Exploring hospitableness: fostering student belonging through a regional study tour

Hospitableness, a fundamental aspect of hospitality, has garnered attention across variouscontexts. However, concerns persist that its true essence is fading in the face of commercialization. Emphasising the critical role of hospitableness through the lens of belonging, this paper suggests that a sense of belonging is integral to understanding and applying hospitableness. Hospitableness, defined as creating an environment where guests feel welcome, safe and respected, is closely linked to individuals feeling secure, valued and supported. This connection is particularly significant for non-traditional learners, such as international students in Holmesglen’s Bachelor of Hospitality Management (BHM) program, who frequently reporta low sense of belonging (Crawford et al., 2023).Given the limited academic exploration of the relationship between hospitableness and belonging, the proposed research will investigate whether a regional study tour (RST), with a focus on hospitableness, can enhance first-year BHM students' sense of belonging. It will provide exploratory research into the foundational role of belonging in comprehending and practicing hospitableness.