Undergraduate Tourism and Hospitality Students Attitudes Toward a Career in the Industry: A Preliminary Investigation

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes and perceptions of current undergraduate tourism and hospitality students in Australia toward careers in the industry. The study is exploratory and based on a quantitative approach. Areas that students have concerns over include respondent's relationship with their managers, promotion opportunities, career paths, and the pay and conditions offered within the industry. Possibly the most alarming finding to come out of this study is that more than 50% of respondents are already contemplating careers outside the industry. Of those with work experience in the industry, 43.6% claim that they will not work in the tourism and hospitality industry after graduation, with 96.3% of these respondents' citing working experience in the industry as the main reason for this decision.

KEYWORDS:

• Tourism and hospitality
• undergraduate students
• attitudes
• perceptions
• work
• careers

This research is supported by funding from the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre, established by the Australian Commonwealth Government.