A model proposal for tourism and hospitality undergraduate institutions in Thailand to obtain the UNWTO TEDQUAL certification

Abstract

The relevance of the tourism and hospitality industry nowadays is a fact that cannot be denied since this sector has been one of the major players in the world’s economy for the last decades. However, the field of education in tourism and hospitality was a rather more limited area during most of the 20th century. Despite the significance of tourism and hospitality education in shaping the future of this prosperous industry, there are still several areas on this discipline to be covered appropriately. This research focuses on several topics that have not been analysed by authors as extensively as they should. The main two subjects around which this research centres are quality assurance and accreditation and the UNWTO TedQual Certification, as one of the main exponents of accreditation in tourism and hospitality education. This research analyses these topics from the perspective of the tourism and hospitality undergraduate institutions in Thailand.

To be able to fill the abovementioned academic gap, this research aims to propose a new model for the tourism and hospitality undergraduate education in Thailand leading to the acquisition of the UNWTO TedQual Certification by Thai institutions, based on the processes implemented by successful universities in different countries. In order to be appropriate and helpful, the model needs to adapt the processes to the specific characteristics of the tourism and hospitality undergraduate education in Thailand.

In order to accomplish the research aim, both quantitative and qualitative tools were used in the form of a multiphase mixed methods design. A large-scaled survey questionnaire was utilised to obtain an evaluation of the current situation of the tourism and hospitality undergraduate education in Thailand and to present the level of readiness of its institutions to successfully apply for the UNWTO TedQual Certification or other international accreditations. Semi-structured interviews were used to complement the previous data and to get information related to the driving forces and limitations encouraging or discouraging institutions to apply for this certification. A multi-case study focused on two universities already accredited by the UNWTO TedQual (in Hong Kong and Macau) was performed to attain further information on the accreditation process and to generate a guide of best practices. Finally, a model was designed including all the information gathered from the previous tools. A panel of experts was assembled from a focus group to give their feedback on the findings and to approve the model.

The findings imply that, while the overall evaluation of the tourism and hospitality undergraduate institutions in Thailand is positive, there are several factors in need of improvement, such as the focus on sustainability, culture and local benefits, the management, and the availability and level of internationalisation in the programmes. Moreover, the results show that the level of readiness of institutions to apply for TedQual, as perceived by the respondents, would be significantly lower than the average score of the evaluation. Some factors needed to improve in order to increase this level of readiness, such as, improving the level of quality assurance, applying changes in terms of culture and directions and attitude towards accreditation, or selecting leaders with Total Quality Management (TQM) background which are committed to the project.

The main findings from the multi-case study consisted of a guide of best practices including topics such as the process preparation, management, information, and audit, and the need to focus on particular areas such as the students, the industry relations, and the Global Code of Ethics for tourism. Finally, a comparison between the areas of assessment of the UNWTO TedQual Certification and the indicators of quality assurance and accreditation systems popular among Thai institutions (AUN-QA, EdPEx, and ONESQA) showed that there are some compatibilities between them which could simplify the process of applying for TedQual. To conclude, and based on the findings analysed, the research presents several implications of this study to the tourism and hospitality industry and its higher education discipline, together with various recommendations for further research.