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Hospitality and tourism education
in an emerging digital economy
Samuel Adeyinka-Ojo
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Business, Curtin University, Sarawak, Malaysia
Sean Lee
School of Marketing, Faculty of Business and Law, Curtin University,
Perth, Australia
Shamsul Kamariah Abdullah
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Business, Curtin University,
Sarawak, Malaysia, and
John Teo
Meritz Hotel and Bintang Megamall, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
Abstract
Purpose –This paper addresses the strategic industry challenge relating to new education frameworks.
The paper identifies key digital literacy and employability skills that students and educators need to develop
to better understand and negotiate the changing, digitally focused landscape of the hospitality and tourism
industry (HTI).
Design/methodology/approach –Content analysis was conducted on relevant literature related to
digital technologies and employability skills. In particular, the paper explores the role of digital literacy and
employability skills in an emerging digital economy and the disruptive impacts on hospitality and tourism
operations.
Findings –Therearethreekeyfindings related to digital literacy skills and technologies: industry
practitioner perspectives, employability skills and experience economy services and disruptive
digital innovations. These findings are conceptualised to craft an innovative framework for
technology-driven hospitality and tourism curriculum development. The framework developed in this
paper will be of interest to both hospitality and tourism educators and managers in the increasingly
digitalized Malaysian HTI.
Originality/value –This paper presents an innovative, collaborative framework for hospitality and
tourism curriculum development in education and industry to identify and develop the required digital
literacy and employability skills.
Keywords Hospitality and tourism education, Digital literacy skills, Employability skills,
Digital economy
Paper type Conceptual paper
Introduction
The competitiveness of the hospitality and tourism industry (HTI) has significantly
increased in recent years, largely because of the introduction of disruptive digital
information technologies (Salvioni, 2016;Shariman et al., 2012). In fact, some authors
have suggested that advances in digital technologies such as information technology,
This study receives no funding from any organisations.
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Worldwide Hospitality and
Tourism Themes
Vol. 12 No. 2, 2020
pp. 113-125
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1755-4217
DOI 10.1108/WHATT-12-2019-0075
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/1755-4217.htm
telecommunications and content are crucial transformative forces in reshaping
industries around the world (Law et al., 2009;Nadkarni, 2003). This article analyses
hospitality and tourism education (HTE) in Malaysia with regard to the disruptions
brought about by digital technologies in the industry. The emergence of digital
technology and a sharing economy are having a tremendous impact on the HTI in
Malaysia.
It is well documented that colleges, institutes and universities involved in HTE are
confronted by the difficult task of addressing changes in the technological environment,
global competition in the student market, socio-economic factors, learning and teaching
methods, and a lack of highly skilled digital literacy educators (Sigala and Baum, 2003).
Both HTE providers and established HTI require collaborative efforts to identify the digital
literacy skills needs to construct a model for digital skills development. The main aim of this
paper is to address the strategic industry challenge relating to new education frameworks
for hospitality and tourism curriculum development. Thus, the specific objectives draw on
two perspectives:
(1) identification of the key digital literacy and employability skills that students and
educators need to develop in order to negotiate the changing, digitally focused
landscape of the HTI; and
(2) identification of technologies pivotal to HTI and how they can be integrated into
higher education.
To achieve these objectives, two specific research questions were considered:
RQ1. What are the digital literacy and employability skills that should be
included in a curriculum framework to be developed by hospitality and
tourism educators?
RQ2. What are the industry practitioners’perspectives concerning the digital
technology needs of the Malaysian HTI in an emerging digital economy?
These questions provide a road map for the review of extant literature and the popular
press, drawing on scholarly articles, news reports and industry reports in the context of the
HTI.
