The Association for Tourism in Higher Education - ATHE

The Association for Tourism in Higher Education is the subject association for tourism in higher education in the UK. Its objectives include promoting the development and recognition of tourism as a subject of study in the UK at foundation degree, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels, and encouraging high standards in learning, teaching and research. To this end, it works with other bodies concerned with higher education in the UK such as the Quality Assurance Agency and the Higher Education Academy; it is a Learned Society of the Academy for the Social Sciences.

Higher Education in the UK has been undergoing significant changes in recent years with challenges in all three areas of activity – learning and teaching, academic research, and commercial research and consultancy. The Association vigorously responds to government initiatives and consultation documents in order to represent and promote the best interests of the subject, and of issues that affect the development and administration of tourism in the UK. For example, making representation to the Department of Culture Media and Sport Select Committee on Tourism; to the Sector Skills Agency for Tourism, on the importance of management and leadership education in tourism; and to government on the Tourism Statistics consultation, and the review of the assessment and financing of academic research. It also works with the subject associations for Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Events Management in order to make rigorous representation across these cognate subject areas.

Moreover, the Association also initiates and develops relationships with relevant bodies in order to seek recognition and funding appropriate to the level of maturity of the subject as an area of study, but also in line with its importance as an activity, and an industry, both in the UK and internationally. For example, the Association has established links with a range of organisations, from government policy makers, to industry leaders, to European and International educational organisations such as the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education (ATLAS) and the Council for Australian University Tourism and Hospitality Education (CAUTHE), in recognition of the immense challenges the world faces, and the responsibility that tourism educators have, in working towards more responsible and sustainable travel and tourism behaviours.