The perception of strathmore community on hospitality and tourism programmes

Abstract

In over 83% of the world’s countries, the tourism and hospitality sectors are in the leading five brackets of Gross Distribution Profit contributors. Globally the employment status of the tourism and hospitality sector accounts for above 100 million jobs and is predicted to grow rapidly. Despite being a leading employment industry and generating highly to the GDP of both developed and developing countries worldwide, hospitality and tourism graduates are constantly opting to work in other industries. This study adopted a descriptive research design to examine the perception of the Strathmore community on hospitality and tourism programmes. A questionnaire was used to collect data using the stratified random sampling method from a sample size of 108 undergraduates and 27 staff from the Strathmore community. Means, content analysis and percentages were adopted in analysing the collected data for this research to help the community at large to embrace a true and correct perspective on hospitality and tourism programmes. Parents and siblings influence the selection of Hospitality and Tourism programmes. Society is drifting from the mindset that these programmes ‘only cook’. The main standing negative impression is that they are easy programmes done by students who failed in High school. The graduates’ diversity of skills set the pace for them securing jobs after graduation and employment mobility attracts them to the industry.