Tourism and hospitality in Brazil: A model for studies of education competencies

The objectives of this research are to discuss a number of evaluation models of education competencies and to propose an evaluation model of education competencies for Tourism and Hospitality (T&H) students. The approach is quantitative with a descriptive element. Data were collected through a survey of T&H students in Brazil. At the end of the data collection, the number of valid questionnaires totaled 412. We analysed the data using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results supported the hypotheses, as the proposed model explained 41.5% of the factors that influenced T&H students' engagement. The education competencies presented in this study involve education interdisciplinarity, teamwork, student skills, and student engagement in T&H. The study is part of the emerging literature on education competencies. In particular, it contributes to an understanding of the process of identifying and developing the skills that are required for T&H professionals. It could be used with benefit by educational planners when proposing curricular updates, and business managers when hiring T&H workers.