Tourism education policy and student choice: Undergraduates perceptions of education and career pathways across two program tracks

Ülker P., Aysin Örnek N.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM POLICY, vol.16, no.3, pp.1-15, 2026 (Scopus)

Abstract

This study examines the academic and career-related attitudes of undergraduate students in two tourism programs in Türkiye: tourism management and tour guiding. A qualitative research methodology was used, including semi-structured interviews with students. The results reveal that while tourism management students highlighted considerations such as a variety of job opportunities, tour-guidance students emphasised self-development and financial viability as primary motivators. Despite these motives, participants expressed considerable career-related concerns, including unstable work conditions, occupational discrimination, and, particularly among tour-guiding students, concerns about licensure and job security. Although undergraduate-level tourism education is offered at many institutions in Türkiye, a significant number of graduates do not choose to remain in the tourism sector, which is a critical issue. Moreover, the fact that tour guiding education is provided at the undergraduate level in Türkiye, unlike in many other countries, makes this field a relatively new and under-researched topic in the literature, offering potential for scholarly contributions. Furthermore, it examines the impact of recent policy amendments on students' future perspectives and the development of their professional identities.