China is the main source of international students in Australia. This qualitative study examines the perceptions of two stakeholder groups (Chinese international students and managers from the Chinese hotel industry) on attributes developed in Australian tourism and hospitality degrees and their relevance for the Chinese hotel industry. Evidence from 19 semi-structured interviews with Chinese international students and 12 managers in the Chinese hotel industry are presented. The findings demonstrated that Chinese international students mentioned communication skills most frequently, whereas managers found passion for the industry particularly important. Furthermore, both groups placed importance on English language, teamwork and management of services and operations. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.