Literature review
There has been increasing interest among academics and practitioners in reviewing
the academic hospitality and tourism curriculum in response to disruptive
technological change and its current and future impact on hospitality and tourism
operations in an emerging digital economy. It is well known that industries are
moving with the flow of advanced technology and this is causing disruption in their
daily business operations and processes. This so called “digital disruption”has
created new business models and the ability to deliver services with premium value in
entirely new ways. At present, there is no alternative to digital disruption and
businesses large and small must adapt to the changes that are occurring (Kumar,
2018). Technology has been a key driver for hospitality businesses for several
decades and it has drastically transformed how the industry operates (Ali et al., 2018).
New business model and business processes have created the need for professionals
with digital skills and expertise to manage the modern HTI. Digital skills and
employability skills are critical to the hospitality industry; hence, it is important that
those graduating from existing institutions of higher learning have a proactive
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understanding of technology. This must embrace how to operate systems as well as
the ability to extract relevant and reliable information generated by these systems to
derive business benefits (Ali et al., 2018) and apply technology across functional
boundaries for strategic advantage (Ali et al., 2018).
Identifying digital technologies in the hospitality and tourism industry
The task of identifying digital technologies is arduous given the broad scope of the
HTI as well as the degree to which technology has permeated the industry. The
history of digital technologies in the operational aspects of tourism and hospitality
saw the introduction of computer reservation systems (CRS) in the 1970s and global
distribution systems (GDS) in the 1980s (Nadkarni, 2003). The use of such
technologies was pioneered by the airline industry which was thereafter adopted by
travel businesses, hotels and restaurants (Nadkarni, 2003).Theadventoftheinternet
brought about greater information sharing capabilities as well as opportunities for
communication, operational management, strategic decision making, and business
development (Nadkarni, 2003).
More recently, disruptive technologies in the form of artificial intelligence, virtual
and augmented reality, robotics, sharing applications and cryptocurrency have
further introduced complexities to the digital landscape of the HTI (Yung and Khoo-
Lattimore, 2017). It is also important to note that the fast pace at which these
technologies proliferate and innovate can very quickly render existing skills obsolete
within a short period of time (Govindarajan et al., 2011). In view of these on-going
developments it is critical that current and future practitioners are aware of the
available technologies and keep abreast of developments in the digital space
(Govindarajan et al., 2011).
Based on a review of the literature and popular press items on HTI technologies,
digital applications can be grouped into four key categories, namely: end-user
applications, industry-specific applications, strategy-focused applications, and
disruptive technologies. These categories are exemplified and discussed in greater
depth in the following sections.
End-User Applications: End-user applications are definedbytheUSAgencyfor
International Development as “computer software that provide specificfunctionsfor
an individual or small group and is not part of processing corporate information
(United States Agency for International Development, 2012). Applications for internet
browsing (e.g. Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox), word processing
(e.g. Microsoft Word), presentations (e.g. Microsoft Powerpoint, Prezi), spreadsheet
processing (e.g. Microsoft Excel), publishing (e.g. Adobe Reader, Microsoft
Publisher), design (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, In-Design), social media (e.g.
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat) and email communication (e.g. Microsoft Outlook)
are becoming a staple in education at all levels and serve as basic digital skills that all
graduates are expected to possess (Hardy et al., 2006).
These applications are often standard issue on computers and are important in
enhancing the efficiency of routine professional transactions in any business
(Nadkarni, 2003). While today’s digital generation are often familiar with this
software (Duncan-Howell, 2012), it is important to prepare students - particularly
those in higher education –so that they know how to use these software applications
and their advanced functionality in the workplace (Duncan-Howell, 2012). For
example, most people know how to search for information on the internet. Yet, a
professional must know how to efficiently search for information (e.g. using
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keywords, advanced search functions) as well as how to critically assess the quality
and credibility of the information (e.g. sourcing statistics from credible resources,
identifying fake news) in order to inform sound business decision-making. Similarly,
the use of social media applications such as Facebook is common in the lives of
individuals today. However, graduates are often lack an understanding of the
strategic implications of social media for marketing, customer support and analytics.
