantees successful professional development for the graduates. The mission of IBS is to create competitive specialists at national and international level.

  The training process is carried out through the application of interactive methods, discussions, work in groups and projects, cases from business practice. We offer a supportive academic environment that tolerates equality. We provide opportunities for students to join teams to work on projects for scientific and practical research. IBS is the place that meets your aspirations and requirements, because we offer you:

  • Programs that are fully developed and focused on business needs, which prepare you to be more successful in today’s rapidly developing and multifunctional business
  • Personal attitude and individual approach
  • A close-knit community of students, lecturers, employees and business partners that supports you, develops your creativity and leadership potential
  • Lecturers with rich practical experience, with whom you together solve cases and work on projects related to your current job responsibilities
  • Opportunity to create a portfolio of projects, proof of the practical application of your skills, which you can present to employers when applying for a job position
  • Training designed to fit perfectly into your schedule
  • Financial support in the form of student loans, deferred payment of tuition fees and scholarships
  • Internationally recognized diplomas and education without borders
  • Opportunity to study or practice abroad under the Erasmus+ program

Successful graduates of the program receive a higher education diploma with a “Bachelor” degree and a European diploma supplement, valid and recognized worldwide.

Successful graduates can continue their studies in master’s programs in the fields of social sciences, economics, and law. Our Master’s programs in “Resort and SPA management”, “Tourism Management” and “Entrepreneurship and Innovations” offer a natural extension and upgrade to your knowledge and skills in tourism.

You can find more information about these programs and other options for pursuing a master’s degree HERE.