Abstract
The study aims to examine the effectiveness of the education the graduates received from the Tourism and Hospitality Management undergraduate programmes in the universities of North Cyprus. Primary data of this research were obtained by using qualitative methods. Semi-structured interviews, and non-participant observation have been applied as data collection methods. Sampling strategy used in this study is maximum variety sampling. To analyze the data content analysis was used. The results reveal that developing academic knowledge is significant for the graduate careers yet real life experiences need to be shared during their education by establishing a more powerful cooperation between the higher education institutions and the industry. Higher education institutions should consider the needs of the industry regarding their programmes, curriculums, and qualifications gained by their graduates. Tourism and Hospitality Management programmes need to improve their relations and cooperation with tourism sector stakeholders in order to educate sector-ready graduates.