The ability of graduates to make best use of end-user applications is key to the
development of digital competence and building confidence and a “can do”attitude in
relation to digital technologies (Nadkarni, 2003).
Industry-Specific Applications: Every industry has specific software applications that are
unique and integral to the management of their daily operations. In the hotel industry,
property management systems (PMS) or hotel operating systems are platforms that
“enabled a hotel or group of hotels to manage front-office capabilities, such as booking
reservations, guest check-in/check-out, room assignment, managing room rates, and billing”
(Oracle, 2019). These systems have also evolved to incorporate functionality that supports
food and beverage operations, housekeeping and maintenance management, as well as
revenue management. Applications such as Cloudbeds, Preno, Hostaway and Lodgify have
become a staple in most hotels today, allowing for the efficient management of hotel
functions.
Today, many PMS applications are cloud-based, allowing for more efficient automation
and integration of multiple properties across the globe (SiteMinder, 2019). In higher
education, training in the use of such systems is often conducted in relation to rooms’
management and hotel operations (Nadkarni, 2003).
Similarly, in the restaurant industry, practitioners often rely on restaurant management
systems (RMS), POS software designed for the food service industry to make bookings,
capture transactions, record orders and manage inventory (FinancesOnline, 2019). Some
more advanced systems also offer additional functions such as employee scheduling and
customer relationship management. With wireless technology becoming a part of everyday
life, many of these applications can be manipulated via PDAs and tablets, further increasing
the efficiency of restaurant processes. Some examples of RMS include Toast POS, Touch
Bistro, Lavu, Lightspeed Restaurant and Jolt. Some RMS applications also include
hospitality e-purchasing systems to allow restaurant managers to monitor and manage
inventory levels.
At the broader tourism management level, GDS, also known as automated reservation
systems or CRS, are computerised networks that centralise services and provide travel
related transactions for products such as airline tickets, hotel rooms and car rentals (Kelly,
2018). GDS serve as a conduit between travel bookers and suppliers and help communicate
product offerings, pricing and availability to travel agents and online booking engines. Such
applications are able to link to PMS and RMS and other travel-related product management
systems in order to provide greater accessibility to customers and increase distribution for
suppliers. Key examples include Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan. It is important to
note that most RMS, PMS and GDS applications are proprietary in nature and are not
generally compatible with other systems. Their functionality and applications are often
limited to a specific industry (e.g. hotel, restaurant and airline) (Nadkarni, 2003). While
hospitality and tourism students are often exposed to such systems during their courses,
Buhalis and O’Connor (2001) note that familiarity with one system does not necessarily
imply ease of use with another.
Strategy-Focused Applications: While most hospitality and tourism graduates
possess the practical, operational skills needed to work in the industry, a greater
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emphasis on digital technologies and how they can be used in strategic decision-
making is required in business today (Hedlin and Allwood, 2002). Research on the
importance of digital technology as a strategic decision-making tool has highlighted
the need for higher-level managers to possess an understanding of how these
technologies can be used to facilitate better decision-making (Jarzabkowski and
Kaplan, 2015). Technologies related to strategic decision-making can be implemented
in planning, data management, modelling, forecasting and optimising (Nadkarni,
2003). From a planning perspective, HTI practitioners benefit from the use of project
management software such as Trello, Basecamp and CA Clarity. This software helps
to streamline the scheduling of team members, progress tracking, budgeting, resource
allocation as well as project portfolio management. These applications help managers
at a strategic level to ensure that all resources, human and financial, are efficiently
allocated for greater operational efficiency and profitability over time (Abramova
et al., 2016).
