Chapter 8: Tourism Knowledge Transfer in Brazil: The Gap between Academy and Industry

Brazilian higher education in the field of tourism took off in the 1970s, reaching its course and student peaks in the first years of this century. Recent research shows, however, that many graduates are still occupying hotel reception positions, in most cases with an operational status. The Brazilian government will occasionally hire researchers from companies and institutes not related to the tourism field. Even though the link between these two worlds is crucial, the commercial tourism industry in Brazil does not value academic insights, and the academy does not look beyond its epistemological and theoretical borders. This chapter will discuss the situation in Brazil and offer perspectives on measure needed to close the gap between theory and practice.