Hospitality Management Education: A Systematic Review of Curriculum Trends and Industry Relevance

Abstract

The global hospitality industry's rapid evolution into a technology-driven and sustainability-focused sector necessitates parallel advancements in hospitality management education. Despite curricular reforms, a persistent gap often exists between academic training and the competencies demanded by the industry, a challenge particularly evident in developing contexts like the Philippines.

This systematic review aimed to synthesize existing literature to identify dominant curriculum trends in hospitality management education over the past decade, assess their alignment with industry requirements, and pinpoint the specific gaps and challenges hindering this alignment.

Adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature review was conducted. A comprehensive search of five academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, JSTOR, and ScienceDirect) identified 36 peer-reviewed articles published between 2013 and 2024 that met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted and analyzed thematically.

The analysis revealed four dominant curriculum trends: (1) the integration of experiential learning (e.g., internships, simulations), (2) the incorporation of sustainability and ESG principles, (3) an emphasis on technology and digital literacy, and (4) a focus on soft skills development. However, curricula only partially reflect industry needs. Significant gaps were identified, including graduates' insufficient technical proficiency with industry-standard software, underdeveloped entrepreneurial and soft skills assessed inconsistently, and a theory-practice divide. Key challenges include weak industry-academia collaboration, inadequate training infrastructure, faculty with limited industry exposure, and underdeveloped competency-based assessment systems.

While hospitality management education is positively evolving, critical misalignments with industry expectations remain. Bridging this gap requires a multi-stakeholder approach involving closer industry collaboration in curriculum design, investment in modern training facilities, continuous faculty development, and the implementation of robust, competency-based assessments to ensure graduates are globally competitive and industry-ready.