From a data management and analytics perspective, data collection, storage and
analytical technologies are also crucial to the higher level HTI manager. As mentioned
earlier, HTI managers need to be able to search for high quality and credible information in
order to inform sound business decisions. Internally, cloud computing allows managers to
access data collected from proprietary applications (e.g. RMS, PMS) which can be shared
across departments. This data can be accessed from anywhere around the world on demand
(Buyya et al.,2009). Further, as industries around the world begin to move towards a data-
centric approach, an appreciation and knowledge on how to access big data from relevant
sources (e.g. Google Analytics, Facebook analytics) is required in order to derive marketing
intelligence through a better understanding domain-specific trends (Chen et al.,2012).
Analytical software such as Microsoft Azure, Tableu, IBM SPSS and AMOS allow
managers to make sense of data available in relation to their industries through data
visualisation, modelling and forecasting and then optimise the performance of their
companies.
Taking a customer-centric approach, HTI managers today rely heavily on IT-enabled
customer relationship management (CRM) initiatives (Desai et al., 2007). Companies that
have invested in digital initiatives for managing customer relationships such as HubSpot
CRM, Salesforce CRM and Freshsales are better equipped to manage customer
information and interactions and develop targeted and meaningful business strategies
for their customers (Desai et al., 2007). Social media analytics software such as Sprout
Social, Google Analytics, and Salesforce allow businesses to get better acquainted with
their customers and their opinions through the collection, monitoring, analysis, and
visualisation of social media data (Zeng et al., 2010). Overall, these technologies, allow
high level managers to make sound decisions driven by reliable data about the industry
and its consumers.
Disruptive Innovations: While the above discussed technologies are already firmly
established in the business practices of most HTI organisations today, it is also
important that HTI practitioners are aware of disruptive innovations that will
inevitably change the HTI landscape still further. Disruptive innovations are new
products that introduce a different set of performance attributes to what already
exists and are initially attractive to emerging customer segments but unattractive to
existing segments (Govindarajan et al., 2011). When applications such as Airbnb and
Uber entered the market as part of the new sharing economy, the accommodation and
transportation industries were forced to adapt to a new competitor in the market place
that offered convenient, expedient, and cost-effective solutions for consumers.
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Managers across the industry were forced to reconfigure their business models to
either accommodate or differentiate from the new technologies. For instance, Airbnb’s
conquering of the millennial market revealed experience-driven travel motivations
which saw a handful of hotels introduce more authentic food and lodging experiences,
with some introducing more local interaction for holiday makers.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) products are also gradually
entering the mainstream market, with products being developed for the mass market
(Yung and Khoo-Lattimore, 2017). Given that tourism and hospitality often aim at
creating a secondary reality from one’s everyday life, the notion of VR and AR
becomes more and more relevant to the HTI (Williams and Hobson, 1995). These
technologies have become very important in generating awareness of tourism sites
through previews (Kim et al.,2009) and enhancing experiences (Mesárošet al.,2016).
The diffusion of automated technologies is also gradually making its way into the
HTI industry (Alexis, 2017). Robots are increasingly becoming features in hotels,
airports and restaurants in the form of industrial robots (e.g. robot receptionists,
entertainers, cooks), tele-presence devices (e.g. unmanned vehicles, holographic
devices), and robotic assistants (e.g. chatbots). While currently still serving as a
novelty attraction for customers, the penetration of these technologies is expected to
rise over the years. This will lead to a better understanding by higher level HTI
managers, enabling them to stay ahead of the competition.
The malaysian hospitality and tourism context
Since the early 1990s, it has been well documented that there are inefficiencies in the
provision of skills required to manage the hospitality industry in Malaysia
(Goldsmith and Zahari, 1994). To be specific, in 1994, the demand for skilled workers
became a source of concern due to the rapid expansion of the tourism industry in
Malaysia (Goldsmith and Zahari, 1994). The growth in technological development
points to the need for a new set of digital skills required by hospitality workers and by
extension, complicates the existing employability skills deficitintheMalaysianHTI.
