fundamental research skills in tourism

• Help & FAQ

Research skill development in tourism

• Department of Management

Research output : Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review

Access to Document

• 10.4337/9781784714802.00012

Other files and links

• Link to publication in Scopus

T1 - Research skill development in tourism

AU - Croy, W. Glen

AU - Willison, John

PY - 2017/1/27

Y1 - 2017/1/27

N2 - The focus of tourism programs on industry and career outcomes has raised concerns about opportunities to equip graduates with the ‘practical wisdom’ needed to be ‘philosophical practitioners’. It is proposed that the development of research skills could achieve some of these outcomes. A review of tourism graduate, employment and employability profiles highlights common demand for broadly characterized research skills. Reflecting the academics’ propositions, employers and graduates have also identified research skills as important. Research is a systematic process of learning, and is based upon six interrelated skills of: embarking and clarifying; finding and generating; evaluating and reflecting; organizing and managing; analyzing and synthesizing; and communicating and applying. The Research Skill Development (RSD) Framework combines these research skills with different levels of autonomy. The RSD is applied in tourism for research skill assessment, enhancement, and to design learning environments. Reflections highlight RSD advantages of clear and explicit setting of expectations, common conversation artifacts, time saving, and rewards for skill enhancements. In addition to adoption of the RSD, future direction should be for multiple student exposures to it. The use of RSD in tourism highlights many aspects needing consideration for its effective implementation.

AB - The focus of tourism programs on industry and career outcomes has raised concerns about opportunities to equip graduates with the ‘practical wisdom’ needed to be ‘philosophical practitioners’. It is proposed that the development of research skills could achieve some of these outcomes. A review of tourism graduate, employment and employability profiles highlights common demand for broadly characterized research skills. Reflecting the academics’ propositions, employers and graduates have also identified research skills as important. Research is a systematic process of learning, and is based upon six interrelated skills of: embarking and clarifying; finding and generating; evaluating and reflecting; organizing and managing; analyzing and synthesizing; and communicating and applying. The Research Skill Development (RSD) Framework combines these research skills with different levels of autonomy. The RSD is applied in tourism for research skill assessment, enhancement, and to design learning environments. Reflections highlight RSD advantages of clear and explicit setting of expectations, common conversation artifacts, time saving, and rewards for skill enhancements. In addition to adoption of the RSD, future direction should be for multiple student exposures to it. The use of RSD in tourism highlights many aspects needing consideration for its effective implementation.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85072669569&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.4337/9781784714802.00012

DO - 10.4337/9781784714802.00012

M3 - Chapter (Book)

AN - SCOPUS:85072669569

SN - 9781784714796

BT - Handbook of Teaching and Learning in Tourism

A2 - Benckendorff, Pierre

A2 - Zehrer, Anita

PB - Edward Elgar Publishing

CY - Cheltenham UK

• Hospitality Industry

Top 10 hospitality and tourism soft skills

June 28, 2019 •

4 min reading

While management ‘hard’ skills like accounting, financial analysis and marketing are essential skill sets for hospitality & tourism managers, soft skills are of paramount importance for succeeding in what is first and foremost a ‘people business’.

These hospitality soft skills involve not only direct interaction with clients, but also the management of teams whose goal is to satisfy customers in what is most decidedly a labour-intensive industry.

So what are 10 essential soft skills that a future hospitality and tourism manager should master?

1. customer service skills.

It should never be forgotten that it’s the customer who provides the funds to pay salaries and other expenses which allow a hotel or restaurant to remain profitable and reinvest in its infrastructure. Thus, it is essential that employees and managers succeed in satisfying and even delighting customers . Excellent customer service skills is all about understanding the customer’s needs and being able to deliver a positive customer service experience.

2. Networking skills

One of the key skills needed in the hospitality industry is to be able to network effectively. Unlike many other sectors of business, networking in this field is not about job-hopping, but is rather a way to stimulate repeat business from customers . Building a loyal clientele who are interested in returning to the hotel/restaurant/tour will, in the long run, also enhance one’s career. Of course, it’s also important to be able to demonstrate to employers that customers are returning thanks to the relationship cultivated with them. Learning to use language that employers like to hear, such as ‘client relationship management’ and ‘guest relations’ during job interviews, can enhance one’s chances of being hired.

3. Communication skills

Exceptional communication skills are highly valued in most industries and the higher up one gets in the hierarchy, the more important they become. In the hospitality and tourism business, each day can involve contacts with people of a variety of backgrounds, ages, nationalities and temperaments. Thus, it is important to be able to communicate in a way that represents the business while at the same time speaking to customers in a way that they can understand and relate to.

