Tourism curriculum in a global perspective : past, present, and future

Abstract

This article summarizes the development of tourism curricula over the past 20 years from the perspective of global tourism. The paper proposes a generic framework for a future tourism curriculum on the basis of a review of literature in the American, British, and other European contexts. The proposed tourism curriculum aims to create well-rounded tourism graduates who view the tourism industry as a fully integrated system, are aware of the importance of connectivity in society, and can make appropriate contributions based on current demands and situations. Once understood and delivered by tourism graduates, the implicit value embedded in the tourism curriculum will inspire respect for this curriculum in higher education. In addition, balance in the development of the tourism industry is expected to be achieved in the future.