Hospitality and tourism education research from 2005 to 2014 : “Is the past a prologue to the future?”

Abstract

Purpose: The 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/approach: From 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. Findings: The 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/implications: This 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 implications: This review provides a one-stop information source for education and industry practitioners engaged in human capital, professional and executive development practices. Originality/value: Operating 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.