Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Career Choices in Tourism during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study was conducted while Covid-19 was transitioning to endemicity, and tourism became one of the most affected industry sectors. For tourism employers and educators alike, understanding college students’ industry career perceptions and expectations is central to attracting and recruiting future employees, even during a pandemic. A case study was conducted at a mid-west university in the U.S. This study examined college students’ perceptions of career choice based on Kusluvan and Kusluvan’s (2000) conceptual model and the Social Cognitive Career Theory. Several factors and their relations were investigated. These factors include students’ self-interest in tourism careers, perceived nature of work, social status, others’ support, career choice, and negative emotions associated with Covid-19. The results indicate that, overall, the students’ perceptions are positive even amid a pandemic, unlike the results reported in previous studies. Furthermore, students’ self-interest in careers emerges as the most critical factor in shaping their career choices.