Exploring tourism trends: a comparative analysis between global trends and higher education programs in Colombia

Data Collection from Scopus

For gathering academic document information, the Scopus database was utilized. The following Boolean equation was employed: “higher education” AND “tourism”. The search was conducted on November 15, 2022, with three different filters applied. In the first case, no filtering was performed, obtaining information from 1980 to 2023; in the second case, information from 2018 to 2022 was obtained, and in the third case, information from 2018 to 2023 was collected. Files were downloaded from the database in .RIS (Research Information System) and .CSV (comma-separated values) formats, capturing all document details including abstracts.

Collection of Information on Higher Education Programs in Tourism in Colombia

To collect information on academic programs in Colombia, an investigation was conducted to determine which programs were active in 2022, using the National Information System for Higher Education With the obtained list, the websites of each program were visited, and information from each one was downloaded. In this case, emphasis was placed on the profiles of graduates from each program. For utilization purposes, graduate profiles were translated into English.

Creation of Geographical Maps

In order to summarize and display the collected information from Scopus and the geographical origins of the programs, geographical maps were created. These maps utilize color gradients to represent the quantity of documents at a global level by country, and the quantity of programs within each region of Colombia. To create these maps, the Google Spreadsheet tool was employed.¹⁷

Creation of Word Clouds

The R programming language (R: The R Project for Statistical Computing, n.d.) is employed for generating a script that performs a corpus analysis based on a word bank. Frequency tables for the first 100 most repeated words are established according to their repetition frequency. Subsequently, a word cloud graphic is generated where the size of each word determines its usage frequency, and its centrality indicates its usage across various texts. In this case, the abstracts of collected documents from Scopus and the graduate profiles from Colombian higher education programs, with an emphasis on tourism, are used for generating these word clouds¹⁸ (RPubs - Nube de Palabras, n.d.).

Creation of Hierarchical Clustering (hclust)

The R programming language (R: The R Project for Statistical Computing, n.d.) is utilized for developing a script that facilitates hierarchical clustering based on words present in the texts. This process results in a graphical representation that depicts the proximity between different words used in the texts.¹⁹

Results from Scopus in the Data Collection

For data collection, a search query [Tourism AND higher education] was employed. Using the tools provided by Scopus, four different filtering approaches were applied:

Table 1 summarizes the conducted searches. The table includes the search query used along with its corresponding filters, the source of the search (all from Scopus), the years covered by the search results, the search date, and the quantity of documents found. The documents were downloaded in both RIS and CSV formats.

Results from Scopus regarding the geographical origin of the information

For analysis, the most recent trends were selected, covering the years 2018 to 2023, resulting in 707 located documents. Using this search, Figure 2 provides a global map summarizing the density of articles published according to the document’s country of origin. Additionally, Table 2 was generated, displaying the quantity of publications per country.

Figure 2. Country of Origin of Documents from the SCOPUS Database.

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Word Cloud Results for SCOPUS Abstracts

On the other hand, a text mining analysis was conducted based on the abstracts obtained from the search. This analysis highlights word repetition frequency. Considering that the search involves words with high frequency due to their direct relevance to the query, the following words were omitted in this case: “tourism,” “also,” “using,” “can,” “education,” “higher,” “students,” “paper,” “university,” “study.” The outcome is presented in Figure 3 through a word cloud and a word count, which can be observed in Table 3.

Figure 3. Word Cloud Generated from SCOPUS Abstracts.

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Hierarchical Clustering Results for SCOPUS Abstracts

Using the abstracts obtained from Scopus, a text mining analysis was performed to identify the closest relationships among different words. In this case, a dendrogram was generated, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Dendrogram of SCOPUS Abstracts.

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Results of the Geographical Location of the Origin of Higher Education Programs in Tourism in Colombia

According to the collected information regarding higher education programs in Tourism, their locations are depicted in Figure 5, which relates the programs to their geographical positions within regions and the capital district. Similarly, Table 4 displays the quantity of programs offered per region.

Figure 5. Map of Colombia Indicating the Location of Tourism or Related Higher Education Programs.

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Word Cloud Result for Graduate Profiles of Higher Education Programs in Tourism in Colombia

To perform the data mining analysis based on the profiles found in higher education programs in Colombia, several words with similar meanings are grouped together to avoid excessive dispersion in the analysis. The following words are combined: “Management” with “manage” and “manager”, “services” with “service”, “development” with “develop”, “administration” with “administrative” and “administrator”, “activities” with “activity”, and “human” with “humanistic”. Additionally, the following less relevant words are eliminated for the research: “tourism”, “able”, “will”, “professional”, “graduate”, “different”, “allow”, and “based”. Based on the profiles, Figure 6 displays a word cloud, and Table 5 presents the frequency of words.

