Factors Influencing Students’ Career Intentions in the Hospitality and Tourism Industries: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This study adopted a meta-analysis to generalize and compare the effect of influencing factors on hospitality and tourism management students’ career intentions from 34 studies. After 13 existing factors were classified into four categories, the results revealed that 11 of them significantly impact students’ career intentions. In general, the influences of social identity and self-perception are more important, followed by school education and work conditions. A subgroup analysis further identified the sample students’ grades as dynamics that partially moderate some of the influencing factors, while no statistical changes in the relative influences were observed after the COVID-19 outbreak. Finally, suggestions are provided for hospitality and tourism management education and industries.