Reflection of Digital Transformation on Tourism Education Curricula at Undergraduate Level: The Case of Turkey

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the undergraduate tourism education curricula in Türkiye within the context of digital transformation. Using data from the 2024 Higher Education Program Atlas (YÖK Atlas), the curricula of 79 universities offering undergraduate tourism programs were examined through document analysis.
Courses related to information technologies, artificial intelligence, digital marketing, data analytics, and automation were thematically categorized. The findings reveal that although technology-oriented courses are included in many programs, they are predominantly offered as electives, and advanced digital competencies—particularly artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital marketing—are insufficiently
represented in the core curriculum. Additionally, technology-focused courses are concentrated mainly in Tourism Management and Gastronomy and Culinary Arts programs and display an uneven distribution across academic semesters. These results indicate the need for tourism education institutions to strategically
update their curricula in order to align with the ongoing digital transformation and meet evolving industry expectations. As one of the first comprehensive analyses of digital competency integration in Turkish tourism curricula, this study provides valuable insights for both academic and sectoral stakeholders. The findings also reveal that 53.84% of technology-focused courses are elective, data analytics courses are offered in only three programs, and artificial intelligence-related courses constitute a limited share of the total courses.