COMPARISON OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN IT/ENGINEERING AND HOSPITALITY/TOURISM

Abstract

Project management practices significantly vary across industries due to differences in operational environments, expectations of the stakeholders, risk aspects and surely, what are the project deliverables. This paper provides a comprehensive comparison of project management in IT/engineering and hospitality/tourism. IT and engineering projects typically involve technical complexity, structured development methodologies, and reliance on specialized tools, whereas hospitality and tourism projects center on customer experience, service quality, and logistical coordination. Through an analysis of methodologies, stakeholder dynamics, success metrics, and risk management approaches, this study highlights both the distinctions and shared foundations between the sectors. The comparative analysis is expanded to include organizational culture, communication practices, regulatory impacts, innovation dynamics, and sustainability considerations. Two proposed case studies illustrate typical project structures: an Agile-based software development project and a hotel renovation and rebranding initiative. The project about the hotel renovation is elaborated in both traditional project management approach and agile methodology as a proposal for improvement. The paper argues that cross-industry learning such as adopting customer-centric practices in engineering or applying Agile methods in hospitality service innovation as shown in this paper can enhance project outcomes. Ultimately, the study concludes that while the contextual differences between these industries shape project characteristics, both fields benefit from disciplined planning, effective communication, and structured risk management.