Importance of Hospitality Industry in the Economic Framework: A Case Study of Malta

A STUDY TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY WITHIN THE ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK OF A NATION: A CASE
STUDY OF MALTA
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:
Page 0 of 45

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would firstly like to take the opportunity to thank my Professor for giving me the chance to
conduct research on the topic “A study to understand the importance of the hospitality
industry within the economic framework of a nation: A case study of Malta”. Furthermore, I
would also thank my Unit Supervisor for the help and support that he offered me for the
completion of this study or research work.
I would also like to thank my friends and family members without whose support the
completion of this study would not have been possible.
Thank You
------------------------------------------------
(Name of the Researcher)
Page 1 of 45

ABSTRACT
The hospitality industry has become a pivotal part of the economic framework of the various
countries of the world like Malta. This study was conducted “to understand the importance of
the hospitality industry within the economic framework” of Malta. The researcher had
divided the entire study into five chapter as per the guidelines for conducting academic
research.
In the first chapter, the researcher had stated the research aim, objectives and questions and
others on the basis of which the entire research had been conducted. More importantly, the
researcher also highlights the background of the study and also the problem statement which
forms the central lacuna of the entire work.
In the second chapter, the researcher conducts a review of the past literature to understand the
factors which affect the economy of a nation, the impact of the hospitality industry on the
national economy of a nation, the correlation between the two and other aspects. This was
done so as to introduce the readers to the important concepts related to the topic which in turn
would facilitate an effective understanding of the findings derived in the fourth chapter.
In the Research Methodology chapter or the third chapter, the researcher outlines the different
components of the research methodology which had been used for the completion of the
study. For example, the researcher had used the positivism research philosophy, deductive
research approach, descriptive research design, primary data collection method (five
managers of five different hotels were interviewed) and qualitative data analysis method for
the completion of the study. Moreover, the researcher had complied with the ethical standards
of research.
In the fourth chapter, the researcher describes the findings which were obtained from the
interview and analyses the data through the usage of the process of thematic analysis. In
addition to this, the researcher also undertakes a discussion of the findings and links it with
the literature review section of the study.
In the final chapter of the study, the researcher sums up the major findings which had been
obtained from the study. As a matter of fact, the researcher had found that the hospitality
industry of Malta had positively impacted the national economy of the concerned nation and
had played a pivotal role in strengthening or stabilising it. Furthermore, the researcher had
also tried to link the findings of the study with the research objectives which were formulated
Page 2 of 45

in the first chapter. Lastly, the researcher concludes the study by stating the limitations of the
study and also its future scope as well.
Page 3 of 45

DECLARATION
I declare that this study is an original work of mine and had not been submitted by me for my
previous degree courses. The experimental study is completely a work of mine and due credit
had been given to the authors and the scholars whose works have been used for the
completion of the study. I declare that this thesis was composed by myself, that the work
contained herein is my own except where explicitly stated otherwise in the text.
I hereby declare that this dissertation is my own original work and has not been submitted
before to any institution for assessment purposes. Further, I have acknowledged all sources
used and have cited these in the reference section.
Page 4 of 45

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................7
1.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................7
1.2 Background of the Study.............................................................................................7
1.3 Overview of the Hospitality industry of Malta............................................................7
1.4 Problem Statement.......................................................................................................8
1.5 Rationale of the Study.................................................................................................8
1.6 Research Aim..............................................................................................................9
1.7 Research Objectives....................................................................................................9
1.8 Research Questions.....................................................................................................9
1.9 Significance of the Study.............................................................................................9
1.10 Structure of the Study............................................................................................10
Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................................................................11
2.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................11
2.1 Factors affecting the economic growth of a nation........................................................11
2.1.1 Natural Resources...................................................................................................12
2.1.2 Human Capital........................................................................................................12
2.1.3 Infrastructural Development of the nation..............................................................12
2.1.4 Industrial Development of the nation......................................................................13
2.1.5 Technological Advancement of the nation.............................................................13
2.1.6 Governmental Initiatives.........................................................................................14
2.3 Hospitality industry and the economic contributions made by it...................................14
2.4 Relation between the hospitality industry and the economic growth of a nation..........15
2.5 Summary........................................................................................................................16
Chapter 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...........................................................................17
3.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................17
3.2 Research Philosophy......................................................................................................17
Page 5 of 45

3.2.1 Justification of the selected Research Philosophy..................................................17
3.3 Research Approach........................................................................................................18
3.3.1 Justification of the selected Research Approach.....................................................18
3.4 Research Design.............................................................................................................18
3.4.1 Justification of the selected Research Design.........................................................19
3.5 Data collection Method..................................................................................................19
3.5.1 Justification of the Data Collection Method...........................................................19
3.6 Data Analysis Method....................................................................................................20
3.6.1 Justification of the Data Analysis Method..............................................................20
3.7 Accessibility Issues........................................................................................................20
3.8 Ethical considerations....................................................................................................20
3.9 Limitations of the Study.................................................................................................20
3.10 Summary......................................................................................................................21
Chapter 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION...........................................................................22
4.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................22
4.2 Summary of the Findings from the Interview................................................................22
4.2.1 Analysis of Respondents.........................................................................................22
4.2.2 Findings related to the Questions............................................................................22
4.3 Discussion of the Findings.............................................................................................28
4.4 Summary........................................................................................................................30
Chapter 5: ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION........................................................................31
5.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................31
5.2 Critical evaluation of the adopted methodology............................................................31
5.3 Conclusion about Research Aim....................................................................................31
5.4 Conclusion about the Research Objectives....................................................................32
5.4.1 Conclusion about Objective 1.................................................................................32
5.4.2 Conclusion about Objective 2.................................................................................32
Page 6 of 45

5.4.3 Conclusion about Objective 3.................................................................................32
5.4.4 Conclusion about Objective 4.................................................................................32
5.5 Overall Conclusion.........................................................................................................33
5.6 Reflection and Implications for praxis...........................................................................33
5.7 Limitations of the Study.................................................................................................33
5.8 Opportunities for further research..................................................................................34
References................................................................................................................................35
Appendix..................................................................................................................................39
Page 7 of 45