Internship Experiences in Hospitality and Tourism Education

Internship experiences in hospitality and tourism education serve as a vital bridge between theoretical instruction and the realities of service industries. These placements enable students to apply discipline-specific knowledge—such as front-office operations, food and beverage management and tour planning—in authentic workplace settings. Beyond technical competencies, internships foster development of interpersonal and professional skills, including communication, teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability. They also shape emerging professional identities, influencing self-efficacy, career commitment and long-term retention in a sector often characterised by seasonal fluctuations and high staff turnover. Contemporary research highlights both the opportunities and challenges inherent in internship design: effective supervision and structured learning objectives enhance student learning, while factors such as workplace culture, stress and remote working conditions can impede experiential gains. Globally, educators and employers are collaborating to ensure internships not only support employability but also contribute to sustainable human resource development across diverse tourism destinations.

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Internship Experiences in Hospitality and Tourism Education publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in internship experiences in hospitality and tourism education across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Career decision-making self-efficacy: An individual’s belief in their ability to make informed and effective career choices.

Service-learning internship: A placement combining practical work duties with community service objectives and reflective learning.

Soft skills: Interpersonal and personal attributes—such as communication, teamwork and adaptability—that facilitate effective workplace interactions.

Job involvement: The degree of psychological identification an individual has with their work role.

Perceived coworker support: An intern’s perception of encouragement, assistance and understanding provided by supervisors and peers.

References

1. The development of soft skills during internships: The hospitality student’s voice. Research in Hospitality Management (2018).
2. The impacts and success factors of a work-from-home service-learning internship during COVID-19. Journal of Work-Applied Management (2021).
3. Should I Stay or Should I Go? Linking Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy to Intention to Stay in the Hospitality Industry Based on Internship Experience. Sustainability (2021).
4. Job stress and job involvement among tertiary interns: the buffering role of perceived coworker support. Heliyon (2022).