The high education system: The high education system: The case of tourism operations and distribution curricula

Resumo

Tourism as a sector with significant relevance in the world, which has greatly contributed to the development and growth of economies, destinations, and communities, depends on several components and integrates a vast multiplicity of players, it has been one of the most desirable and appealing to communities and human beings. However, this fact is not always reflected as a priority when looking for a job or when choosing which course to pursue in higher education. Due to its high vulnerability to the context in which it operates and to external factors, after several crises, mainly those that have occurred in the 21st century, from economic crises, pandemics, extreme natural events, terrorism, and wars, it has undergone several and considerable transformations. It has also lost many companies, jobs, and human resources. There is now an urgent need to better prepare, train and retain talent in the sector, otherwise, its resilience and sustainability will become unfeasible. Starting from the premise that more appropriate, adjusted, aligned, updated, enriched higher education curricula are needed, as well as properly prepared, trained, and motivated teachers, with curricular units with assertive programmatic content, directed in line with the real theoretical needs but also those of companies and institutions and simultaneously meet students' expectations. Knowing that there are several studies mostly based on the hotel subsector, few on tourist operations and distribution, and none recognized that analyze the syllabus of curricular units after the impacts of the pandemic crises, the war in Europe and extreme weather events, in teaching tourism and hospitality, there is an urgent need to correspond with studies that contribute to the expected adaptation and creation of sustainable tourism.