Searching for the spirit of tourism higher education

Authors

• Mia Tillonen Hokkaidon yliopisto
• Johan Edelheim Hokkaidon yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33351/mt.113507

Keywords:

values, axiology, spirituality, ethics, platform-theory, higher education, tourism, Finland

Abstract

Fifteen higher education providers in Finland offer tourism degrees. A total of 35 Finnish-, Swedish-, and English-language bachelors’ and masters’ degrees are on offer at universities of applied sciences, and at research intensive universities. Many degrees resemble one another, but some show more distinct profiles, spirits, and values, based on which students are taught. Our article examines these tourism degrees using Jafari’s (1990) platform-theory, and its later developments. The aim of our qualitative research is to examine what value foundations higher education of tourism in Finland have, and what kind of spirit these instil in future tourism professionals. By providing a snapshot of the current situation, our results emphasise how capitalist realism forges the degrees’ business and growth mentalities, leaving ethics and spirituality in its wake. The conclusion opens a discussion about the future of Finnish tourism higher education, and in it we ask both tourism educators and researchers questions about how future tourism higher education is wished to develop.