Tourism Education in Austria and Switzerland : Past Problems and Future Challenges
Journal
Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism
ISSN
1531-3220
ISSN-Digital
1531-3239
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2005-09-05
Author(s)
Abstract
Both Austria and Switzerland are small countries with a long tradition hosting tourists. Irrespective of high levels of economic development, the two countries also have high levels of tourism intensity when measured either in terms of number of tourists per native population or in terms of tourism receipts per population (e.g., per gross national product). Consequently, both countries also display a long tradition and evolution in their development of systems of tourism education and training albeit under differing market conditions and pressures. Both countries provide similar products like in the field of cultural tourism and alpine tourism. The tourism structure is also comparable. Both countries are dominated by family owned small and medium size businesses. However, their political structures are very different. This paper shows how each country under the three forces of labour market pressures and industry requirements, on the one hand and tourism education policy initiatives on the other has evolved two slightly different tourism education systems. Furthermore, an attempt was made to provide, based on the discussion in the first part of the paper, a more general explanation with respect to the response of tourism schooling/training supplies to varying conditions in tourism product markets, tourism employment and labour market systems, public choice decisions and general economic conditions. Finally, the paper discusses the paradigmatic shift (i.e., structural change) of tourism factor and product markets from the "Old to New Tourism" and discusses its implications for new types of tourism schooling and training in these two countries.
Language
English
Keywords
Education
Tourism
Austria
Switzerland
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
The Haworth Press
Publisher place
Binghamton, NY
Volume
5
Number
1-2
Start page
39
End page
60
Pages
22
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
30981