Challenges and constraints of hospitality and tourism education in China

Tourism education in China plays an important role of supporting tourism development and ensuring the continuous supply of quality human resources to meet the overwhelming industry requirements. This paper presents a comprehensive review of current tourism education in China in terms of the various educational programs. The attitude of tourism employers towards human resource development was also assessed. The results indicate that a big gap exists between supply and demand for quality personnel, as the tourism industry is growing rapidly in China. A key dilemma of tourism education in China is poor curriculum design. Graduates from tourism education institutes and vocational training schools cannot fulfill industry needs and demands in terms of quality and quantity. A number of education reforms are discussed regarding curricula design, scholars’ and educators’ qualifications and knowledge, and standardisation of tourism education practices in China.