Editorial Note–Looking into Hospitality and Tourism Education in the 2030s–Conundrums and New Standards

The research presented in this special issue encompasses discussions and anticipated challenges that may exist in tourism and hospitality education in the 2030s. The discussion underscores the importance of maintaining connections with the industry and fostering long-term relationships to ensure that both research and study curriculum remain cotemporary. Tourism industry now expects graduates to possess a new set of skills, including digital proficiency, adaptability, health and safety protocols, creativity, customer service, experience management, business acumen, strategic thinking, resilience, and mental toughness. These are the main themes that tourism and hospitality education may need to revolve around. In addition, the collection of studies in this special issue reflects the application of theoretical concepts to practical challenges, with a high priority placed on addressing the emergent need for better preparation of soft skills in human-to-human interactions, alongside with embracing technologies, such as robot-human interaction and AI applications in data analytics.