Exploring Instructional Strategies in Tourism and Hospitality Education: A Comprehensive Review of Literature

ABSTRACT

The future of work in tourism and hospitality (T&H) is being rapidly shaped by emerging technologies. These forces necessitate higher education to integrate new competencies and innovative instructional methods aligned with evolving labor market needs. However, comprehensive research on current T&H pedagogies and outcomes is lacking. This study reviews literature on knowledge, skills, and teaching methods, and explores research directions on educational content and pedagogies to prepare T&H students for the future of work. Forty-seven empirical articles were analyzed based on underlying learning theories. The results indicate that T&H educators have used experiential learning, problem-/project-based learning, authentic learning, and social constructivism in their teaching practice. However, assessments emphasized student reactions rather than objective learning gains, indicating a need for more rigorous and diverse evaluation paradigms. Leadership, critical thinking, communication, and creative problem-solving emerged as top-tier competencies.

KEYWORDS:

• Instructional strategies
• hospitality
• tourism
• emergent technology
• learning theory

Disclosure Statement

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