Digital skills in tourism. A study from the Next Tourism Generation (NTG) Alliance

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to identify the gap existing between the current and future needs regarding digital skills, as well as the training needs for the 2030 horizon in Spanish tourism organisations belonging to five subsectors (accommodation, food and beverage, destination management, visitor attractions and travel agents and tour operators). Design/methodology/approach A mixed research methodology, which combined qualitative and quantitative approaches, served as the basis for this research work. Qualitative research took place between April 2018 and March 2019 and went through three stages: desk research, focus groups and interviews. Quantitative research developed from January to June 2019 by means of an online administered survey (Qualtrics). In total, 139 Spanish tourism organisations participated. Findings Tourism organisations analysed consider that digital skills are still an unresolved issue. Employees are willing to operate in environments where technology has an increasingly leading role. However, organisations believe that there remains a lot to be done until employees have, both at present and by the year 2030, a suitable level of digital skills enabling them to operate in the tourism subsectors analysed. Originality/value This study is framed within the European project called Next Tourism Generation (NTG), which involves 14 partners from eight countries. The findings obtained will help to develop a Europe Blueprint Strategy for digital skills within the tourism and hospitality sector, to provide employees, employers, entrepreneurs, teachers, trainers and students with a set of core digital skills represented in a skills matrix.

The policy responses of tourism agencies to emerging digital skills constraints: A critical assessment of six countries

“…Predictably, patterns of training reflected the intensity of technology within that sector. Zaragoza‐Saez et al (2021: 12) in a related study of the Spanish context, offer very similar results. As they conclude:

The findings show that the future tourism sector will require skills sets , which , in some respects , will be radically different from today ' s , especially in the field of digital skills….

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A composite tourism index for the competitiveness of marginal areas: a pilot application in a Southern Italy province

“…Moreover, the further effort can be oriented to investigate with more attention the statistical method of synthesis used (in terms of weighting, aggregation, robustness, etc.). Finally, a more careful investigation about the skill gaps affecting the tourism industry in the coming years represents a strategic direction for future studies (Zaragoza-Sáez et al , 2021) that may be considered to enlarge the data set of indicators.…”

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“…Notably, little consideration was given to proof of digital competency evolution in different sectors. Zaragoza-Sáez et al [44] investigated the disparity between current and future digital skills requirements and training requirements for 2030 in Spanish tourism organizations. The study reveals that digital skills continue to challenge tourism organizations.…”