Motivations to study among tourism and hospitality students

Knowing the motivations for why students study is important because it helps plan for prospective students. This study investigated the motivations for undergraduate students to seek studies in tourism and hospitality in a Taiwanese private university and the possibility of obtaining a postgraduate degree. A total of 1,000 questionnaires were distributed within two different programs; 899 questionnaires were returned, for a response rate 89.9%. Students chose tourism and hospitality as major because of the score they achieved on the joint university entrance exam, the possibility to contact people from other countries, and the potential for career growth. Among the reason to study abroad after graduation were opportunities to learn a foreign language and develop relationships with foreign professors and friends. The results of this study help revise pedagogy, policies, curriculum; train teachers; and provide more state-of-the-art facilities to keep students motivated and progressing.