4. Flexibility skills

Compared to other professions, hospitality and tourism jobs often demand that employees work odd hours like nights and weekends. It is also necessary to be able switch rapidly from one task to another as the situation may arise. Thus, flexibility is an essential attribute to succeed in the hospitality and tourism sector.

5. Organizational skills

Organizational skills are at a premium in the hospitality and tourism trade. Given the need to multi-task and respond to spur-of -the-moment requests, it is necessary to maintain an organizational structure so as to be able to accomplish daily tasks in an efficient manner. One piece of advice: plan each day ahead keeping a checklist of things that need to be done. This will also help you develop strong time management skills.

6. Language skills

Language skills are a particular plus in the hospitality field as they increase one’s value as an employee. Speaking clients’ language enables one to establish a more intimate relationship with them which promotes customer satisfaction and loyalty.

7. Commitment

It may sound trite to mention this one, but it can be noted that many young people start out in the hospitality field with an enthusiastic outlook, but don’t realize how demanding the work is and consequently get bored quickly. If they fail to understand that their job is to keep clients happy no matter the cost, such individuals will never progress beyond entry-level jobs.

8. Can-do attitude

It is essential that hospitality professionals be prepared to accept challenges in the workplace no matter how difficult the task may appear. Resolving a difficult situation for an employer boosts one’s chances of getting a pay rise and /or a promotion. Exuding enthusiasm for one’s job, instead of being sour, will enhance one’s esteem both from customers and employers. For example, Kurt Ritter, the former CEO of Rezidor Hotels (and a graduate of the Ecole hôteliere de Lausanne), adopted the motivational tagline of “Yes, I can!” for his staff.

9. Multitasking skills

Being able to fulfill multiple roles in a hospitality or tourism enterprise is a way for employees to render themselves indispensable to their employers. It’s important to be able to juggle different tasks simultaneously , while completing each task assigned. Thus the ability to multitask may be one of the most important skills in this industry. One way for students to get a head start in developing their ability to multitask is to work on the side while pursuing their studies.

10. Cultural awareness

Hospitality and tourism enterprises are more likely than most to deal with customers of a variety of nationalities and cultural backgrounds. The ability to be culturally aware and get past one’s own cultural norms is crucial to building a successful career in this sector.

Typically customers will not always share the same values, belief systems and perceptions, so it’s important to break free from cultural barriers. Cultural awareness is an essential social skill that will help customers feel comfortable and at home with their surroundings. The goal is satisfy their needs and wants, so as to turn them into repeat customers.

Lecturer and International Career Coordinator at EHL Passugg

Keep reading

The future of hotel distribution channels: Seizing opportunity in channel disruption

Apr 03, 2024

Customer experience management: Business vs. Customer expectations

Mar 28, 2024

What is the hospitality industry? All your questions answered

EHL's Bachelor Professional Path

Start developing your Hospitality Skills at EHL Campus Passugg

This is a title

This is a text

• Bachelor Degree in Hospitality
• Pre-University Courses
• Master’s Degrees & MBA Programs
• Executive Education
• Online Courses
• Swiss Professional Diplomas
• Culinary Certificates & Courses
• Fees & Scholarships
• Bachelor in Hospitality Admissions
• EHL Campus Lausanne
• EHL Campus (Singapore)
• EHL Campus Passugg
• Host an Event at EHL
• Contact our program advisors
• Join our Open Days
• Meet EHL Representatives Worldwide
• Chat with our students
• Why Study Hospitality?
• Careers in Hospitality
• Awards & Rankings
• EHL Network of Excellence
• Career Development Resources
• EHL Hospitality Business School
• Route de Berne 301 1000   Lausanne 25 Switzerland
• Accreditations & Memberships
• Privacy Policy
• Legal Terms

© 2024 EHL Holding SA, Switzerland. All rights reserved.

Qualitative Research Skill Training: Learning Ethnography in the Field

• First Online: 22 February 2018

Cite this chapter

• Stuart Hayes 5 &
• Hazel Tucker 5  

Part of the book series: Perspectives on Asian Tourism ((PAT))

1181 Accesses

1 Citations

Tourism education has an important role to play in helping students to critically understand their own methodological position and how this relates to particular interpretations of tourism. Despite this, (post)positivism continues to be privileged throughout tourism education, including in the Asian context. This chapter focuses in on the role of methodology and methods education or ‘training’ in furthering a shift toward non-positivist approaches to qualitative research in tourism. In particular, the chapter discusses an ethnographic fieldwork training programme related to tourism and development. The program is run as a fieldwork-focused extended field trip in the northern part of Thailand and, in addition to attending classes on research ethics, design and methodology, students undertake ethnographic research exercises which build upon each other to encourage development of skills related to interpretive qualitative research methods. Whilst the programme is open to all Masters level students, the majority of students enrolling on this optional programme have thus far been from Asia, and predominantly from China. Hence, the fieldwork programme suggests, and indeed further produces, an increased interest in and openness toward non-positivist qualitative tourism research in Asia. The programme thus not only forms an example of how a shift toward non-positivist approaches to qualitative research in tourism can be and is being made, but it also highlights the important role that education and ‘training’ play in making this shift.

