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Education Master's and PhD degree programmes Cultural Geography: Sustainable Tourism & Society
Header image Cultural Geography: Sustainable Tourism & Society

Cultural Geography: Sustainable Tourism & Society

Can we continue to travel responsibly amid the climate crisis? Can tourism positively impact communities and destinations? Is sustainable tourism achievable? What are the consequences of overtourism?

✔️ Study the interaction between tourists, visitors, local communities, and the natural and built environment around them

✔️ Learn about sustainable tourism development from local, regional, national and global perspectives

✔️ Build your network while tackling real-life challenges together with regional and international stakeholders


MSc Cultural Geography

Sustainable Tourism & Society is a track within the master's Cultural Geography. The programme offers two tracks: Climate Adaptation Governance and Sustainable Tourism & Society.

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Master's Week
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Facts & Figures
Degree
MSc in Cultural Geography
Course type
Master
Duration
12 months (60 ECTS)
Croho code
60656
Language of instruction
English
Start
September
Faculty
Campus Fryslân
Why study this programme in Leeuwarden?

Consider studying this programme because:

  • Enjoy direct access to academic and professional staff, ensuring a personalized experience

  • Gain the tools to tackle public and private sector projects focused on tourism and sustainability

  • Build a competitive profile in a field central to national and international agendas

  • Experience a culturally sensitive, inclusive, and place-based curriculum within cultural geography

  • Engage with regional and international stakeholders advancing sustainable tourism practices
Programme
Semesters
CoursesCourse Catalog >1a1b2a2b
Critical Approaches to Cultural Heritage and Identity (5 EC)
Critical Tourism Studies (5 EC)

Tourism is one of the biggest industries worldwide and has major impacts on the socio-economic development and on the natural environment of destinations. During this course we analyse the modern culture of tourism through classic theories and key concepts, discussing questions such as why people travel, what being a tourist exactly means, and how the growth (a temporary decline due to COVID-19) impacts liveability locally and globally. We connect the classic theories and core concepts to state of the art research in the field of sustainable tourism, discussing specific cases involving both culture tourism (e.g. indigenous, ethnic and minority tourism; media tourism; arts, festivals and creative tourism) and nature tourism (e.g. natural heritage and eco-tourism). Students will explore the theories and concepts offered through their own qualitative research project, reflecting on what tourism experience means in current socio-cultural practice.

Field Work and Community Engagement (5 EC)
Critical Tourism and Regional Planning (5 EC)
Gendered Geographies (5 EC)
Research Design (5 EC)
Geographies of Migration (5 EC)

The Geographies of Migration course offers a deep dive into global migration discussions, focusing on human geography and worldwide population movements. It encourages critical thinking about prevailing migration narratives, analysis of global migration trends, and questioning of common assumptions. Students engage in examining societal phenomena linked to migration, borders, migration categorization, political identity, and place attachment. They analyze these topics through various socio-economic and cultural lenses within the context of global structures and power hierarchies.

Nature Based Solutions (5 EC)
Social Impact Assessment - Data and Representation (5 EC)
Master Thesis Cultural Geography (15 EC)

Study abroad

  • Study abroad is unaccommodated
Entry requirements

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Academic Bachelor degree in geography, social sciences or tourism studies, with some background knowledge in Geography, including at least 10 ECTS in statistics and research methods.

language test

Sufficient English language proficiency is required, except for native speakers of the English language from the following countries: United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and The Netherlands.

The following documents are valid:

  • Full English Bachelor's degree*, where the only language of instruction is English.
  • TOEFL: a minimum score of 90 with a minimum of 18 on reading and listening, 20 on speaking and 21 on writing,
  • IELTS: a minimum score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 on all items, or
  • Cambridge: C1 advanced or C2 Proficiency with a minimum score of 180
  • English taught bachelors from the following countries are valid as proof of English proficiency: The Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

An exemption can be given by the Admission Board.

other admission requirements

Please use the step-by-step guide for more information regarding your eligibility and your specific application procedure

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 July 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
  • PLEASE NOTE: your application deadline is determined by the country where you obtained your diploma, not your nationality. For example: 'Dutch students' means students with a Dutch diploma; 'EU/EEA students' means students with a diploma from a EU/EEA country; 'non-EU/EEA students' means students with a diploma from a non-EU/EEA country.

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

The programme is open to students with an academic bachelor degree in geography, or social sciences with some background knowledge in geography, including at least 10 ECTS in statistics and research methods.

language test

Sufficient English language proficiency is required, except for native speakers of the English language from the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, The Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom.

To prove your English language proficiency, you can provide one of the following documents:

  • Full English Bachelor's degree,* where the only language of instruction is English;
  • TOEFL: a minimum score of 90 with a minimum of 18 on reading and listening, 20 on speaking and 21 on writing;
  • IELTS: a minimum score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 on all items;
  • Cambridge: C1 advanced or C2 Proficiency with a minimum score of 180.
  • English-taught bachelors from the following countries are valid as proof of English proficiency: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, The Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom.