The findings of a study conducted on hospitality and tourism graduate competencies
indicated that “technology awareness”was amongst the important competencies
required in relation to HTI needs (Mohd Shariif and Zainol Abidin, 2015). This is
particularly pertinent given that the HTI in Malaysia is one of the most vibrant in
South East Asia, generating approximately RM 66 billion annually, equivalent to 4.8
per cent of the nation’s gross domestic product. This figure is projected to grow by 4.4
per cent annually by 2028 (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2018). Further, the
industry is estimated to contribute more than 1.7 million jobs (11 per cent of total
employment) and is expected to increase at a rate of 3.1 per cent annually over the
next 10 years (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2018). In these circumstances,
public and private agencies have been involved in the training and provision of the
required skills for the HTI in Malaysia (Goldsmith and Zahari, 1994). However, with
acceleration in the rate of technological innovation, including opportunities provided
by the internet (e.g. mobile apps, social media tools, sharing economy, big data,
internet of things, automation technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence),
current employees and future graduates need to acquire both digital and
employability skills to be gainfully employed in HTI. Educators and industry
operators need to focus their attention on what higher education can do to make sure
that there is alignment between what is taught in the classroom and what is needed by
the industry. In fact, a recent survey by Workday and IDC reported that 37 per cent of
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Malaysian employees feel that they do not have the necessary skills to compete in an
increasingly digital industry, with 43 per cent feeling that their jobs are at risk due to
this lack of skills (Azahar, 2018). The need for more effective digital capability
training in the Malaysian higher education sector is therefore underscored and needs
to be addressed in order to consistently generate graduates that are well-prepared for
the digital world.
Research approach
Content analysis was conducted on existing literature relating to hospitality and tourism
studies. Content analysis is widely used in hospitality and tourism research (Camprubi and
Coromina, 2016;Kim and Law, 2015). The samples used for the analysis of the literature
review consisted of academic papers published in journals related to hospitality, leisure,
events, tourism and information technologies. Additionally, relevant government reports on
aspects of the education blueprint in Malaysia and industry reports were reviewed. Major
data bases such as Science Direct, Web of Science, Proquest, Scopus and EBSCOHost and
one search engine, Google Scholar were searched. These represent the largest online data
bases and search engines (Kim and Law, 2015). This procedure is consistent with previous
studies that have adopted different databases to explore data for analysis (Law et al., 2018;
Kim and Law, 2015). Additionally, all the papers published in journals related to business,
information technologies, tourism and hospitality education included in the Australian
Business Deans Council (ABDC) journal ranking list were reviewed. ABDC’s journal list for
tourism and hospitality journals is more detailed than other ranking systems such as SSCI,
ABS and Scopus (Mura and Pahlevan Sharif, 2015). The selected journals were accessible
electronically.
A search was conducted using keywords related to digital literacy skills –for
example, mobile technologies, cloud technology, user experience design, robotics and
artificial intelligence, the internet of things and big data. Moreover, the wider spectrum
of employability skills namely, operational skills, strategic skills, basic work skills, and
soft skills was investigated. The analysis of keywords is consistent with previous
studies on social media in tourism and hospitality (Leung et al., 2013), smart phones in
hospitality and tourism marketing (Kim and Law, 2015), and mobile technology in
hospitality and tourism (Law et al., 2018). A total of 120 journals with 385 articles were
reviewed from the online database search for analysis; this was complemented by
relevant government and industry reports.
Content analysis was employed due to its suitability in conducting research on
written documents, audio tapes, human communication, photographs and video tapes
(Berg, 2009). Content analysis is extremely useful when analysing different literature
andalargevolumeofarticles(Elo and Kyngas, 2008). Further, content analysis is
commonly used in relation to the sharing economy, skills for disruptive digital
business, employability skills, digital and mobile technology research in hospitality
and tourism (Adeyinka-Ojo, 2018;Camprubi and Coromina, 2016;Kim and Law, 2015;
Law et al.,2018;Leung et al.,2013;Sousa and Rocha, 2018). A deductive approach was
adopted because the study is focused on adaptation of existing concepts of digital
literacy skills, digital technology innovations, and employability skills in a new
context of HTE in an emerging digital economy (Kim and Law, 2015). Major keywords
were taken into account in the coding and analysis of the data. These keywords were
developed from the review of literature so that findings from data analysis could be
linked back to the aims of the study. In this regard, summative content analysis was
used to analyse the data as suggested by Hsieh and Shannon (2005).
