Post-pandemic challenges and recommendations : what is the future of tourism studies in Malta?

Abstract

This paper focuses on three areas of research associated with the pandemic, tourism, and the field of higher education (HE), combining a literature review with recommendations for the local HE sector in tourism studies. The first part of the paper analyses key texts in recent literature that highlight the challenges that the tourism sector is facing due to the pandemic. The second part focuses on literature which studies how the pandemic has affected HE, especially tourism studies, in different contexts. The last part of the paper turns to the local HE sector in tourism studies, highlighting challenges as well as proposals for a positive change during the pandemic. The paper finally elicits recommendations for the Institute of Tourism Studies in Malta, reflecting on the Institute’s need to reinvent itself in the context of the pandemic. [excerpt]