Hospitality and Tourism Education and Industry Certifications

This exploratory study investigated hospitality educators' perceptions and use of industry-related certifications in hospitality education. Overall, respondents believed that certifications are important for their students, but their perceptions of the benefits and value of certifications varied. Results include information on educators' views about the types of certifications offered; beliefs regarding the reasons to earn certifications; and beliefs about how certifications relate to their own students, schools, and countries. Educators' insights into some of the possible issues involving certification are also provided. Suggestions are made for enhancing the use of certifications in hospitality education, and limitations and ideas for further research are presented.