Hospitality and tourism education research from 2005 to 2014

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to synthesize and evaluate research on hospitality and tourism education in the past ten years (2005-2014) and to suggest directions for future inquiries.Design/methodology/approachFrom 13 hospitality and tourism journals, 644 full-length articles were reviewed. A multi-stage process was used to code and analyze each article by two analysts independently to ensure objectivity and accuracy. Two more researchers were involved in discussion to resolve differences in coding.FindingsThe analysis resulted in five distinctive meta-themes, grounded within 30 sub-themes. Observations are made in terms of teaching and learning, student development, curricula and programs, education environment and faculty development. Areas requiring further scholarly attention under each theme were identified.Research limitations/implicationsThis review provides an important reflection of the scholarly activities over the past decade on hospitality and tourism education, summarizes the current knowledge on various relevant concepts and offers avenues for future education research.Practical implicationsThis review provides a one-stop information source for education and industry practitioners engaged in human capital, professional and executive development practices.Originality/valueOperating under the dynamic industry and changing higher education environment, it is timely to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of recent education research to assess whether these activities address the challenges faced.