SCIENTIFIC AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR IMPROVING PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15771319
Keywords:
Digital technologies, professional training, tourism education, hospitality industry, e-learning, online training platforms, competency-based education, virtual simulation, blended learning, tourism and hospitality curriculum, digital pedagogyAbstract
The tourism and hospitality sectors face a digital transformation imperative that demands new competencies from future professionals. This article examines how integrating digital technologies into tourism and hospitality education can enhance professional training. We review pedagogical frameworks and digital platforms – including learning management systems (LMS), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) – that develop students’ digital competencies. The Introduction outlines the relevance of digital skills in tourism and hospitality and the need for curriculum innovation. The Methods section discusses educational frameworks (e.g. constructivist alignment, digital competency standards) guiding the integration of technology in teaching. In Results, we present case studies and examples of technological tools in tourism/hospitality training: from LMS-supported blended learning to VR field trips and AI-driven simulations. The Discussion addresses challenges (such as faculty readiness, infrastructure gaps, and learner engagement) and compares global best practices, with specific implications for Uzbekistan’s context. We conclude with practical recommendations to align curricula with industry 4.0 needs, invest in digital infrastructure and teacher training, and foster an innovative learning culture. The findings underscore that strategic use of digital technologies and pedagogy can significantly improve training outcomes, producing graduates who are digitally competent and industry-ready.
Downloads
References
R. Busulwa, M. Pickering, and N. W. Pathiranage, “Readiness of hospitality and tourism curricula for digital transformation,” Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, vol. 35, art. 100519, 2024researchgate.netresearchgate.net.
A. A. Azgarov, “Tourism education in an emerging digital economy: World experience and perspectives in Uzbekistan,” International Journal on Integrated Education, vol. 3, no. 9, pp. 146–151, 2020researchgate.netresearchgate.net.
A. J. Arango-Morales, A. Delgado-Cruz, and A. L. Tamayo-Salcedo, “Digital Competence of Tourism Students: Explanatory Power of Professional Training,” Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ., vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 310–326, 2020researchgate.netresearchgate.net.
J. Reynolds and M. J. Dolasinski, “Emerging technologies in hospitality and tourism education and training: A systematic literature review,” Perspectives in Asian Leisure and Tourism, vol. 5, 2023openpublishing.library.umass.eduopenpublishing.library.umass.edu.
UNESCO-UNEVOC, “Asian insights: Ensuring digital-ready TVET students in hospitality and tourism training programmes,” UNESCO-UNEVOC Research Brief, 2024atlas.unevoc.unesco.orgatlas.unevoc.unesco.org.
UNESCO-UNEVOC, Green and Digital Skills for Hospitality and Tourism: From Industry Trends to Competencies within TVET, BILT Expert Group Report, 2024unevoc.unesco.orgunevoc.unesco.org.
UNESCO, “Advancing digital education in Uzbekistan: Wendy Gorton’s mission to empower teachers,” UNESCO News (Tashkent Office), 25 Feb. 2025unesco.orgunesco.org.
K. Al-Said, E. Vanina, and O. Pavlovskaya, “Virtual reality technologies for training tourism company managers: A case study of the ATLAS platform,” Education and Information Technologies, vol. 29, no. 18, pp. 24367–24385, 2024eric.ed.gov.
R. O’Halloran, “Artificial Intelligence as a Hospitality Business and Education Tool,” HFTP Insights, Oct. 2023hftp.orghftp.org.
C. S. Deale, “Students Don’t Have to Pack Their Bags: A Case Study of an International Hospitality and Tourism Classroom Experience Without Leaving Home,” Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 65–70, 2018openpublishing.library.umass.eduopenpublishing.library.umass.edu.
A. Patiar, S. Kensbock, P. Robinson, R. Richardson, S. Wang, and Y. H. Lee, “Hospitality students’ acquisition of knowledge and skills through a virtual field trip experience,” Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 14–28, 2021.
K. Annaraud and D. Singh, “Perceptions of hospitality faculty and students of massive open online courses (MOOCs),” Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 82–90, 2017.
J. Kim and M. Kizildag, “M-learning: Next generation hotel training system,” Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Technology, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 6–33, 2011.
G. C. Ogbeide, Y.-Y. Fu, and A. K. Cecil, “The Information Technology (IT) Skills of Hospitality School Graduates as Perceived by Hospitality Professionals,” Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 151–162, 2021.
S. Carretero, Y. Punie, R. Vuorikari, M. Cabrera, and O. O’Keefe, DigComp 2.1: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, 2017.
UNESCO, ICT Competency Framework for Teachers, ver. 3, UNESCO Publishing, 2018.
A. Ampountolas, G. Shaw, and S. James, “Active learning to improve self-confidence and decision-making skills through the use of hotel simulation,” Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 125–138, 2019.
A. E. E. Sobaih and M. A. Moustafa, “Speaking the same language: The value of social networking sites for hospitality and tourism higher education in Egypt,” Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 21–31, 2016.
A. Green, S. Tanford, and A. Swift, “Determinants of student satisfaction with using instructional technology: The role of active learning,” Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 1–10, 2018.
World Economic Forum, Digital Transformation Initiative: Aviation, Travel and Tourism Industry, Geneva: WEF, 2017researchgate.net.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