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In this paper, 250 “keywords”from relevant academic literature were identified
and analysed. Similar words were categorized and combined. For example, keywords
include digital skills, digital disruption, digital technologies, artificial intelligence,
robotics, sharing economy, virtual and augmented reality. This procedures followed
previous studies where similar keywords were combined (Adeyinka-Ojo, 2018;
Camprubi and Coromina, 2016;Zeng and Gerritsen, 2014,p.29).Besidesthat,views
expressed by a HTI practitioner were analysed. This practitioner is one of the authors
of this paper. These views were based on his managerial experience over a period of
two decades in terms of the digital and employability skills needed in Malaysia’s
emerging economy, impacted by disruptive change and specifically, the country’s
HTI. The findings from this paper are presented in three sections. The first two
sections address the research questions, while section three focuses on the HTI as an
experience economy.
Findings and discussion
Digital literacy skills and technologies
The findings indicate that a paradigm shift in curriculum development is needed to
encompass the digital literacy skills required by the HTI. Digital technology skills
such as mobile technologies and apps, automation technologies, cloud technology,
robotics and artificial intelligence, the internet of things and big data need to be
integrated with innovative curriculum development and the learning outcomes and
pedagogy practices of HTE providers. Besidesthat,theimportanceofcreatinga
distinction between the use of social media tools for social networking purposes and
those platforms that are relevant for hospitality and tourism businesses should be
included in the curricula. These are disruptive innovations that must be emphasized
to ensure that hospitality and tourism students are well grounded in their
understanding of the HTI.
One of the key roles of HTE providers is to support the profession because a key factor in
the success of the hospitality industry is the availability of high quality personnel to deliver
and manage tourism services (Le et al.,2018). Batra (2016) suggests that the tourism
industry should be part of the curriculum development in such a way that the course
contents and delivery are consistent with the industry’s expectations of graduates. Teaching
pedagogy besides providing students with industry placement opportunities (work
integrated learning), alternative teaching methods such as simulations and flipped
classroom in conjunction with guest lecturers and web-based solutions can assists
hospitality and tourism graduates to be equipped with the necessary skills, in particular the
digital skills (Mei, 2017).
Industry practitioner perspective and employability skills
This section presents findings from an industry practitioner concerning different
digital literary and employability skills that must be acquired by the rank and file in
an emerging digital economy like Malaysia in order to cope with disruptive events in
the hospitality industry. The findings also revealed the blend of: employability skills
(hard and soft skills); operational skills (e.g. using Opera cloud services, booking
reservation or systems); strategic skills (data analytics, social media analytics, user
experience design, statistical package for social sciences); basic work skills (computer
application packages), and soft skills (problem solving, team player, critical thinking
and interpersonal relationship). Today, HTI practitioners and managers are expected
to have digital knowledge and expertise ranging from booking management systems
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(e.g. Fidelio, Opera, Macro) to analysing more complex modelling and decision-
making applications (e.g. Google Analytics, Tableu).
Further, disruptive innovations such as the sharing economy, virtual and
augmented reality, artificial intelligence and Blockchain are quickly changing the
HTI landscape (Önder and Treiblmaier, 2018). However, despite the apparent
importance of digital competencies in the HTI, there exists a gap between the need for
these skills and the supply of well-trained, digitally competent hospitality and
tourism graduates (Ali et al., 2014; Hsu et al., 2017).
