Enhancing Cultural Intelligence Through International Hospitality Internships

Intercultural competence and awareness are important in the hospitality and tourism industry and a goal of hospitality and tourism education. Internships are a common component of hospitality and tourism education, and this study investigates the effect of international internships of longer duration on student's Cultural Intelligence (CQ). Findings show that international internships have a positive effect on overall CQ in comparison to domestic internships, with significant increase in the two dimensions of cognitive and motivational CQ. The research adds to the hospitality literature on internships and the CQ literature on the effects of a working international experience in a specific industry.