Volume 8 | Issue 01 | 2025

Title: Enhancing Hospitality Education: Exploring Hospitality Management Students’ Experiences in Educational Tours through Narrative Inquiry

Author(S): Archer R. Armada* and Marichu S. Armada

Abstract: 

This study explores the role of educational tours in hospitality education, emphasizing their potential to enhance students’ professional growth, lifelong learning, and overall development. Recognized as valuable experiential learning opportunities, these tours bridge theoretical knowledge and real-world practice. Despite their widespread use, there is limited understanding of how such experiences influence student development, particularly regarding barriers to participation and support strategies. The purpose of this research is to examine hospitality management students’ experiences during educational tours, identify participation barriers, and propose strategies to improve support, safety, and communication, thereby maximizing educational outcomes. Anchored in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (1984), which describes learning as a process involving concrete experience, reflection, conceptualization, and active experimentation, the study explores how students engage with, reflect on, and learn from their tour experiences. Employing a qualitative narrative inquiry design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective narratives, providing in-depth insights into students’ personal stories and lived experiences. Thematic analysis revealed six key themes: professional growth, educational development, barriers to participation, challenges in enjoying the experience, support strategies, and communication methods. Findings suggest that targeted interventions in these areas can significantly enrich experiential learning and foster personal and professional growth. The study recommends that hospitality programs implement structured support, improve safety protocols, and enhance communication channels to facilitate more meaningful experiential learning, better preparing students for their future careers.

Keywords:  Experiential learning, Hospitality education, Student support strategies, Safety and preparedness, Educational tours

Corresponding Author Affiliation*: Hospitality & Tourism Management Department Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City