An exemption can be given by the Admission Board.

other admission requirements

Please use this step-by-step guide for more information regarding your eligibility and your specific application procedure.

Language requirements

ExamMinimum score
C1 Advanced (formerly CAE)C1
C2 Proficiency (formerly CPE)C2
IELTS overall band6.5
IELTS listening6
IELTS reading6
IELTS writing6
IELTS speaking6
TOEFL internet based90

Registration procedure

The programme is open to students with an academic bachelor degree in geography, or social sciences with some background knowledge in geography, including at least 10 ECTS in statistics and research methods.

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 July 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
  • PLEASE NOTE: your application deadline is determined by the country where you obtained your diploma, not your nationality. For example: 'Dutch students' means students with a Dutch diploma; 'EU/EEA students' means students with a diploma from a EU/EEA country; 'non-EU/EEA students' means students with a diploma from a non-EU/EEA country.
Tuition fees
NationalityYearFeeProgramme form
EU/EEA2024-2025€ 2530full-time
non-EU/EEA2024-2025€ 20800full-time

Practical information for:

After your studies

Cultural Geography equips you with the necessary theoretical and practical tools to contribute to place-related liveability in society, improve local livelihoods, invest in community futures, and work towards tourism that improves tourists' and residents' health and well-being. Guest lectures, field trips, community lectures, and empirical research in the community prepare you to develop a working knowledge of the field and also network with local stakeholders and employers.


The Sustainable Tourism & Society tracks maintain active partnerships with the following organizations:
  • Tourism Alliance of Friesland (TAF) supports the region's development as a tourist destination
  • Waddenacademie, an academic institution focusing on the socio-economic development of the Wadden Sea Region (a UNESCO World Heritage site)
  • Policymakers in the province and in several municipalities in the north of the Netherlands
  • Key players in the field of tourism, such as TUI and World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)

Job prospects

Graduates of the Sustainable Tourism & Society track can apply their theoretical and practical research and problem-solving skills and knowledge internationally and locally as:

  • Policy Analyst in Sustainable Tourism
    Conducting research and analysis to inform policy decisions that promote sustainable tourism at local, national, and international levels.

  • Tourism Officer
    Developing and managing tourism initiatives that balance economic growth with environmental sustainability and community well-being.

  • Destination Planner
    Designing and implementing strategies for sustainable tourism development in specific regions or destinations, ensuring minimal environmental impact.

  • Tourism Entrepreneur
    Creating and managing tourism ventures with a focus on sustainability, innovation, and community involvement.

  • Officer at UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization)
    Working on international tourism policies and programmes that foster sustainable development and global cooperation in tourism.

  • Tourism Researcher
    Conducting academic or industry-based research to explore sustainable tourism practices, trends, and their impacts on society and the environment.

During the programme, we offer support for your career preparation with workshops, networking events, and career advice.

Research

Research in the Master

The research at the Department of Cultural Geography is strongly embedded in the research programmes of Campus Fryslân.

Topics of recent research projects are:

- Rural citizenship and youth;
- Hidden urban spaces;
- Gender & tourism livelihoods (post-)COVID-19;
- Community participation;
- Ageing and well-being;
- Innovation and rural transformation;
- Socio-spatial consequences of population decline;
- Heritage; evolution of the historical landscape;
- Nature and health;
- Social impact assessment;
- Social aspects of natural resource management;
- Tourism and (cross-border) regional development

The research projects deal with the relations between people and place. Knowing your own 'place' is of fundamental importance for the formation of human identity and well-being. Cultural expressions such as art, architecture, rituals and language, and our knowledge and appreciation of nature and landscape interact with the physical environment to shape our life stories and the liveability of places. Therefore, the ways in which we construct space and place are physical manifestations of both our imaginations and our self-awareness. This perspective allows you to understand and explain the differences between places, communities, and the spatial behaviours of humans.

Our research is strongly empirical. Students will become familiar with qualitative and quantitative research methods during the Master's. Innovative research methods such as visual methodologies and location-based applications (social or soft GIS) can be used for the Master’s Thesis.


Apply nowBrochureEventsContact
Master's Weekdiverse locatiesMore information

Contact

  • Marijke Huisman-Wolters (For all questions related to the programme and application)
    Email: cf-cg rug.nl
    Telephone: +31 (0)6 31 98 24 13

Study associations

Nobis Cura Futuri

Nobis Cura Futuri is the Study Association and the official embodiment of the international student community at Campus Fryslân.
Founded in 2020, we aim to provide plenty of fun, social and academic events (think of Pub crawls, talent shows, travels, guest-speaker evenings). All in the spirit of Nobis Cura Futuri: “The Care of the Future is Ours”, meaning we strive to provide activities that are aimed at making the most of your student life by adhering to our values of responsibility, diversity, sustainability and development.
https://www.rug.nl/cf/studeren-bij-cf/nobis-cura-futuri
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