The tourism sector is facing a global shortage of skilled professionals. In addressing this concern, it is essential to prioritize the advancement of tourism education and training at the high school level, aiming to empower students with the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies. This initiative should be led by the Ministries of Tourism which have a broad knowledge of the education demands of the sector.

Research has been conducted to create this UNWTO Education Toolkit and its recommendations, utilizing surveys and interviews with member states, academic partners, as well as academic and public institutions.

High schools worldwide generally offer two tracks: General education, and vocational education and training. General education – usually in the final years of high school – can be delivered through national education systems or international education systems like the British system, the system from the United States of America (American system) or International Baccalaureate.

In the national system, the incorporation of tourism education and training in high schools varies among countries, with five stages identified in member states:

1. In the first stage, schools do not offer extra-curricular certificates or activities in tourism.
2. In the second stage, one can find some extra-curricular certificates and activities in tourism.
3. In the third stage, schools do not include tourism as an elective, even though they have the option of doing so.
4. In the fourth stage, tourism is included in most of the schools as an elective.
5. In the final stage, tourism is compulsory and incorporated into the fixed curriculum taught in the school.

To introduce tourism as a subject in high schools, it is important to engage and get the key stakeholders on board such as the Ministry of Education, parents, school directors, teachers, the tourism sector and high school students. Addressing the beliefs and perceptions about the tourism sector is also crucial, as there is a lack of clarity and misconceptions exist about the available career paths.

Barriers to incorporating tourism education and training in high schools include packed curricula, limited career learning opportunities, complex regulations, lack of government support and funding, negative perceptions of tourism, lack of qualified faculty and teaching materials, lack of language proficiency, insufficient industry commitment and lack of industry advocacy.

On the other hand, drivers for incorporating tourism as a subject in high school include economic and cultural contributions, career opportunities, development of core skills and competencies and regulatory factors.

There are successful examples of incorporating tourism education and training, such as Colombia’s Schools for Tourism, Portugal’s promotion of tourism as a specialized subject, Canada’s collaboration with the industry, Jamaica’s Two-year Tourism Programmes, the EHL Junior Academy of Tourism pre-university courses, and Cambodia’s National Schools of Tourism.

To support its member states, UNWTO is actively collaborating with three renowned academic partners: Cambridge Assessment International Education, the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). These partners provide learning materials and support to introduce tourism as a subject in high schools.

Based on the above, the following recommendations are made for incorporating tourism as a subject in high schools:

1. Focus on advancing within the general education track of the national system. Member states should progress through the stages to fully deploy tourism as a high school subject.
2. Optimize the visibility and adoption of tourism in the international education system. Collaborate with UNWTO academic partners to effectively promote tourism as a subject in high schools following the British, American and IB systems.
3. Introduce a skills-based vocational education and training (VET) programme that encourages higher education. Develop a VET tourism education and training programme in collaboration with the industry to provide practical skills and meet industry demands.
4. Engage and empower key stakeholders in high schools. Raise awareness among the Ministries of Education, local authorities, and potentially the Ministry of Employment about the benefits of the tourism sector. Ensure parents, school directors, and teachers understand career pathways and educational requirements. Engage professional tourism associations, chambers of trade/tourism, and influential organizations in the tourism industries. Provide comprehensive information and support to high school students for informed career choices.
5. Address the gap in tourism fundamentals. Implement strategies at the global and national levels to enhance salary competitiveness and create appealing career opportunities within the tourism sector.
6. Shape the beliefs and perceptions around tourism. Lead tourism repositioning campaigns in each country to highlight the benefits and opportunities associated with tourism and change beliefs and perceptions of stakeholders.

1. Executive Summary
2. Introduction
3. Tourism in the high school system
4. Case studies
5. Academic partnerships
6. Recommendations for promoting tourism in high school
7. Annexes