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This study explores the evolving learning needs of Generation Z postgraduate students in tourism and hospitality higher education across the pre-enrolment, enrolment, and post-graduation phases. As digital natives, Generation Z students demonstrate distinct expectations regarding personalised education, technology integration, and continuous engagement. Despite increasing emphasis on student-centred education, institutional support mechanisms remain fragmented and concentrated primarily at the early stages of the student journey, limiting long-term developmental support. This fragmentation reflects an underlying governance challenge, whereby support is often treated as episodic service delivery rather than as a sustained and coordinated institutional commitment. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), inclusive education, and the Digital Readiness Framework, this study reconceptualises student support as an ongoing and digitally integrated institutional commitment. Through qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 25 Generation Z postgraduate students from tourism and hospitality higher education institutions in Thailand, the study identified critical gaps in institutional support systems affecting student engagement, achievement, and retention. Findings underscore the importance of sustained institutional partnerships, tailored digital support, and emotional trust throughout all student lifecycle stages. Based on these findings, the study proposes the lifecycle student support model, a comprehensive framework combining institutional preparation with the recursive, digital-first, and psychological dimensions of Gen Z learner experiences. The model emphasises anticipatory guidance, collaboratively designed hybrid learning environments, and AI-enhanced postgraduate engagement as core components of an inclusive, future-oriented higher education paradigm. This research provides policymakers, institutions, and researchers with actionable insights for redefining tourism and hospitality higher education as a continuous and adaptive partner in student development, fostering leadership preparedness and lifecycle-based institutional responsibility in the digital era.
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