The primary rationale for embedding values-based learning in tourism higher education is to engage students’ learning-to-learn and learning-to-be, rather than simply learning about a topic, such as tourism management or sustainability (Liburd, 2013). This elaborates on Barnett’s (1990: 22) observation that “higher education implies more than the mere acquisition of knowledge. It requires a sceptical and questioning attitude towards knowledge”. Learning is therefore not limited to critical reflections on the complexity of tourism in conceptual terms and the curriculum space can be used in many different ways, from lectures to industry projects, in national or international environments (Mihalič, 2005); (Liburd, 2013); (Mihalič, 2002). Also, students should also be able to recognize underlying values and opportunities for stewardship, ethics, professionalism, mutuality and knowledge (Sheldon et.al, 2008), including the implementation of sustainable tourism development in diverse contexts (Liburd & Edwards, 2010).

This purpose of this paper is to study values-based education and learning in a case study of the joint master programme, the EMTM (European Master in Tourism Management). The EMTM is a fully integrated joint master program, taught in three European countries. Each student cohort of a maximum 35 students average 25 different nationalities worldwide. We examine how enrolled EMTM students assess the importance and gaps between the industry importance and educational performance in values. We studied the tourism educational values as suggested by Tourism Education Future Initiative (TEFI).