Effect of Gender and availability of Funds on the choice of Higher Tourism Education at Moi University, Kenya

Abstract

Education is an important element in the civilization and modernization of the society. Tourism education is particularly pivotal in ensuring that the industry has personnel that is competent and proficient in delivering services sustainably. Despite this, the importance of tourism education has been overlooked and the Kenyan industry still lacks sufficient personnel who have to attain a higher level of tourism education. Hence, the purpose of the study was to determine whether gender and availability of funds affect the choice of higher tourism education by students of Moi University, Eldoret. Kenya. The objectives of the study were to determine whether gender affects the choice of higher tourism education by students of Moi University and to establish whether the availability of funds affects the choice of higher tourism education by students. The students were sampled using stratified sampling technique where 142 were used in the study. Descriptive statistic was used to address the research objectives. From the study results, the female respondents were 57% and on the other hand 42.3% of the respondents mentioned that there was the availability of funds to advance in tourism education. 84.5% of the respondents said that they would choose higher tourism education. According to the respondents, gender (48.6%) and availability of funds (93%) affected the choice of higher tourism education. The first hypothesis that stated that ‘Gender of the students does not affect the choice of higher tourism education’ was accepted. The second hypothesis that stated that ‘Availability of funds of the students does not affect the choice of higher tourism education’ was rejected.