Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Education in a Rapidly Transitioning Industry: the future of tourism and hospitality education in the GCC region

Abstract

Cooper and Shepherd (1999) assessed sustainable tourism and hospitality education decades ago highlighting the raft between the market needs and educational programmes. The tourism and hospitality industry witnessed several transitions, while educational practices remained at a stand-still mode. Even in well-developed tourism markets, educational programmes were not reconsidered to accommodate this change (Mínguez, Martínez-Hernandez, & Yubero, 2021). The tourism and hospitality industry in the Gulf Cooperation Council States (hereinafter mentioned as GCC) provides excellence in service delivery. Therefore, this study aims to assess the future of tourism and hospitality education in the GCC region. The research discusses the tourism and hospitality landscapes and the current market dynamics, in the context of educational programmes relating to tourism and hospitality.