The Nature of Tourism Education Programs in Developing Countries: The Case of Tanzania

Abstract

This article reviews the nature of tourism education programs in Tanzania. The results reveal that tourism education in the country is a relatively recent phenomenon with the oldest program being offered in 2000. As such, the programs are still evolving and tend to reflect more entry-level training. Specifically, diplomas and certificates are the major credentials offered and no institution in the country offers a terminal degree in a tourism-related field (i.e., doctorate degree). Hence, doctoral education needs to be acquired outside the country, which can represent a meaningful constraint on the ability to efficiently and effectively train instructors. Given this review of tourism education programs in Tanzania, additional research is recommended to further examine the quality of the programs as well as to conduct a comparative analysis with other developing countries in the region.