The Influence of COVID-19 on Vocational Hospitality and Tourism Students’ Career Choices

ABSTRACT

This study explored the influence of COVID-19 on vocational hospitality and tourism students’ career choices. 31 interviewees were approached through purposive and snowball sampling. This study found that students’ attitudes toward working in the hospitality and tourism industry are changed by COVID-19 pandemic. Theoretically, this study developed a framework of the influence of COVID-19 on vocational hospitality and tourism students’ career choices at three stages, including before COVID-19, during COVID-19 outbreak, and after COVID-19 outbreak. Practically, this study provided useful suggestions for government and employers to attract students to work in the hospitality and tourism industry after COVID-19 outbreak.

摘要

本研究探究了新冠肺炎疫情对旅游与酒店管理专业高职学生职业选择的影响。通过目的性和滚雪球性抽样采访了31名旅游与酒店管理专业高职学生。研究发现, 新冠肺炎疫情改变了高职学生对在旅游和酒店行业工作的态度。从理论上来说, 本研究开发了疫情前, 疫情爆发期以及后疫情时代背景下旅游与酒店管理专业高职学生职业选择的理论框架。从实践上来水平, 本研究为政府和旅游与酒店业雇主如何在后疫情时代吸引学生在旅游与酒店行业工作提供政策建议。

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• vocational students
• hospitality and tourism industry
• career choices
• job attitude

关键词:

• 新冠肺炎疫情
• 高职学生
• 旅游与酒店业
• 职业选择
• 工作态度

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China [721QN223].

Notes on contributors

Fangxuan (Sam) Li

Fangxuan (Sam) Li is Professor from School of Tourism, Hainan University. His research interests include tourist behavior, tourism marketing, and tourism education (E-mail: [email protected]).

Lingjun Zhang

Lingjun Zhang is Master student from School of Tourism, Hainan University. Her research interests include tourist behavior and tourism education (E-mail: [email protected]).