Towards Identification of New Tourism Industry Occupations for Curricula Development of Egyptian Tourism and Hospitality Higher Education

Abstract

Recently, curricula development is one of the most significant aspects in education reform with special focus on its link with the labor market. The research is addressing this link pertaining to the newly emerged occupations that are considered new trends in the international tourism field and regarded as new potentials in the Egyptian tourism labour market that also needed by employers. This research is aiming at identifying these top priorities new occupations and prepare a formulated diagram for linking them with curricula development in tourism and hotels colleges and high institutes. A pilot study has been done with selected academics and tourism market experts to identify the Egyptian labour market needs for new occupations. The field survey has utilized an interview with 13 authorized persons working in governmental and authorized associations related to tourism industry, as well as a questionnaire with 50 trade people working in the Egyptian tourism market within four tourist destinations: Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh, Luxor, Aswan and Hurghada. The main objectives of interview and questionnaire are to stress on the Egyptian labour market needs acknowledged by the pilot study and consequently identify the new occupations. Field survey’s results concluded that there are seven new occupations represent the urgent needs of the labor market in both inbound services and hotel management sub-sectors. Analysis of both interview and questionnaire has been employed as guidelines for structuring a suggested diagram linking new occupations with curricula development. Finally, it recommended that this proposed diagram is submitted to one of the curricula development and/or education reform authorized organizations for adoption, development and deployment.