CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: THE CASE OF OVERSEAS EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

This article highlights an increasingly popular form of experiential learning, namely overseas exchange programs. Experiential learning is regarded as a valuable way to link up theoretical knowledge and practical skills in hospitality and tourism education. Although some studies have addressed the importance of experiential learning, the factors influencing students’ choice of overseas exchange programs, and the challenges and benefits of students’ experiential learning are still unclear, especially on the overseas exchange programs. The purpose of this study is to reveal the whole picture of overseas exchange programs by utilizing experiential learning cycle theory, and further understand students’ perception of overseas experiential learning. By employing quantitative and qualitative methods, including questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews with students who have participated in the overseas exchange programs and content analysis of program information, this study analyzes the differences of factors considered by males and females in choosing overseas exchange programs, and displays the four-stage learning process of experiential learning in overseas exchange programs and identifies two themes of challenges (living challenges and learning challenges) and five themes of benefits (cognitive development, behavioural change, multiple skill development, social bonding development, academic competitiveness & employability enhancement) for experiential learning for students majoring in Hospitality and Tourism. The study enriches our understandings of the experiential learning cycle theory and provides insights to educators in the design of future overseas exchange programs.

Creating a better future for the hospitality and tourism education

In recent years, countless hospitality and tourism programs have been experiencing low enrollment, budgetary issues, low scores in the college rankings, and failure to secure good job opportunities for their graduates. This occurs due to the implementation of unethical hiring and recruiting practices for faculty and staff, poor decision-making over key operational areas, abusive supervision, lack of ethical leadership, and careless strategic planning. However, the major reason is that there has been a huge gap between the hospitality and tourism academia and the industry which keeps growing. This is a rapidly changing industry where new trends are constantly emerging, new technologies are introduced, and innovative strategies arise. Meanwhile, hospitality and tourism programs around the world fail to understand the ever-changing industry trends, adapt to the new standards, and revise their curriculum accordingly. COVID-19 was the final blow that pushed academic institutions to their limits and created additional challenges. This chapter aims to address the issues that the hospitality and tourism academia has been struggling with, offer practical recommendations that will help tackle its operational difficulties, provide top quality education, prepare the leaders of tomorrow effectively, and bring it closer to the industry.

Entrepreneurship education in Post-Soviet states developing programmes for hospitality and tourism students in Samarkand

Purpose This paper considers a country context where traditional entrepreneurship has not been a major part of the economy and considers current attempts to develop entrepreneurship education (EE) as a part of wider market development. Design/methodology/approach The authors review the background to the economic development of the Post-Soviet states and link this to existing knowledge around EE. The potential routes by which EE might be developed in Uzbekistan are discussed with a focus upon hospitality and tourism education, leading to the development of a model of the six key aspects of change Findings The potential for future research is explored, and four aspects are highlighted as areas where partnership working with overseas universities is likely to have substantive benefits. In particular, the development of quality standards and staff development are areas where partnership could have an important influence, whereas barriers within local systems and cultural resistance are likely to benefit less from a partnership approach. Although entrepreneurial competencies and entrepreneurial intent are both important, entrepreneurial intent is highlighted given its role in terms of individual responses to country-level initiatives. Practical implications Although all four aspects merit further research, this paper ends with a specific suggestion that future research should draw on the theory of planned behaviour to explore entrepreneurial intent. Originality/value Uzbekistan is a relatively under-researched area where hospitality and tourism industries are undergoing a period of intense development.

Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitality and tourism education in India and preparing for the new normal

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has had serious and far-reaching consequences on every aspect of human life. As various countries went into lockdown, hospitality and tourism was badly affected and this has had an impact on hospitality and tourism education too. This paper aims to assess the impact of the pandemic on hospitality and tourism education in India and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies in support of the industry. The study also proposes recommendations for resilience-building.Design/methodology/approachA pilot survey using semi-structured interviews was conducted and followed by a detailed questionnaire-based survey of industry representatives and educators. Selected industry leaders were also interviewed to understand the industry perspective on the pandemic, the “new normal” and the expectations of post pandemic graduates. The study focuses on four main areas – (1) existing interrelationships between industry and academia, (2) the efficiency of Internet-based education during the pandemic, (3) the “new normal” and the expectations of graduates and (4) recommendations for resilience-building.FindingsThere is a perceived gap between academia and industry that needs to be bridged. We found that the pandemic is seriously affecting education with challenges ranging from technological issues, disparities and reduced enrolments to student behavioural issues. Most impacted was the practical training component in operational areas and especially in food production and services. It is now clear that education needs a shift in focus from the more traditional, operational aspects of hospitality and tourism to technological awareness, knowledge and soft skills development. The research also identified a need for better two-way communication and information exchange between industry and academia. In fact, the lessons learnt from the pandemic need to be communicated from industry to academia. This is important given that industry expects graduates to be adaptive, compassionate, able to multi-task, familiar with the principles of crisis management and proficient with technology.Originality/valueThe study analyses possible long-term effects and implications for the workforce of the future as the industry struggles to respond to the pandemic. The study also suggests possible avenues and methods for industry and academia to form more symbiotic relationships and become more resilient.

Importance of Garni Activities in the Sustainable Tourism: A Case Study of Hotels

This article provides a broad overview of sustainability in the hospitality and tourist business, as well as content information on sustainability that could be useful in hospitality and tourism education. The study focuses on the following question in particular: What role does sustainability education play in the hospitality and tourism industry? Themes in sustainability education are recognised in the accommodation, meetings and events, and food and beverage sectors, as well as implementations of sustainability principles in hospitality and tourism operations and perspectives on the future direction of sustainability education in this subject.

What Has Happened and What Will Drive Changes in Hospitality and Tourism Education?

In this article, we describe the past accomplishments in hospitality and tourism education greatly led by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education, including the establishment of a standardized, quality curriculum for practitioners, and impactful research outlets for hospitality and tourism scholars. Then, we highlight the emerging concepts of sharing economy and subscription economy and how these two are shaping the future business models. Some companies are provided as examples to clarify the concepts. Last, we ask a series of questions if our hospitality and tourism students are prepared to thrive in the fast-changing business environments. If not, what changes are needed in the current curriculum? What kind of skill sets is essential in the future? Is there any specialized course worth consideration? We urge our educators to work together to produce valuable solutions for our students and industry just like the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education founders did 75 years ago.