Post-Pandemic Analysis on the Factors Affecting Academic Performance of Tourism and Hospitality Management Students During COVID-19 Pandemic: Basis of an Enhanced Learning Continuity Plan

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General and Committee members declared in 2023 that COVID-19 will no longer constitute a public health emergency (PHEIC). During the pandemic surge in global business, the educational system worldwide, including hospitality education, has been greatly affected by the pandemic crisis. The influence of COVID-19 causes worldwide school closures that have far-reaching implications for students’ short- and long-term growth because of the disruption of teacher and student networks, leading to poor performance. Thus, the study aims to analyze the factors that affect the academic performance of Tourism and Hospitality Management students of Far Eastern University Manila, Philippines, enrolled in the academic year 2020-2021 during the COVID-19 surge. The study used a descriptive survey design using a self-administered survey instrument with 342 respondents. The findings of the study showed that different factors in technology and learning management system (LMS), student’s environment, study area, delivery of academic subjects offered by the teachers, and the assessment used by the school during the distance learning have impacted the academic performance of students as evidence in the decline of Quality Point Average (QPA) on both programs from the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management despite that distance learning is designed to be convenient and easy. The factors influencing academic performance, such as technology and study environment, primarily play a significant and considerable role in how students learn and cope with the distant learning mode. The result of the study will serve as a guide in enhancing the University’s continuity plan for flexible learning options, given the factors that need reinforcement to the scholarly performance of the students. The study can be a benchmarking tool among Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines as a basis to further strengthen their learning strategies relative to flexible teaching and learning modalities, refining the scholarly learning assessment tools as well as sustaining the schools’ continuity framework and achieving the academic goals and aspiration for the success of students and graduates of the HEIs whether in the new normal or the future global crisis.