Tourism Education in Greece: Development or Degradation?

Abstract

The importance of Greek tourism for both the economy and the society has been widely discussed in the relevant literature. It has also been acknowledged that tourism education significantly affects the quality of the services offered and as a result, influences competitiveness in the global market. Tourism education in Greece is provided through a wide range of educational units both private and public, at higher education and post-high school levels. The development of job related skills is considered crucial, although many employees in the tourism sector have not received any formal training and do not hold any relevant degree. Instead, they remain competitive in the labor market due to their experience in the respective sector. The purpose of this empirical study, is to investigate tourism education changes over time and understand whether tourism education in Greece is currently undergoing a development or degradation phase. Factors like economic circumstances and technological developments are also assessed in terms of their role in the quality of the tourism education services offered.