Can Covid-19 Guide Stakeholders Towards Future Of Hospitality Education? A Study On Students’ Expectations From Training With Reference To Hotel Management Institutes In Mumbai

Abstract

Background: Barring few sectors like healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic had severely affected most of the business. Tourism and hospitality were amongst few industries harshly hit by the pandemic. In hospitality worst affected segment of HR were 'freshers' from hotel management institutes. With literally no experience and limited skills they have very few takers in industry with minimum emoluments in offering. Objectives: The prime objective of this paper is to find out the change in the perceptions of students from hospitality education after COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This is survey-based study. The responses were taken twice with same set of respondents, first when peak of second COVID wave was over and it looked that things will be normal in near future and second responses were taken when third COVID wave seemed to be inevitable in India. Total 135 students took part in both the surveys and their responses were recorded for further analysis. Results: Pandemic compelled students to think outside their usual choice of four major revenue producing department to commence their career. Marketing and sales, retail industry, HR and training were their preferred choice. Communication and technical skills, physical fitness, creativity and food safety were the attributes listed by them as essential for hospitality professionals. Further, respondents wanted subjects like personality development and communication skills, hotel specific accounting and marketing operations. HRM as practiced in hotel industry, food safety and hospital catering and investments and trading as core subjects in their syllabi. Conclusion: It is high time that hotel management institutes should shift their approach from four operational departments to other equally lucrative field like marketing and retail.