Navigating Crises: A Qualitative Study on Sustainable Tourism Education in Hong Kong

Hong Kong had flourished in tourism for decades until the triple-whammy crisis of social unrest, ongoing Sino-U.S. trade war and Covid-19 pandemic occurred. Higher education (HE) institutions that offer vocational education programs to train new staff for the industry were caught unprepared for the devastating impact. Although the industry has mostly revived after the social unrest and the pandemic, it is crucial for HE and vocational educators to reflect on the lessons learned from the disasters. Interview data from students (N = 39) were collected and thematic analysis was conducted using social cognitive theory (SCT) as a framework. Themes were categorised under 3 SCT dimensions: (1) Person (i.e., knowledge, skills, and attitude), (2) Environment (i.e., study and industry environments), and Behaviour (i.e., career adaptability). HE providers should address these themes in tourism education to be prepared for any unexpected event in future (e.g., pandemic, global crisis, natural disaster, trade war, social unrest) that may disturb the industry’s sustainability and further development.