Figure 6. Word Cloud of Higher Education Programs’ Profiles in Tourism in Colombia.

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Hierarchical Clustering Results for Higher Education Programs in Tourism in Colombia

A text mining analysis was conducted to examine the profiles of tourism programs offered by Colombian universities. The main objective was to identify the closest relationships among different words used in these profiles. The results are presented in the form of a dendrogram, shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Dendogram of Higher Education Programs in Tourism in Colombia.

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Word frequency and word clouds

By analyzing the frequency of words from the Scopus search results and the profiles of Colombian universities, the text mining outcomes, when comparing word frequency tables and word clouds derived from words found in Scopus and the profiles of Colombian universities’ programs in tourism, can offer insights into the priorities and academic research focuses, as well as the training approach, in the field of tourism in Colombia.

Among the words used for analysis, a division into quartiles was made, considering from the maximum to Q1 the words containing the highest repetition frequency, considering Q1 as the maximum, i.e., the words with the highest repetition frequency. The third quartile Q3 was assigned to the minimum, representing the region where words with lower repetition frequency are found. All of this was based on the top 100 most repeated words in both cases: those found in Scopus and those found in the profiles of universities with programs in tourism (Figure 8). The words can also be visualized in the word clouds generated in the results. The words shaded in red correspond to those that are repeated within the same quartile. The words shaded in yellow are the ones that are repeated but are located in different quartiles. And the words that are not shaded are those that are unique to Scopus and to higher education programs. Firstly, there is a significant alignment in the importance attributed to words found in the first quartile, such as development, management, hotel, administration, sector, organizations, national, international, companies, public, business, projects, social, processes, sustainable, design, private, knowledge, regional, program. These fundamental terms emphasize the relevance placed on similar areas, which are initially aligned in both cases within the field of management and development of public and private organizations, sectors, and companies on both national and international levels. The terms also encompass the management and development of process designs and projects within a sustainable framework. This similarity suggests that Colombian researchers and universities share interests and concerns regarding regional tourism development through administration and management. Of particular note is the term “hotel,” where this finding implies that universities in the country have a more specific interest in the hotel sector, likely in response to the growing significance of the sector, private initiatives in the hotel industry, and the tourism boom in Colombia. According to data from Colombia’s National Department of Statistics (DANE), in 2022, tourism consumption accounted for 1.7% of the country’s total production, and within the tourism sector, 21.4% corresponds to accommodation ser- vices, food and beverage supply services.²⁰

Figure 8. Top 100 Most Used Words in Scopus and Graduate Profiles of Universities in Colombia with Tourism Programs.

In the second quartile, the words in coincidence include environment, ethical, products, resources, tourist, cultural, innovative, local, policies, sustainability, environmental, related, financial, needs, participate, quality, skills, and training. In this case, terms such as ethics, culture, policies, sustainability, and environment reflect that both Colombian programs and Scopus emphasize social and environmental responsibility within the tourism sector. Meanwhile, terms like products, financing, quality, skills, and training reflect an interest in information and training relevant to individuals working within the tourism sector.

In the third quartile, the following words appear in both cases: strategies, competencies, country, creative, generate, lead, marketing, region, work, ability, areas, beverage, company, competitiveness, current. In this case, a majority of the words found in this quartile align with productivity or labor-related aspects, encompassing terms like strategy, competencies, leadership, marketing, and work. There’s also a focus on geographical elements with country, areas, and region, likely oriented towards the coverage levels of tourist destinations. Finally, the term competitiveness might reflect the interest in maintaining the tourism sector as a significant contributor to the economy, both in Colombia and globally.

In the fourth quartile, the words present in both the profiles of Colombian universities with tourism-related programs and the Scopus search are: context, control, destinations, direct, formation, lodging, market, new, organizational, plans, travel, and trends. In this quartile, there appears to be a dispersion of topics, and a clear main focus cannot be identified, as observed in the previous cases. However, related clusters can be found, encompassing control and organization, destinations and travel, planning and formation, as well as novelties and trends.

Finally, there are repeated words that are not found in the same quartiles, indicating a discrepancy in their repetition frequency between the two cases. The significance of the term “research” is highlighted; in the Colombian programs’ profiles, it’s located in the first quartile, while in the Scopus case, it’s in the second quartile and in nearby positions. This implies that research is relevant both in the Colombian context and in the broader Scopus scenario.

Hierarchical Clustering (H-CLUST)

In the comparative hierarchical clustering dendrograms based on the proximity between words, it’s observed that in the Scopus analysis, there are nine clusters:

In the case of Colombian university programs, nine clusters are identified:

In the Scopus analysis, it’s observed that the generated clusters have a general structure, where research is closely related to analytical bases, which in turn converge into administrative themes. There’s a relationship between learning in the context of tourism and the hospitality industry. Additionally, in association with learning, there are developments in the social sector, which are further related to institutional aspects and academia, generating results from data analysis. In this context, it’s inferred that research could be focused on two broad fields: one related to management and administration analysis, and another where the tourism and hospitality industry intersects with social sector developments and academic institutions, driven by data analytics-based results.

