The hospitality and tourism industry in Canada: innovative solutions for the future

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to provide practical solutions to the strategic question: “The hospitality and tourism industry in Canada: what are the main challenges and solutions?”. It aims to capture the essence of scholarly contributions made by 25 Canadian experts and provide a conclusion to the Worldwide Hospitality Themes (WHATT) theme issue (v.9, n.4) dedicated to Canada.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws from key concepts, suggestions and solutions written by 25 Canadian authors in the previous papers of this theme issue. It is worth noting that these authors together have more than 700 years of experience in managing, operating and teaching all aspects of the tourism and hospitality industry. The paper presents nine summaries in the following order: the state of the industry (introductory article); finding innovative solutions for HR challenges (four articles); and new trends and innovation (four articles)FindingsIn conclusion, 20 recommendations relating to human capital enhancement, as well as general suggestions, are made to embrace useful trends and innovative thinking for future progress in Canada’s hospitality and tourism industry.Practical implicationsAs this paper is a combination of many perspectives from nine co-authored articles, there is no single focus to draw common conclusions. For further information and analysis, it is recommended that the relevant articles from this theme issue be reviewed.Originality/valueReaders interested in the Canadian hospitality and tourism industry will find this paper to be of interest.