Information technology in hospitality education: A case study of Hong Kong

A Case Study and Analysis of E-Tourism Curriculum Development

“…Table 2 presents Camisón, 2000;Chan & Coleman, 2004;Cheung & Law, 2000;Collins et al, 2003;Connolly & Lee, 2006;Dopson, 2004;Fuchs et al, 2007;Kluge, 1996;Lashley & Rowson, 2005;Law, 2001Law, , 2008Scott et al, 2007 the results of this non-statistical type of meta-analysis, and comprises six competencies: creativity and strategic management; communication skills and electronic information sharing; IT knowledge and e-business; marketing and e-marketing skills; tourism and hospitality experience; and computer skills and general use of IT. "Other skills" was added as a seventh category to potentially capture additional competencies not specifically reflected in the studied literature.…”

“…The need for IT-literate graduates has become more pressing to meet the demands of new technologies and serve the growth in the hospitality industry (Cobanoglu et al, 2006;Law, 2001). According to Connolly and Lee (2006), "students cannot afford to avoid technology or escape the need to develop a high degree of proficiency and fluency in it … as those who do not, risk their employers' future ability to compete effectively in the marketplace" (p. 18).…”

“…Cheung and Law (2000) suggest that students should not only learn theoretical concepts but should become practitioners for the industry by means of gaining competencies in preparing, handling, and managing IT. The School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University has implemented this type of approach by introducing new hardware and software technologies into all IT courses, and including MIS and decision support systems in its graduate courses (Law, 2001). These incorporated technologies help future managers better understand IT and information systems applications and management, and their connection to hospitality business strategies (Law, 2001).…”

Creating a Knowledge Supply Chain for e-Tourism Curriculum Design

“…This is the earliest acknowledgment of the importance of the integration of technology into tourism and hospitality educa-tion, especially in curriculum design (Elliot & Joppe, 2009). Since then, others (e.g., Kluge, 1996;Connolly et al, 1998;Law, 2001) have consecutively identified what contents should be added into conventional tourism curriculum with the new "e" features. Changes have been made to tourism curricula by universities worldwide, such as Europe (e.g., Bournemouth University), USA (e.g., Cornell University) and Asia (e.g., Hong Kong Polytechnic University).…”