Destination Dalarna: Why study International Tourism Management?

When you embark on an International Tourism Management (ITM) adventure with Dalarna University, you become a member of a diverse, global family. With students from Europe and beyond starting with us every year, you will find new friends, a new passion and the skills to develop a career that will take you around the world.

Study in Sweden

Dalarna University is a top international study destination. The University has two campuses in Falun and Borlänge. Situated in the heart of Sweden, the Borlänge campus is the ideal home for your tourism studies. Set just a 2-hour train ride away from Stockholm and Arlanda, Sweden’s main international airport, Borlänge is the largest metropolitan area in the county of Dalarna.


“Borlänge is the stereotypical image of Sweden with its red wooden houses, all year around sparkling lights and idyllic nature. Next to the gym, there’s a free public library and plenty of bars! I really enjoyed hanging around with the great people at Dalarna University.” -Mona Hafner, a German exchange student to Tourism at Dalarna

If you are a winter sports fanatic, then you are in for a treat! Close to local ski slopes and three hours from Sweden’s largest ski resort, you can study all week and cruise the icy slopes or cross-country tracks at weekends whilst enjoying Dalarna’s natural beauty. Summer offers hiking, mountain biking, fishing and swimming in natural lakes in amongst Sweden’s gorgeous forests. There are also a wide range of cultural experiences nearby. From gigs and concerts  at Dalhalla, an old open air lime quarry to Gruppen, Sweden’s largest celebration of midsummer and Falu Great Copper Mountain, a World Heritage site, you can experience the traditional, the old, and the new and learn more about what makes Dalarna and Sweden so unique.

Innovative ITM Curriculum

As you delve into Dalarna’s multi-dimensional curriculum, you will notice that there is much more on offer than first meets the eye. As Sweden’s only Bachelor degree in Tourism taught entirely in English, you are connected to researchers who work around the globe. Your studies will provide a balanced blend of practical application and theoretical knowledge through interactions with your lecturers, peers and guest researchers. Through your studies, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the importance of the tourism industry on a global scale, acquiring industry relevant knowledge and an appreciation for the complex interactions between destinations, tourists, community and the environment.

Through site visits, on-site experiences, and fieldwork, every ITM student at Dalarna University gets to explore the ways in which cultural and natural attractions communicate to visitors. You will get the opportunity to talk to and work with local tourism businesses and help them plan for the future. You will also get the opportunity to develop and extend your knowledge on an exchange term abroad with a partner university. You can choose from various courses in Tourism Studies, Service Management, Business Administration and Economics in destinations such as Italy, Canada, Norway, the UK and France. You come back to finish your degree at Dalarna University with a wider appreciation of tourism and its role in both local and global economies.

“In the ITM programme there are chances to get out and meet people from the tourism industry. In my case, I was able to travel to a big tourism fair (ITB) in Berlin and represent Dalarna University. I met so many great people and they became really great friends. By falling in love with this country, I’m still here and planning my future in Sweden!” – Katrin Weiler, ITM graduate

Global Research Pioneers

Tourism at Dalarna University is also about world-class research. The Centre for Tourism and Leisure Research (CeTLeR) works to develop cooperation with regional businesses and the tourism industry. Research focuses on the challenges facing the region’s tourism industry and looks at the marketing and development of tourism destinations, as well as the effects of the events on local societies. With a local focus but a global reach, all the researchers at the centre are also involved in teaching providing you with up-to-date research informed teaching.

ITM Student Lifestyle


As the ITM Programme Director, David Scott, says “we have international students from as many as 17 different countries and that’s what makes this course so unique and interesting”. Also, Dalarna University’s student ambassadors will tell you more about the activities for students and student life at the campus and outside of it. You can have a look at the student bloggers activities, specifically Jacques and Amy’s blogs as they are ITM first and third year students.

If you are intrigued by the ITM programme, take a look at the entry requirements and the student scholarships that are on offer. Destination Dalarna is your passport to success.

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