How the fees work. The register lists EUR 363.36 per semester (about EUR 727 a year). Universities of applied sciences set their own fees, so confirm the amount for your intake. The compulsory student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) is EUR 26.20 per semester.
About this programme
Master in Urban Tourism & Visitor Economy Management is a master’s programme at FHWien der WKW in Vienna, taught in English. It runs for 2 years (4 semesters) and carries 120 ECTS credits. The register gives Vienna as the campus town. It lists the academic degree as Master of Arts in Business, MA. FHWien der WKW is a university of applied sciences in Vienna.
How it compares
Master in Urban Tourism & Visitor Economy Management is one of 4 English-taught Tourism Management programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 4 institutions. 3 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland; this programme lists EUR 727 a year.
What you will study
This is a two-year Master of Arts in Business at FHWien der WKW, a university of applied sciences in Vienna. It is taught in English and carries 120 ECTS across four semesters. The programme takes urban tourism and the visitor economy as complex systems and asks you to work on them from several directions at once.
What you study
The curriculum is built around seven key competencies and one cross-cutting dimension. The competencies are Systems Thinking Competence, Sensemaking and Evidence-Based Reasoning, Ambiguity and Conflict Management, Futures Thinking and Design Competence, Strategic Decision-Making and Management, Communication and Collaboration, and Ethics, Responsibility and Impact Assessment. Artificial intelligence runs across all seven as a cross-cutting dimension, so you look at data quality, bias, explainability, data protection and accountability as part of professional practice rather than as a separate technical skill.
The first semester covers Exploring Urban Tourism Systems and Contexts, Urban Tourism and Visitor Economy, Urban Planning and Visitor Flow, Data Thinking for Tourism Destinations, Leadership for Sustainable Change, and Research Scoping and Academic Writing. The second semester moves into Shaping Destinations and Urban Transformation, with Urban Challenge Lab, Smart Cities for Sustainable Transformation, Macroeconomic Perspectives on Urban Tourism, Strategic Destination Development and Research Design.
Competency development runs in three stages: structured analysis of complex challenges, then evaluation and design of possible courses of action, then independent decision-making, implementation and critical reflection.
How the programme is organised
It is a part-time format that combines on-campus blocks with online learning. The academic year runs from September to June. Teaching happens on Thursdays and Fridays from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm and on Saturdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and courses are generally organised in blocks. The start is the fall semester in early September, at wko campus wien, Währinger Gürtel 97, 1180 Vienna, near the U6 station Währinger Straße/Volksoper.
Learning goes beyond the classroom through field trips, site visits, real projects and expert input. Case-study teaching and design-based learning are central. You work on business field projects and case studies, and the Urban Labs in the second and fourth semesters give you hands-on space to define real urban problems and turn ideas into practical solutions. Local field trips let you evaluate urban tourism realities, and students are often responsible for organising the study trips themselves. Experts from the field join discussions in class and on visits. A study-abroad semester is possible in the third semester. In the third semester you can also choose a management traineeship, for example in a destination management organization.
Who it suits
The programme is aimed at people who have some professional experience in the tourism industry, or previous interdisciplinary knowledge related to city tourism such as architecture or urban planning, and who want to advance their knowledge of the development and management of urban tourism destinations. Because it is part-time, you can apply what you learn directly to your own work reality. The international student community is part of the setup, and students describe the mix of perspectives as one of the things they value.
Admission, language and next steps
Teaching is in English. There are 34 university places per year. Admission requirements and the admissions procedure are set out on the FHWien der WKW pages, and the institution runs information sessions and offers a personal consultation with the Head of Study Program. There is no central application portal: you apply directly to FHWien der WKW, and its own page gives the application period and deadlines. As a university of applied sciences it sets its own fees, which are listed on the programme page. FHWien der WKW also offers fit4fh brush-up courses for master students.
What the register says
Rethinking tourism. Driving change. Discover the potential for sustainable city tourism and help shape the future of urban destinations. This degree program prepares students for careers in which the needs of visitors and locals in the urban environment are reconciled - in an interdisciplinary, international and innovative way. All in the spirit of holistic visitor economy management.
Text as the Austrian national register publishes it. Some entries are in German. For the current content and structure, use the official programme page.
Job opportunities after graduating
- Destination development and visitor economy management
- Urban tourism strategy and destination management
- Smart city and sustainable transformation projects
- Management traineeship in a destination management organization
- Roles dealing with visitor flows and urban planning interfaces
- Data-informed tourism analysis and evidence-based decision-making
- Leadership for sustainable change in tourism organisations
Before you apply
There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here FHWien der WKW. Universities of applied sciences set their own application periods and admission procedures, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: Admission procedure. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.
Facts on this page come from the Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and studienwahl.at, which states the language of instruction). Fees are in euros as the register lists them. "Not listed" means the register has no figure, not that the programme is free. Always confirm requirements, fees and dates with the institution.
Quick answers
Is Master in Urban Tourism & Visitor Economy Management taught in English?
Yes. The register’s study finder lists English as the language of instruction at FHWien der WKW. Confirm the language of the examinations and the thesis with the institution.
How long does it take?
The register records 2 years (4 semesters) of study and 120 ECTS credits. Sixty ECTS credits are one academic year of full-time study.
Where is it taught?
The register lists Vienna as the campus town for this programme at FHWien der WKW.
How do I apply?
There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here FHWien der WKW. Universities of applied sciences set their own application periods and admission procedures, so read them on the programme page.
Is there an entrance examination?
The register gives: Admission procedure. Details of any admission or aptitude procedure are on the programme page at FHWien der WKW.
What does it cost?
The register lists EUR 363.36 per semester (about EUR 727 a year). Universities of applied sciences set their own fees, so confirm the amount for your intake. The compulsory student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) is EUR 26.20 per semester. Fees are in euros as the register lists them; confirm the amount for your intake with FHWien der WKW.
Is this programme officially listed?
It comes from the Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and studienwahl.at, which states the language of instruction). The OeAD, the Austrian agency for international education, publishes the official information for international students at studyinaustria.at. The programme page at FHWien der WKW is linked from this page so you can compare.