Dean's message
Dear Future Students,
Welcome to the International Master of Tourism Administration at Sun Yat-sen University.
Tourism is an industry, but it is also one of the oldest ways people come to understand one another. Those who manage it decide whether a heritage site survives for another generation, whether a community benefits from its visitors, whether a traveler leaves with real understanding. And this is work of consequence.
You join us at a remarkable moment. Digital transformation and the sustainability agenda are reshaping tourism worldwide, and China is moving faster than most. Our home in Zhuhai sits at the heart of the Greater Bay Area, alongside Hong Kong and Macao, a strategic hub linking the Chinese mainland with Southeast Asia and the wider world. From here you can experience China, explore East and Southeast Asia, and come to know the people and businesses shaping the region's future. The connections you build here can last a lifetime.
Tools change quickly, but judgment lasts. Here you will learn to use data and AI where they genuinely add value, to turn sustainability principles into measurable outcomes, and to build cooperation across cultures.
With about twenty students a year, our community is small by design. Your classmates will come from many countries, and many will become lifelong colleagues and friends. Make the most of your time here: be curious about everything, question what you are told, think carefully, and then act.
Wherever your path leads, I hope your time here makes you the leader that tourism needs now: capable, thoughtful, and committed to leaving places better than you found them.
Warmly,
Prof. Honggang Xu
Dean, School of Tourism Management
Sun Yat-sen University
International Master of Tourism Administration in Digitalization and Sustainable Tourism
Program Introduction
The International Master of Tourism Administration (IMTA) is a two-year, full-time postgraduate program for international students and early-career professionals who aspire to shape the future of tourism. Whether your career leads you to China's market, across Asia, or beyond, this program offers a unique perspective. Digital transformation and the global sustainability agenda are reshaping the industry worldwide, and China is advancing more rapidly than most. Studying the industry here means engaging with change at its earliest and most dynamic stage.
China's culture and tourism industry is among the world's largest and fastest-growing. This program offers an in-depth look at how the industry actually operates, where the opportunities lie, how technology is transforming both demand and supply, and how sustainability is interpreted in the Chinese context. You will develop practical skills from AI-enabled visitor experiences to data-driven operations, and from community-based destination management to strategic planning.
Real-world practice is built into the curriculum.
Project-based courses: work in teams on real challenges set by industry and destinations.
Practical experience in tourism firms: see how decisions are made through company visits, fieldwork, and on-site learning.
Professional internship: apply your knowledge in a real workplace in China's culture and tourism sector.
Dissertation: investigate a question that matters to you and to the industry, with close faculty supervision.
You will graduate with judgment and expertise rooted in China but applicable globally.
Our goals
The goal of our program is to develop leaders who can implement strategy and work effectively across cultures. By graduation, you will be able to lead strategy and operations within the culture and tourism sector—whether in enterprises, platforms, or destinations—using data, AI, and digital tools where they genuinely add value. You will also be equipped to assess tourism development against sustainability principles and manage it toward measurable outcomes, as well as to design and coordinate cross-border cooperation by working across cultures .
Where this takes you
These skills are developed in one of the world's most dynamic tourism markets and are not limited to it. The Greater Bay Area, which links Hong Kong, Macao, and nine Chinese mainland cities, is where China's tourism industry engages most directly with the world, making it an exceptionally good place to learn how the two connect. Graduates go on to work in:
- Management and leadership roles in cultural and tourism enterprises, in China, your home region, or internationally.
- Planning, policy development, and regulatory roles within tourism authorities and destination management organizations.
- International and industry organizations that shape the governance of tourism, heritage, and sustainable development.
The School of Tourism Management offers excellent career services and an active international alumni network that support you in transitioning from study to work.
Why SYSU
Choose IMTA at SYSU
Internationally Certified
Accredited under the UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO) education quality system, the School of Tourism Management is recognized for excellence in tourism education. Set in Zhuhai, where cultures blend and tradition meets modernity.
World-leading Program in Tourism and Hospitality Management
Top 5 in the past seven years according to ShanghaiRanking
A UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Tourism
The School hosts the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Tourism at UNESCO Designated Heritage Sites, connecting your studies to tourism development and conservation practices of world-class heritage in China.
A Global Network
Nearly 50 partner universities across more than 20 countries and regions, with more than thousands of graduated international students.
Integration of Industry, Academic and Research
Courses are delivered by internationally trained faculty and award-winning researchers, backed by national laboratory for sustainable tourism smart assessment and close industry linkages with over 50 firms and DMOs
Small by Design
An annual intake of no more than 25 students ensures close supervision, real-world fieldwork, and personalized guidance.