In the case of Colombian programs, management is related to all the other clusters as a higher-level concept, indicating that administration is a cross-cutting theme within these programs. From this perspective, management can be understood geographically (local, regional, international, and national). Another administrative perspective is seen in terms of activities carried out in tourism-related companies or organizations. Administration is also connected with the social aspect, encompassing topics such as environmental concerns, knowledge, ethics, and individual skills. Notably, there’s a thematic focus on the administration of both public and private organizations. There’s a cluster that emphasizes service management, with services being linked to the design of sustainable projects involving economic processes and sustainability policies. Lastly, there’s a relationship between administration and development within the administrative sphere, particularly in the context of hotel business operations.

Comparatively, it’s observed that in the Scopus analysis, there are two thematic focuses: one on research within the ad- ministrative sector and another on learning across various topics. In the case of Colombian programs, the cross-cutting theme is administration, but with different emphases. This implies that the curricula of these programs are oriented towards preparing tourism professionals to engage in administrative processes across various contexts. It’s worth noting that Scopus places a particular emphasis on learning, whereas the programs emphasize the administrative aspect. However, in both cases, there is a consideration of social, sustainability, and tourism-specific aspects.

The observation is that research (Scopus) highlights the significance of research in administration and learning primarily through data analytics. However, in Colombian programs, the emphasis is primarily on administrative topics. This suggests that the training provided by Colombian university programs in tourism is focused on preparing students for administrative roles within the tourism sector. This focus on practical training for the tourism industry might lead to a perception that the academic aspect of research is somewhat overlooked. In other words, while Colombian pro- grams cover a wide range of training, they seem to concentrate on the operational aspects of the tourism industry, and there might be less emphasis on conducting research in the sector and its various dimensions such as social, cultural, environmental, etc., in alignment with international trends.

Geographical location of Colombian university programs in comparison to the origin locations of the research

In relation to the countries of origin in Scopus, it is evident that the countries making the most substantial contributions are those where the tourism industry is well-established. These include China, the United States, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other European countries. In the Latin American context, Brazil and Mexico stand out as the countries with the highest contributions. In the case of Colombia, it is observed that there are contributions that fall within a normal range for countries with 8 publications. This can be observed in Figure 9, where the value of 85 corresponds to China as the country with the highest contributions.

Figure 9. Box plot of publications by countries.

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In the case of the geographical distribution of universities offering tourism programs in Colombia, it is evident that the majority of these institutions are located in the city of Bogotá, the country’s capital. Consequently, this city serves as the epicenter for commercial and academic activities in the nation. For other regions hosting university-level tourism programs, certain shared characteristics become apparent:

Furthermore, it can be observed that the locations identified on the Colombian map form a strategic corridor, interconnected primarily by roads where the land transportation infrastructure is of good quality. This generates corridors of tourist mobility, rendering them easily navigable for both Colombian residents and foreign visitors. The geographical distribution of tourism programs in Colombia aligns with the tourism management and promotion strategy developed by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism (MinCIT)²¹ since 2016, known as the “Tourist Corridors of Colombia.

In the same vein, the countries with the highest contributions share several common characteristics that can be high-lighted:

In relation to tourist activity as such, it can be observed that both the countries with the highest number of publications and the regions mentioned with higher education programs in tourism can be considered as strategic tourist corridors that share common elements such as:

Text Mining

In conclusion, conducting a text mining analysis based on word frequencies and word clouds generated from Scopus data and profiles of Colombian universities with tourism programs reveals key similarities and differences in priorities and approaches to academic research and education in the field of tourism in Colombia. Words in the first quartile reflect a clear convergence in terms of management, development, organizations, and sectors, both in Colombia’s pro- grams and in Scopus. This indicates an alignment of interest in the development and administration within the tourism field. In the second quartile, terms related to ethics, sustainability, environment, and needs reflect the shared commitment in both research and education towards a responsible and conscious perspective in the tourism sector. The third quartile highlights strategic elements, competencies, leadership, and marketing, suggesting the importance of management excellence and tourism promotion. In the fourth quartile, although there is some dispersion, themes such as control and organization, destinations and travel, education, innovations, and emerging trends emerge as areas of interest in both datasets. It’s worth noting that education or skill development has been present across all four quartiles.

