Abstract:

Due to the growth of the industry, hospitality professionals, and most particularly hotel managers, are increasingly being challenged to develop new skills and adapt to operational challenges, new trends of services, facing the ever-changing labour market, requiring them to be more flexible, creative, resilient and focused on recovery (the latter having become paramount in the post-COVID era).

Following the end of regulated access to the profession of Hotel Manager, in 2013, the Portuguese Hotel Managers Association (ADHP), created a short specialization course in Hotel Management (CEDH), to contribute to the valorisation of the function of Hotel Director and promote lifelong learning (LLL). By combining academic expertise (through the involvement of experts and higher education professors) and practical know-how (through the participation of highly skilled and experienced professionals), CEDH aims to improve lifelong learning within the scope of Portuguese hospitality.

Framed by a literature review, the data was collected through a survey with closed and open questions, aiming to identify:
i) overall strengths and weaknesses;
ii) suggestions for improvement; and
iii) perceived impact in participants career path.

In addition to describing the rationale behind the program and its implementation, this paper will address the affordances and potential of lifelong learning in hospitality education, based on participants’ initial expectations and final perceptions.

It is expected to further advance recent research in LLL practices in hospitality education, as well as provide a plan of action to be reflected on the program’s next editions, as well as on other similar initiatives and projects.

Keywords:

Hotel Managers, Hospitality, Lifelong Learning, Education.