• Ethnography training
• Field schools
• Experiential learning
• Non-positivist methodologies

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

The analysis involved accessing, where available, the curriculum details for the top 20 tourism masters programmes as identified on the Eduniversal website to ascertain the make-up of research methods papers

Airey, D. (2008). Tourism education life begins at 40. Téoros. Revue de recherche en tourisme, 27 (27–1), 27–32.

Google Scholar  

Airey, D. (2016). Tourism education: Past, present and future. Turističko poslovanje, 2016 (17), 9–12.

Article   Google Scholar  

Arcodia, C., & Dickson, C. (2009). ITHAS: An experiential education case study in tourism education. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 21 (1), 37–43.

Australian Government. (2016). International student numbers 2015 . Retrieved on February 28, 2017 from https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/Research-Snapshots/Documents/Student%20Numbers%202015.pdf

Ayikoru, M., Tribe, J., & Airey, D. (2009). Reading tourism education: Neoliberalism unveiled. Annals of Tourism Research, 36 (2), 191–221.

Barnett, R. (2000). University knowledge in an age of supercomplexity. Higher Education, 40 (4), 409–422.

Bruner, E. (1995). The ethnographer/tourist in Indonesia. In M. F. Lanfant, J. B. Alcock, & E. Bruner (Eds.), International tourism: Identity and change (pp. 224–241). London: Sage.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Čavlek, N. (2015). Experiential learning in tourism education. In P. J. Sheldon & C. H. C. Hsu (Eds.), Tourism education: Global issues and trends (pp. 101–113). Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Cohen, E. (1988). Authenticity and commoditization in tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 15 (3), 371–386.

Crick, M. (1995). The anthropologist as tourist: An identity in question. In M. F. Lanfant, J. B. Alcock, & E. Bruner (Eds.), International tourism: Identity and change (pp. 205–223). London: Sage.

Dredge, D. (2016). Of things to come: Tourism and hospitality education in a post-industrial age. Turističko poslovanje, 2016 (17), 19–23.

Dredge, D., Benckendorff, P., Day, M., Gross, M. J., Walo, M., Weeks, P., & Whitelaw, P. (2012). The philosophic practitioner and the curriculum space. Annals of Tourism Research, 39 (4), 2154–2176.

Dredge, D., Airey, D., & Gross, M. J. (2015). Creating the future: Tourism, hospitality and events education in a post-industrial, post-disciplinary world. In D. Dredge, D. Airey, & M. J. Gross (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of tourism and hospitality education (pp. 535–551). Abingdon: Routledge.

Duijnhoven, H., & Roessingh, C. (2006). The tourist with a hidden agenda? Shifting roles in the field of tourism research. International Journal of Tourism Research, 8 , 115–126.

Ettenger, K. (2009). Students as tourists and fledgling researchers: The value of ethnographic field courses for tourism education. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 9 (3–4), 159–175.

Fullagar, S., & Wilson, E. (2012). Critical Pedagogies: A reflexive approach to knowledge creation in tourism and hospitality studies. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 19 , 1–6.

Glass, M. R. (2015). Teaching critical reflexivity in short-term international field courses: Practices and problems. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 39 (4), 554–567.

Hall, M., & Tucker, H. (Eds.). (2004). Tourism and postcolonialism . London: Routledge.

Hollinshead, K. (2007). Worldmaking and the transformation of place and culture: The enlargement of Meethan’s analysis of tourism and global change. In I. Ateljevic, N. Morgan, & A. Pritchard (Eds.), The critical turn in tourism studies: Innovative research methodologies (pp. 165–193). Oxford: Elsevier.

Hsu, C. H. C. (2015). Tourism and hospitality education in Asia. In D. Dredge, D. Airey, & M. J. Gross (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of tourism and hospitality education (pp. 197–209). Abingdon: Routledge.

Hsu, C. H. C., Huang, J., & Huang, S. (2010). Tourism and hospitality research in mainland China: Trends from 2000 to 2008. In D. G. Pearce & R. W. Butler (Eds.), Tourism research: A 20–20 vision (pp. 147–160). Oxford: Goodfellow Publishers Ltd.