In Scopus, there is a greater emphasis on words related to research, such as “research,” “analysis,” “data,” “results,” "in-novation," "scientific,” etc. These words suggest a strong focus on the generation of academic and scientific knowledge. In the profiles of Colombian universities, there is a more practical and applied training-oriented approach reflected in words like “management,” “administration,” “skills,” “training,” “competencies,” “leadership,” etc. This indicates a preparation more centered on skills and abilities for work within the industry.

In the profiles of Colombian universities, terms related to ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability become more evident, including “ethical,” “sustainability,” “environment,” “responsibility,” “quality,” etc. This could indicate a growing awareness of the importance of sustainability in tourism. In these university profiles, terms like “local,” “national,” “international,” and “regional” are found, suggesting a focus on different geographic levels in education and research. In Scopus, although there are some mentions of “national” and “international,” these words are not as prominent, which could indicate a broader and more global focus in academic research.

The prominent presence of “hotel” in both the profiles of Colombian universities and in Scopus could suggest a more specific focus on the hotel industry and hospitality, possibly in response to demands from the tourism market. Words like “trends,” “new,” “current,” and “innovative” appear with greater relevance in the profiles of Colombian universities, indicating a focus on emerging trends and the need to stay updated in education and innovation. Terms such as “strategies,” “competencies,” “leadership,” “marketing,” “ability,” and “competitiveness” have a greater presence in both datasets, but their grouping into different quartiles reflects the relative importance attributed to them in each context. In Scopus, they are more associated with research and theory, while in the profiles of Colombian universities, they are closer to practical education.

These differences highlight the distinct orientations between academic research in Scopus and the education provided by Colombian university programs in the field of tourism. While Scopus emphasizes research, analytics, and innovation, Colombian programs have a more applied focus on management, ethics, sustainability, and practical skills required by the tourism industry. This approach aligns with the Colombian government’s efforts to be part of international tourism positioning and recognition strategies.

Analysis of H-Cluster

When analyzing and comparing data from Scopus, an academic database, with tourism university programs in Colombia, distinct thematic patterns emerge in both datasets. Scopus places equal emphasis on research in the administrative field and learning based on data analytics. On the other hand, Colombian university programs appear to be more oriented towards education in administrative aspects of tourism. This latter aspect stems from the nature of the 46 analyzed programs in Colombia, where approximately 85% fall under the category of Tourism Management and/or Hotel Management and similar designations. Only 15% of programs have names different from the administrative area.

This difference in focus suggests that Colombian programs might be oriented towards providing practical training for employment in the tourism sector, rather than prioritizing academic research. While these programs offer a wide range of education, it appears that the generation of sector-specific research might take a back seat. This discrepancy raises questions about how these differences impact graduates’ readiness and their contribution to tourism development in Colombia, but especially the contribution of educational programs to the discipline of tourism as a whole.

Ultimately, this comparison underscores the importance of balancing practical education with academic research in university tourism programs. A strong foundation in administrative aspects is essential for professionals in the sector, but it’s also valuable to foster research and domain-specific knowledge within the field of tourism. In future analyses, it could be beneficial to explore how these differences impact the quality and diversity of research and the overall preparedness of professionals in the tourism field in Colombia.

Geographical location of Colombian university programs compared to the origin of research

It can be observed that Colombia, in terms of publications, falls within what is considered normal, regarding the quantity of publications related to higher education and tourism. This is in comparison with countries with a higher number of publications, which have a well-established tourism industry that significantly contributes to the economy of each of those countries mentioned.

It can be distinguished that both the countries with a higher number of publications and the regions with universities offering tourism programs in Colombia have suitable infrastructure for the development of tourist activities. This enables visitors to move through various means of transportation such as air, river, or land. The richness of nature and culture holds significant value, and their contribution to the economy is substantial (WEF, 2022).¹⁴

In the Colombian context, the regions that have tourism programs form a strategic corridor. This corridor benefits from a well-maintained road infrastructure that is easily accessible through various modes of transportation, especially with the advantage of well-maintained road connections. The region possesses significant cultural potential suitable for tourism, and this activity is regarded as a key contributor to its economy. This status serves as a decisive factor in driving its management, primarily from an institutional standpoint (CPTUR, 2022).²³

The countries with a higher number of publications exhibit a high gross domestic product (GDP), and similarly, the regions with tourism programs also rank among the top contributors to Colombia’s GDP. When comparing both countries and regions, those that make significant contributions to publications, as well as the regions with tourism programs in Colombia, benefit from a well-established tourist infrastructure. This demonstrates a clear link between academia and the tourism sector, allowing for synergies to be created and continuous improvement processes to be defined within the sector.

In conclusion, it is evident that both in the studied regions and countries, common tourism elements are present, including cultural and natural heritage, diverse and authentic local cuisine, and the potential to develop tourism activities associated with various typologies of tourism. The infrastructure also plays a crucial role in enabling these activities.