Resilience Adaptations in Tourism Education for the Post-COVID-19 Era – A Study of India

PurposeThe aim of this study is to explain the educational practices that emerged with the concept of “new normal” in an overview. In line with this goal, the experiences of academics who are experts in their fields have been utilized.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on both academic and trade literature. Interviews with representatives from schools providing tourism education in North Cyprus were conducted online and in-person. The qualitative research method in the form of the interview method was employed in the research. The research participants consist of 15 academics working in the field of tourism education. Additionally, concerning the selection of these participants, sector experience and applied lecture status were taken into consideration. As the second dimension of the research, an extensive literature review was conducted and the subject was expanded by explaining it with examples from around the world.FindingsIt has been revealed in the research that educational institutions and tourist businesses have to constantly renew themselves technologically. The findings obtained from academics include the innovations they use in the “new normal” tourism education in applications such as Hybrid/BL – Blended Learning, VR – Virtual Reality, Artificial intelligence, LMS & In-class response systems, API-based software systems in the courses they teach. The common opinion of academics who want to provide a better education is that educational institutions should always be infrastructurally prepared for such emergencies.Originality/valueThe global COVID-19 pandemic created economic destruction in many countries and brought life to a halt. In the tourism sector, one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 problem, various restrictions were imposed on touristic activities. While this situation caused a decrease in demand in the tourism sector, it paved the way for great technological changes and resulted in the adoption of new educational practices in institutions providing tourism education. This paper traces these new development in the face of the pandemic crisis.

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is no set sample size for qualitative research, so the researcher usually only has access to a limited sample size, saving both money and time. Suneeth et al. (2021) applied a similar research method technique in educational institutions in their country for their research.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Academic impressions pertaining to the “new normal” in tourism education and practice in accordance with digital technology and creativity

Gi̇rgen,

Kole

2024

“…These range from the personal (hand washing and the wearing of masks) to the interpersonal (physical distancing and no touch interaction). Suneeth et al (2021) point out that the pandemic has revealed weaknesses in global tourism and academia in terms of its curricula and observe most of the training methods, techniques, pedagogies and subject areas may need to be adapted to better prepare for response and recovery policies, strategies and research. Generally, change is incrementally applied to the processes of education and training; however, swift action is required to rescue the industry's developmental plans.…”

Section: Objectives Of the Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The capacity to overcome difficulties and seek out solutions is reflected in "resilience". Suneeth et al (2021) point out that practitioners should inculcate in learners resilient thinking or resilience competencies to manage disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Martins et al (2020) reviewed numerous studies aimed at responding to post-pandemic workforce challenges.…”

Section: Preparing the Post-pandemic Workforcementioning

confidence: 99%

Preparing the post-pandemic workforce for the cruise and hospitality industry

Johnson

Thompson²,

Paul

2022

Purpose The aim of this article is to examine some of the imperatives surrounding the preparation of the workforce for the cruise and hospitality industry after the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes a competency-based approach to training.Design/methodology/approach An analysis of peer-reviewed material was conducted. This involved looking at the literature on the cruise and hospitality industry in the Caribbean region and specifically, Jamaica. Attention was then given to how aspects of training in competency-based education/training (CBE/T) could be utilised to prepare the workforce to sustain a viable cruise and hospitality industry during and after the pandemic.Findings The pandemic reveals some of the weaknesses of global tourism and academia more generally in terms of curricula and has pointed out that most of the training methods, techniques, pedagogies and subject areas may change in times of crisis in order to better prepare for response and recovery policies, strategies and research. Some of the competencies that the post-pandemic cruise and hospitality workforce will require were identified in the review, such as technological, health management and resilience competencies.Practical implications The review implies that there are new and emerging competencies that are driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. These must be reflected in a competency-based education and training (CBET) curricula as educational change will be required to prepare the post-pandemic workforce.Social implications Relationships and results will need to be the focus of CBET for the cruise and hospitality industry. Although the customer focus will remain for industry workers, the workforce will need to learn to interact with tourists via touchless applications, simulations and virtual interactions.Originality/value This paper is of value to educators and trainers in the cruise and hospitality industry.

“…The industrial revolution 5.0 is certainly applicable to hospitality operations (Ben Youssef and Zeqiri, 2022; Pillai et al ., 2021) and has been more accelerated, advanced and applied in the recent past, particularly during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic (Pillai et al ., 2021). With industry 5.0 influencing the hospitality industry, a greater shift from manual to cognitive labor is anticipated (Pillai et al ., 2021) and this is likely to be characterised by increased sustainability, resilience and a human-centric approach (Suneeth et al ., 2021). In this milieu, several studies examined various aspects and applications of industry 5.0 in hotels and other hospitality services.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Next generation employability and career sustainability in the hospitality industry 5.0

Hussain

Singh

Mohanty

et al. 2023

PurposeWith an industry 5.0 revolution taking place in the hospitality industry, a shift from manual to cognitive labor is anticipated, characterized by greater sustainability, resilience and a human-centric approach. In this regard, hospitality educators' ability and willingness to teach novel topics such as automation at work, upskilling of employees, man-machine interaction and service robots have become more important than ever. This study aims to interpret the perspectives of hospitality educators about bridging the gap in the employability skills of (next-gen) hospitality graduates and the concerns relating to career sustainability in times of transition.Design/methodology/approachA case study method was used given the novelty of the topic in a developing country like India. A qualitative survey with open-ended questions, is employed to understand the viewpoints of Indian hospitality educators, including those with more than 15 years of teaching experience. In-depth interviews were conducted with 23 hospitality educators to reach the theoretical saturation point. MAXQDA software was used to analyze the qualitative data collected in the study.FindingsThe findings reveal the challenges and motivations of hospitality educators in adapting to frequently changing business environments. In doing so, it sheds light on the methods employed to create a generation of hospitality graduates aligned with the changing dynamics of the industry.Originality/valueThe paper presents the viewpoints of hospitality educators in India in relation to a futuristic approach to next-gen employability and career sustainability. Whilst numerous studies have focused on the role of robots and artificial intelligence in replacing the human component of the service environment, the concept of people working alongside advanced technologies is fairly new and needs to be fully explored.