Higher education hospitality programmes in Bahrain: Challenges and Opportunities.

Abstract

The hospitality and tourism industry in Bahrain is predicted to grow over the coming years with the development of new five star hotels, which will create new jobs to the Bahraini economy within the next 4-5 years. Currently there is limited provision of hospitality and tourism education, which is offered mainly at vocational level. This paper presents the potential of developing a hospitality and/or tourism programme in higher education in Bahrain. In-depth interviews with key stakeholders were conducted to explore the potential of such a programme in Bahrain. The findings suggest that there are skills gaps in two key areas, generic and soft skills. It also proposes that there is an opportunity to establish a hospitality programme at Bachelors level that should be supported with collaboration with an international institution to enhance the curriculum design and facilitate the programme development. Finally, public awareness is vital to support the image and the prestige of employment in the sector.