Conflicting vocational identities and careers in the sector of tourism

This article investigates the formation of vocational identities of workers in the sector of tourism in the Czech Republic, Greece and Spain. Major challenges and conflicts shape the sector of tourism as a particular labour space. Emerging issues relate to the need for diversifying the offer of services to face seasonality, strategies of entrepreneurial merging and demands for mobility and flexibility of the workforce. For the individual worker, a complex combination of related factors lead to tensions and contradictions, particularly in terms of changes in work organization, flexibility and how vocational identities of workers are shaped. An active policy for social dialogue and the improvement of working conditions seem to be vital in order to avoid flexibility becoming a synonym for precariousness of employment. Furthermore, the promotion of continuing training, greater recognition of formal vocational education and the development of an entrepreneurial culture are key elements that would enhance opportunities to develop a professional career in tourism.