Changing skill needs in the tourism industry

Changing skill needs in the tourism industryKeywords: Tourism, Training, Skills, Italy, France, Spain

Tourism is the world's leading industry in terms of gross domestic product and among the leading industries in terms of job creation. It is a dynamic industry which has recently begun to draw on the potential offered by the new information and communication technologies. The industry is now having to reorganize to satisfy complex demand shaped by consumers' increasingly specific requirements. In addition to the traditional tourism skills, the skills required in the modern tourism industry now resemble those in other service occupations,such as banking and insurance.

Taking these considerations as its starting point, Changing Occupational Profiles in the Hotel Industry, by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, analyses the new skill requirements and occupational profiles in the tourism industry in Italy, France and Spain. The study also examines whether the organizational and occupational changes taking place in tourism are being matched by the provision of appropriate, high-quality training.

The report, ISBN 9289600039, costs 8.5 euros from The Stationery Office,International Sales Agency, 51 Nine Elms Lane, London SW8 5DR. Tel: +44 20 7873 9090.