INTEGRATION OF ONLINE EDUCATION TO TOURISM EDUCATION: CROSS CULTURAL STUDENT VOICES

Abstract

Covid-19 pandemics had great impacts both in the manufacturing and service industries. Tourism is one of the service industries that had been affected in all its dimensions. Tourism services were heat as all modes of transport to a great extend have stopped after covid-19, but education continued by introducing on line systems all over the world including tourism education. Just before covid-19 the developments in tourism contributed to foreign exchange earnings, growth of the economies and also to employment. This paper aims to evaluate perceptions of tourism education students on online education. Self-reflection task was conducted to gather data from 98 tourism students. It is revealed that students had difficulty in using technological facilities, coping with project-based activities and in using new modes of teaching and learning. As a result of covid-19 higher education systems together with tourism and hospitality education has moved to non-traditional tourism education such as hybrid and online education from traditional classroom settings. The resent changes have significantly changed the way instructors teach and engage students to this education environment. Innovative, cooperative strategies and technologies are needed to remove barriers on online education. This study aims to answer the questions on the perceptions of students regarding online education from students that have different cultures and also shed a light on the challenges and opportunities of online education in tourism. Qualitative research design was used for reflection report. Despite student life has become difficult online education contributed a lot to the student's academic life for personal development.