MADRID, 7 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Creative thinking, interpersonal communication, languages, or business vision, have become key elements for the new jobs that are in demand in the Spanish tourism sector in which the commitment to digitalization and sustainability has become essential.
The tourism sector has suffered the greatest impact in its history since the beginning of the pandemic. Although the time when activity was stopped is now long gone, during the pandemic there was a drop in employment of 19.5% (202,000 jobs lost), employment that was transferred to other sectors of activity and that was never recovered.
In fact, in 2021 there were more than 93,000 jobs left unfilled and in 2022 there were around 16,000, which means that the sector has suffered a major drain on talent.
Due to the need to adapt to these circumstances, the tourism sector has shifted towards an approach in which its activity is based on three fundamental pillars: health security, digitalization and sustainability.
Health security has become a basic requirement, the digital transformation introduced in the daily practice of tourists conditions the business practices of the tourism sector, and sustainability has become a non-negotiable requirement for the new tourist, concerned more than ever about economic, social and environmental balance.
As the needs of the sector have changed, so have the profiles currently required. Previously, positions such as reception, customer service, gastronomy or sales were the most in demand, but, with the change in trend, new profiles have emerged, such as data analyst, digital marketing, cybersecurity, online sales, experts in analytics, or energy efficiency and environmental managers.
Although it is true that traditional profiles are not going to stop being in demand in companies in the tourism industry, they are going to fall in size and frequency in favor of new profiles.
On the other hand, as the sector advances, there are many challenges it will face. Looking to the near future, the provision of qualified personnel of managers, middle managers and technicians will increase.
Thus, many specialized jobs will continue to grow in other branches of activity other than restaurants and accommodation, and with significantly superior working conditions, such as destination managers, or product and revenue managers.
With the new profiles that have emerged in the industry, the skills and competencies demanded of professionals have also changed. Currently, creative thinking, interpersonal communication, languages, business vision or mastering basic computer tools are essential.
Companies seek, in a very demanding way, good training in tourism marketing, digitalization, innovation and all those tools that underpin the management of their clients’ tourist experiences.
And, at the same time, they expect employees to have other types of skills that effectively complement the previous ones, such as people management, communication, negotiation, empathy, motivation, conflict resolution, or teamwork.
Another novelty in the sector is that companies are increasingly opting for the so-called ‘In-company Training’ in which the feeling of belonging to the brand is encouraged and therefore greater loyalty to it.
“The advance of the tourism sector in recent years is a clear example that, to be at the forefront of the sector, all companies that want to be competitive must reinvent themselves. Furthermore, with the creation of new jobs and demands, “People must also be an active part of this change. Renewing skills and being in continuous training is very important to be able to develop a successful career in this constantly evolving sector,” said Rafael Mesa, Master Coordinator in innovation and digital tourism marketing. from IMF Smart Education.
