Introduction to Tourism Education and Asia

Abstract

Tourism and hospitality education programmes have been growing across Asia in the past 20 years. Major countries like China, Taiwan and Korea have highlighted the increasing number of tourism and hospitality education programmes and enrolled students (Kim et al., 2007). A further popular trend is the large number of Asian students attaining tourism and hospitality qualifications overseas due to a lack of adequate education opportunities in their home countries. The challenges facing the tourism industry and tourism educators require a new paradigm for tourism education (Sheldon et al., 2011), particularly with regard to a fast growing Asia. There is existing literature documenting the growth, current status and challenges of tourism education in various Asian countries (Hsu, 2015) but not in a combined format. This is the first book compilation to focus on the contemporary Asian tourism education market and its associated issues in term of globalisation and considerations for the future. This book compilation aims to cover the various aspects of tourism education in a diverse range of Asian countries and the impacts of sustainable development in tourism education on the Asian student markets. This book and its contributors provide a systematic guide to the current state of knowledge on tourism education and Asia; case studies of educational practices in nine Asian countries including Greater China and India, transnational tourism education in Asia and education case studies of Asian students abroad.