Lack of IT and digital marketing professionals in hospitality: is it education's fault?

Information technology (IT) and digital marketing are perceived as the driving forces for promoting the development of the hospitality industry in a competitive market. However, there is a global shortage of workers to fill related positions, which hinders the sustainable growth of this industry. Thus, a qualitative thematic approach was adopted in this study to analyze textual data from experts to explore the reasons behind this shortage. Through careful design and analysis, three parties were identified as key generators, including education, industry, and staff/students. Meanwhile, the specific causes made by each party were presented to provide a detailed analysis of the issue. The findings are aimed to help solve the education and human resource issues in the hospitality industry. Nevertheless, the findings could have been more detailed if a follow-up interview was conducted after the thematic analysis.