Evaluation of tourism education in the context of tourism industry and tourism universities cooperation

At present, service enterprises consider presentation of quality services, which also constitutes the essence of management systems implemented by manufacturing enterprises, as their core objectives. Increase in the level of significance of service sector is associated with the increase in overall share of the sector in economy. International competition as well as the significance attached to customers? satisfaction leads to the facts that quality is defined based on guests in lieu of manufacturers, and that quality of services rendered is improved. Employment of individuals with required qualifications in tourism sector is therefore very important for the development of domestic tourism.Purpose of this study is to assess opinions of academicians, who deliver undergraduate study courses at tourism departments, and directors, who are employed at tourism sector, about the courses delivered within scope of tourism curriculums, the skills which are intended to be acquired by students, and the assessment of training conditions. It would be possible for tourism schools to adopt their curriculums in an appropriate manner by obtaining opinions of academicians and directors of tourism sector in these regards. Questionnaires were mailed to 100 out of a total of 421 academicians who are employed at tourism faculties and colleges, and 53 academicians responded back with completed questionnaires. The data gathered this way were analyzed by means of a statistical software package (SPSS), and results were then evaluated.The study suggests that ?Foreign Language? and ?Professional Foreign Language? are the courses to which the highest level of significance is attached. Furthermore, ?Foreign Language Skills?, ?Oral Communications?, and ?Written Communications? were identified to be the most important skills which are intended to be acquired by students in the course of tourism education. The ?Foreign Language Skills? to which a high level of significance is attached by academicians and directors of tourism sector should be considered to be revised such that it would be more beneficial for students, or to be delivered in longer hours of course if required.