The Department of Tourism was founded at the Faculty of Geography, the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, in 2003 on the basis of the Academic Council resolution dated 29th January 2003 (proceedings № 21/3) which was later on confirmed by the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv Rector’s order dated 4th February 2003 (№ 194).
The Department develops the following directions of research:
- Theory and Methodology of Tourism and Tourismology (Malska M., Shults S., Bordun O., Romaniv P., Zinko Yu.);
- Management and Marketing within Tourism Activities (Malska M, Mandiuk N., Bilaniuk O., Bilous S., Kizyma V., Masiuk Yu., Munkachii I., Purska I., Manko A.);
- Legal Regulation of Tourism Activities (Bilous S., Kizyma V., Masiuk Yu., Munkachii I.);
- Structural and Spacial Organization of Tourism and Service Industries within Western Ukraine (Malska M., Romaniv P., Hamkalo M., Pankiv N., Zinko Yu.);
- Tourism Resource Studies (Pankiv N., Krasko A.);
- Tourism Country Studies (Malska M., Hamkalo M., Bordun O., Stetskyi V., Maliuha L.);
- Organization of International Tourism (Malska M., Bilaniuk O, Hanych N., Hrytsyshyn A., Purska I., Stetskyi V., Maliuha L.);
- Organization and Geography of Religious Tourism (Bordun O., Kadnichanskyi D., Zavadovskyi T., Manko A.);
- Recreology and Recreational Geography (Bezruchko L., Monastyrskyi V., Mandiuk N.);
- Tourism Geography of Ukraine (Malska M., Monastyrskyi V., Pankiv N., Stetskyi V., Zinko Yu., Blahodyr S., Manko A.);
- Active Tourism Organization (Hamkalo M., Romaniv P., Krasko A., Manko A.);
- Hospitality Industry (Malska M., Fil M., Pandiak I., Bezruchko L., Hataliak O., Hanych N., Zhuk Yu., Zhuk I., Hnativ N., Pshyk O.);
- Insurance in Tourism (Hataliak O., Monastyrskyi V.);
- Heritage and Cultural Tourism (Bordun O., Kadnichanskyi D., Zavadovskyi T. Manko A.);
- Tourism Local Lore Studies (Bordun O., Zavadovskyi T., Kadnichanskyi D., Stetskyi V., Manko A.);
- Geotourism, Ecotourism, Rural Green Tourism (Zinko Yu., Blahodyr S., Bezruchko L., Zhuk Yu.);
- Innovative Development of Tourism (Malska M., Romaniv P.);
- Transport Service in Tourism (Bordun O., Kizyma V., Hrytsyshyn A.);
- Organization of Excursion Activities (Yarmolovych V., Zavadovskyi T., Zhuk I.);
- Medical and Health Tourism (Malska M.,Bordun O., Bezruchko L., Maliuha L.);
- Military tourism (Kadnichanskyi D., Zavadovskyi T.).
In 2017, according to the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Department of Tourism began training bachelors in the educational and professional program “Hotel and Restaurant Business” of the first (bachelor’s) level of higher education specialty 241 “Hotel and Restaurant Business”. The Department of Tourism trains experts in the following specialities: 242 «Tourism» (Bachelor’s degree), 241 «Hotel and Restaurant Business» (Bachelor’s degree), 242 «Tourism» (Master’s degree): educational and professional programmes «Tourism Activities» and «International Tourism».
Educational and industrial practices remain an important component of student training. The Department arranges numerous trainings for students which enable them to visit various regions of Ukraine and Europe as well as try their hand at working for different institutions in the field of tourism and hospitality. Cooperation of the Department of Tourism with international tour operators and protected areas allows students to undergo internships in Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Poland etc.
The Department includes 32 teachers (including 2 doctors of sciences, professors and 19 candidates of sciences, associate professors) and 5 assistants.
The Department also supervises the work of two training laboratories — «The Training Tourist Agency» and «Hotel and Restaurant Business».