Professional Competencies of Hotel Management Undergraduates in Relation to Hospitality Industry Demand in Nepal

Abstract

The hospitality industry needs career-ready graduates with practical competencies and professional skills to meet its dynamic demands. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on how well the Bachelor of Hotel Management programmes in Nepal have prepared their graduates for the competencies required to meet employers’ expectations. The study examined the impact of educational quality, professional competencies, and employability attributes on students’ professional quality and industry readiness.

A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted to collect data from one hundred sixteen (n = 116) hotel management graduates in Nepal. Data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, independent-samples t-tests, and binary logistic regression. The exploratory factor analysis identified seven latent factors: institutional support, applied curriculum, operational competence, professional competency, career readiness, professional preparedness, and career advancement. Logistic regression analysis showed the applied curriculum as the most influential educational predictor of graduates’ professional quality (p < 0.01). Operational competence (OR = 3.46, p = 0.002) and professional preparedness (OR = 2.71, p = 0.006) significantly increased the probability of industry readiness. The findings empirically support human capital theory, in which competency-based education, authentic learning experiences, and industry-integrated curricula are more effective than institutional resources alone in developing industry-ready hospitality graduates. The study has practical implications for curriculum reform, internship enhancement, and university-industry collaboration in Nepal’s hospitality education sector.