Chapter 10: Digital Disruption: ‘Transforming Tourism Education for the 21st Century’

This study investigates the impact of digital disruption on tourism education in the 21st century.

Research problem: Digital disruption is causing a major upheaval in the tourism education sector, which is affecting how teachers instruct and how students learn. The purpose of this study is to investigate ways in which educators can adjust to these changes and to comprehend the impact of digital disruption on tourism education.

Research significance: This study is important because it clarifies the opportunities and problems associated with the digital disruption of tourism education. It offers guidance to educators, decision-makers, and industry participants on how to successfully incorporate digital technologies into curricula for tourism education.

Methods: A mixed-methods strategy integrating quantitative and qualitative methods was employed. An online survey and in-depth interviews with 100 participants – students, professionals in the industry, and educators – were used to gather data. For qualitative data, thematic analysis was employed, whereas descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data.

Frameworks: The study is set up in relation to the theory of digital disruption and how it affects education. The literature on digital technologies in education, transformative learning theory, and the necessity of developing 21st-century skills are also consulted.

Results: Participants generally perceived a moderate to high level of disruption, suggesting that there is a significant level of digital disruption in tourism education. The study emphasizes how critical it is to incorporate new technologies into curricula, stress the value of sustainable development, enhance intercultural competency, and promote cooperation between academic institutions and the travel and tourism sector.

Originality/value: Overall similarity 2%.