Institute of International Education. (2016). International students in the United States, 2015/16 . Retrieved on February 28, 2017 from http://www.iie.org/Services/Project-Atlas/United-States/International-Students-In-US#.WLTbxLR97zI

Inui, Y., Wheeler, D., & Lankford, S. (2006). Rethinking tourism education: What should schools teach. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 5 (2), 25–35.

Iris, M. (2004). Introduction: What is a cultural anthropology field school and what is it good for? NAPA Bulletin, 22 , 8–13.

Jamal, T., & Hollinshead, K. (2001). Tourism and the forbidden zone: The underserved power of qualitative inquiry. Tourism Management, 22 (1), 63–82.

Jennings, G. R. (2009). Methodologies and methods. In T. Jamal & M. Robinson (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of tourism studies (pp. 672–692). London: SAGE.

Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development . Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development . Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education.

Liu, J. H. (2011). Asian epistemologies and contemporary social psychological research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research (4th ed., pp. 213–226). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

MacCannell, D. (1976). The tourist: A new theory of the leisure class . New York: Shocken Books.

MacCannell, D. (1989). The tourist: A new theory of the leisure class (2nd ed.). New York: Shocken Books.

Mura, P., & Sharif, S. P. (2015). The crisis of the ‘crisis of representation’ mapping qualitative tourism research in Southeast Asia. Current Issues in Tourism, 18 (9), 828–844.

New Zealand Education. (2015). New Zealand international education snapshot: 2015 Full year report . Retrieved on February 28, 2017 from https://enz.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/2045-ENZ-SnapShot-Full-Year-Report-VISUAL.pdf

Pritchard, A., & Morgan, N. (2007). De-centering tourism’s intellectual universe, or traversing the dialogue between change and tradition. In I. Ateljevic, N. Morgan, & A. Pritchard (Eds.), The critical turn in tourism studies: Innovative research methodologies (pp. 12–28). Oxford: Elsevier.

Ruhanen, L. (2005). Bridging the divide between theory and practice: Experiential learning approaches for tourism and hospitality management education. Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism, 5 (4), 33–51.

Schwarzin, L. (2011). To act as though the future mattered: A framework for hopeful tourism education. In I. Ateljevic, N. Morgan, & A. Pritchard (Eds.), The critical turn in tourism studies: Creating an academy of hope (pp. 135–148). London: Routledge.

Sharpley, R. (2011). The study of tourism: Past trends and future directions . Oxon: Routledge.

Sheldon, P. J., & Fesenmaier, D. (2015). Tourism education futures initiative: Current and future curriculum influences. In D. Dredge, D. Airey, & M. J. Gross (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of tourism and hospitality education (pp. 155–170). Abingdon: Routledge.

Sheldon, P. J., Fesenmaier, D. R., & Tribe, J. (2011). The Tourism Education Futures Initiative (TEFI): Activating change in tourism education. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 11 (1), 2–23.

Sigala, M., & Baum, T. (2003). Trends and issues in tourism and hospitality higher education: Visioning the future. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 4 (4), 367–376.

Tribe, J. (2000). Balancing the vocational: The theory and practice of liberal education in tourism. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 2 (1), 8–25.

Tribe, J. (2002). The philosophic practitioner. Annals of Tourism Research, 29 (2), 338–357.

Universities UK. (2016). Higher education in facts and figures . Retrieved on February 28, 2017 from http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/facts-and-stats/data-and-analysis/Documents/facts-and-figures-2016.pdf

Urry, J. (1990). The tourist gaze . London: Sage Publications.

Wallace, J. T. (1999). Mentoring apprentice ethnographers through field schools: Introduction. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 30 (2), 210–219.

Wilson, E., Harris, C., & Small, J. (2008). Furthering critical approaches in tourism and hospitality studies: Perspectives from Australia and New Zealand. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 15 , 15–18.

Wolcott, H. F. (2008). Ethnography: A way of seeing (2nd ed.). Plymouth: AltaMira.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Tourism, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Stuart Hayes & Hazel Tucker

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stuart Hayes .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia

Catheryn Khoo-Lattimore

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Hayes, S., Tucker, H. (2018). Qualitative Research Skill Training: Learning Ethnography in the Field. In: Mura, P., Khoo-Lattimore, C. (eds) Asian Qualitative Research in Tourism. Perspectives on Asian Tourism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7491-2_7

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7491-2_7

Published : 22 February 2018

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

Print ISBN : 978-981-10-7490-5

Online ISBN : 978-981-10-7491-2

eBook Packages : Business and Management Business and Management (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research