Perceptions and attitudes of tourism students in Turkey

Abstract

Purpose – To investigate the main expectations of students from the tourism industry who are studying at the Akdeniz University School of Tourism and Hotel Management in Antalya. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire containing 16 closed questions and a multi-item attitude scale was used for 689 students ranging from the first class to the fourth class. Findings – The results generally show negative perceptions and attitudes toward the tourism industry, but some positive perceptions and attitudes are also apparent. Positive emotions were usually mentioned by students who had chosen the tourism and hotel management school within their first three rank order in the university entrance exam, who had chosen the school willingly, and who had carried out their practical work experience outside Turkey. Research limitations/implications – It is not possible to generalize the findings to other tourism schools, but the findings can be evaluated as a useful source of information regarding the perceptions and attitudes of the sampled tourism students in Antalya, Turkey. Originality/value – The findings are of value for government officials, academicians, tourism professionals and also tourism students.