Secondary Students Perception about HTM Program Study in Hong Kong

 

Introduction

The latter half of the twentieth century has been marked with amazing changes in technology, transportation, and communication and, in varying degrees, a spread of geo-political stability that has accompanied economic affluence for many citizens in industrialized and developing countries throughout the world. These changes have triggered the development of a number of new industries and the substantial evolution of existing industries to address the needs of increasingly prosperous, educated, and sophisticated post-industrial societies. One of these industries, tourism, has quietly emerged to become an important force in many societies and economies in various parts of the world.

Though not usually thought of as a single cohesive industry, the growth of tourism since World War II has nonetheless been dramatic. Higher discretionary incomes, smaller family size, changing demographics, lower transportation costs, improved public health standards, infrastructure development, and hospitable environments for tourists in many destinations have made tourism, especially long-distance tourism, an activity within the reach and desires of many members of many nations. Furthermore, developments in marketing, management, vertical and horizontal integration, pricing, and tour packaging, as well as capital investments in physical facilities — “bricks and mortar” — and public infrastructure, have provided tourism with the necessary framework to allow the tremendous growth it has experienced over the past half century. Thus, tourism has indeed emerged as an “industry” which, according to the World Tourism Organization, in 1989 generated approximately 74 million jobs in its direct and service-related industries, such as airlines, hotels, travel services, and publications.

Hospitality and Tourism industry becomes the core development in the Hong Kong  industry. With the opening of Disney Land Hong Kong in 2005, many secondary school graduates aim to apply for the study of Hotel & Tourism Management in Hong Kong. At present, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Chinese University offer degree courses for the Hospitality and Tourism Management. City University has started to offer Associate Degree in Leisure Study. In addition, the Hong Kong University works jointly with Strathclyde University, UK to offer a degree course in Hospitality.

Because of the growing awareness of tourism as an activity, an industry, and a catalyst for economic growth and development, competition for the tourist and for tourism expenditures has been significant in recent decades. One result has been market segmentation and a considerable broadening of the perceived and actual opportunities available for potential tourists. Thus tourists can choose from “sun and sand” holidays, “adventure travel,” “theatre tours,” “shopping sprees,” summer or winter sports vacations, cultural immersion, historic re-enactments, and various other tourism experiences. All of which are an opportunity to gain education and knowledge.

As with many other aspects of modern life, tourism has brought with it benefits and costs, blessings and curses. Reflecting people’s inherent curiosity, hedonism, desire for adventure and excitement, or just a need to change the pace and setting of everyday experiences, tourism has opened the door to many to seek out and fulfil their vacation as well as educational needs. Furthermore, tourist industries have been the willing suppliers of the demanded services. But all of this has not come without dissatisfaction. Perceived difficulties with educational tourism have encouraged planners, researchers, and social critics to rethink the logic of traditional tourist development, to examine the alternatives to mainstream or mass tourism, and to begin formulating better ways to integrate tourism into a broader range of values and social concerns that traditional tourism development has somehow put at risk. Fully understanding the benefits educational tourism, especially in Hong Kong, in terms of their sources, possibilities for mitigation, and implications of “alternatives” will we hope play a major role in correcting the mistakes of the past.

Objectives

            The overall objective of the study is to investigate the perception of Secondary Students Perception about HTM program Study in Hong Kong.  Basically, this paper aims to study the “What” and “How” this group of fresh secondary students perceive about this study. The findings will be benefit for both educators and students to have a correct image into the industry. To address this objective, the researcher explores the nature of Hotel and Tourism Management in Hong Kong: its benefits and advantages to the students, in the hotel and tourism industry in Hong Kong. Moreover, this study will focus the secondary students in Hong Kong

            The objectives of this study will be to:

-         To discover the perception of fresh secondary school students towards studying about Hotel and tourism course in Hong Kong

-         To discover any underlying dimensions of these perception

-         To find out any significant difference of the identified the factors among demographic variables

-         To recommend educators both University and Secondary School on giving correct image and better matching of students expectation and institute’s expectation.   

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