Moreover, it is important to address the significance of VR and AR as well as the
relevance of data-driven decision-making in the HTI. To this end, future managers
must be well trained and equipped with the digital skills needed to understand the
digital embeddedness of contemporary perceptions of service quality in order to
deliver memorable experience for guests and visitors alike.
Experience economy services and disruptive digital innovations
The findings also reveal that the HTI is widely referred to in the context of the
experience economy. The importance of the experience is clearly visible in emerging
tourism products. The Malaysian HTI is not exempt from this given the disruptive
consequences of an emerging digital economy and disruptive technological
innovation and specifically, sharing economy from the perspectives of digital
accommodation, digital transportation, digital food shared economy services, and
digital travel and planning activities. From a consumer perspective, digital
technologies have been found to be crucial at all stages of the consumer decision-
making process (Law et al.,2009) with individuals relying on the internet for product
information and reviews (e.g. company, review, social media, third-party tech
websites) as well as digital applications to make bookings (e.g. Booking.com, Agoda,
Kayak). It is clear that in the industry, digital technologies, have brought about
dynamic changes to the operational and strategic management of HTI businesses and
will continue to do so.
Implications and conclusion
This article has explored issues affecting HTE and the need for a paradigm shift in thinking
and developing frameworks for technology-driven hospitality and tourism curriculum
development. Notably, this paper has identified the crucial digital literacy and employability
skills required by the HTI. These contributions are conceptualised in developing an
innovative technologies framework for hospitality and tourism curriculum development as
presented in Figure 1.
It is anticipated that this framework will be valuable to both hospitality and
tourism educators and managers operating in the increasingly digital HTI of
Malaysia. As one response, it is clearly important that the industry is able to recruit
capable graduates who are able to rise to the demands of the changing trends in HTI.
While the current generation may be referred to as “digital natives”, mere exposure to
digital technologies does not necessarily mean that future generations possess the
necessary skills to manage the operational and strategic functions in a highly
digitalized HTI (Shariman et al.,2012).
Importantly, this framework is aligned with the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB)
20152025 (Higher Education). The blueprint emphasises the importance of excellence in
the Higher Educationsystem for Malaysia and it outlines “10 Shifts”to meet the demands of
the digital environment. One of the Shifts (Shift 9-Globalised Online Learning) advocates for
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blended learning models that will benefit students wherever learning happens with
technological support: video conferencing, live streaming and Massive Open Online Courses
(Ministry of Education Malaysia, 2015, Malaysia Education Blueprint). This initiative by the
government will assists in reshaping HTE so that graduates are equipped with the skills
needed by the HTI.
In conclusion, our purpose was to contribute to scholarship relating to the crafting of
new education frameworks that will support hospitality and tourism development in
Malaysia –the key question that this theme issue addresses. The paper is positioned to
provide guidance for futher research among educators, students, industry operators
and relevant stakeholders to validate, refine and further develop the findings of this
paper.
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Figure 1.
Innovative
technologies
framework for
hospitality and
tourism curriculum
development
Digital Literacy Skills and
Technologies
xRobocs and Arficial
Intelligence (AI)
xCloud compung
xSocial media tools
xMobile technology and
apps
xAutomaon technology
xInternet of things (IoT)
xBig data
xGoogle analycs
xData science
Industry Praconer and
Employability Skills
Hard Skills
xTechnical
xOperaonal
xStrategic
xBasic work
So skills
xCommunicaon
xLifelong learning
xProblem solving
xCrical thinking
xTeam work
xSocial and
interpersonal
xIniave and
enterprise
Innovave
Hospitality and
Tourism Curriculum
Development Driven
by Technologies
Experience Economy Services
and Disrupve Digital
Innovations
Sharing Economy Plaorms
xAccommodaon
xTransportaon
xTravel planning
xShared food economy
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Corresponding author
Samuel Adeyinka-Ojo can be contacted at: samuel.adey@curtin.edu.my
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