Journal de recherche touristique et d'hôtellerie

Hospitality Leadership College Programs: Competency Evolution or Transitional Terminology?

Dana V. Tesone

Hospitality Leadership College Programs: Competency Evolution or Transitional Terminology?

The research note discusses a recent trend among tourism and hospitality colleges in the U.S. that have transitioned program titles from Hospitality Management to Hospitality Leadership degrees. The note articulates the rationale employed to develop a hypothesis that the trend may be symbolic of a third evolutionary generation within the realm of tourism/hospitality higher education programs. It further identifies a theoretical construct of competency domains determined through a historical review and findings from current practitioner and educator focus group responses. Testing of the relevance of these domains is currently in progress.