Professionalization of resort hotel managers: a realistic prospect?

This study investigates the nature of professionalization of hotel management and focuses on top-level hotel managers in one of the leading tourism destinations, Antalya, Türkiye. Through thematic analysis of industrial documents, focus groups, and in-depth interviews, insights into contextual factors and professionalization indicators were obtained. Historical developments that have led to significant transformations in hotel management (historicity), the region-specific structure of the industry and hotel businesses (structure), and the characteristics of hotel managers (manager profile) explained the context. Additionally, the professionalization process is examined through six themes: body of knowledge and specialized skills, job autonomy, ethical principles, occupational associations, occupational closure, and sense of calling. The findings reflect managers' aspirations for professionalization amid field-level challenges, highlighting the potential for individual efforts to catalyse broader change. Professionalization has been an important claim in the hospitality practice and there is a growing debate about corporate professionalism and the professionalization of management in the sociology of professions literature. Thus, this study contributes to hospitality, management, and sociology of professions fields.