Soft skills in the tourism industry of the

future: a comparison between Italy and

Spain

ndez and Rosario Andreu

Laura Rienda, Lorena Ruiz-Ferna

Abstract Laura Rienda,

Purpose – The harmonisation of university degrees at the European level leads us to believe that training needs Lorena Ruiz-Ferna
ndez and
are addressed in the same way in different countries. However, the inevitable adaptation to the changing Rosario Andreu are all based
environment faced by companies requires a continuous adjustment between training and future needs, at the University of Alicante,
according to the sector. The aim of this paper is to compare two leading and culturally similar countries in the Alicante, Spain.
tourism sector in order to determine whether training is being provided homogeneously in tourism higher
education and whether more specific training is desired to meet the needs of the sector in each country.
Design/methodology/approach – This study is part of the European Next Tourism Generation (NTG)
Project, the first European partnership to foster a collaborative and productive relationship between the
education system and the tourism industry. A mixed research study was conducted with the purpose of
development, i.e. with the intention that the results of one method (qualitative) are used to assist the
development of the other method (quantitative) and an exploratory sequential design. Both qualitative (29
interviews) and quantitative (509 tourism organisations) methods are used.
Findings – For a sector that has undergone significant changes in recent years, the results show the differences
between countries around the current level of soft skills of employees, the level they will need to develop in the
future and the gaps that those responsible for training future employees in the sector need to focus on for the
2030 horizon.
Received 17 July 2023
Practical implications – Several recommendations have emerged from this paper: to complement higher Revised 11 October 2023
education, to achieve a better link between the business world and future workers; to provide much more Accepted 31 January 2024
incentives for international student mobility, which will allow students to develop intercultural soft skills before
© Laura Rienda, Lorena Ruiz-
they enter the world of work, and to propose the creation of a social network to share, communicate and learn Ferna
ndez and Rosario Andreu.
about resources specific to the tourism industry. Published in Journal of Tourism
Originality/value – Since the Bologna Plan, higher education institutions have been tasked with preparing Futures. Published by Emerald
Publishing Limited. This article is
students for the world of work and developing the employability of graduates. The link between the professional
published under the Creative
world (companies) and the educational world (training centres) is a crucial factor in determining students’ future Commons Attribution (CC BY
skills and needs. When educational programmes respond to the needs of industry, the university can gain a 4.0) licence. Anyone may
competitive advantage. Therefore, some authors suggest the need for coordination and regular reproduce, distribute, translate
and create derivative works of
communication between business and training centres, thus improving the competitiveness of companies
this article (for both commercial
and reducing the gap that currently exists. In this paper, comparing two culturally similar countries with a and non-commercial purposes),
recognised trajectory in the tourism sector, we will try to observe this gap and propose interesting options for subject to full attribution to the
the future of the sector. original publication and authors.
The full terms of this licence may
Keywords Soft skills, Higher education, Cross-cultural differences, Europe, Future skills, Training be seen at http://
Paper type Research paper creativecommons.org/licences/
by/4.0/legalcode

The authors wish to emphasise

that this work is part of a
1. Introduction European project within the
framework of the Erasmus +
At the end of the 20th century, the European model of university management was considered to Programme, Next Tourism
Generation Alliance 591982-
be ineffective because it did not succeed in applying the knowledge generated in the productive EPP-1-2017-IT-EPPKA2-
process (Seixas et al., 2016). University and research institutions in the United States and in some SSA-B.

DOI 10.1108/JTF-07-2023-0165 VOL. ▪▪▪ NO. ▪▪▪ , pp. 1-16, Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2055-5911 j JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES j PAGE 1
 Asian countries such as China and South Korea were attracting greater investment and,
consequently, a greater number of students and researchers interested in developing their
activities there. In order to regain its central and strategic position in the production and
dissemination of knowledge, which it had held since the emergence of the modern university,
Europe revitalised its higher education by creating a European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
Although initially only France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom participated (Soborne
Declaration in 1998), in 1999 other European countries joined and the Bologna Declaration was
signed (Salaburu et al., 2011) in which it was agreed to develop a EHEA by 2010 (Pagani, 2002).

The European Union (EU) began developing convergence processes in economic aspects that
today extend to different areas, including education. The student mobility programmes in higher
education (currently Erasmusþ) discovered the need to develop a system of equivalences and
recognition of studies. Thus, the Sorbonne Declaration proposes the need to promote
convergence between national higher education systems at the European level.

In addition, these mobility programmes are seen as a key instrument for developing a European
Education Area (EEA) and supporting strategic European cooperation in the field of education and
training. The main objectives pursued are (European Commission, 2023):
1. Promote educational mobility of individuals and groups, as well as cooperation, quality,
inclusion and equity, excellence, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and
policies in the field of education and training;

2. Promote mobility in non-formal and informal learning and active participation amongst young
people, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of
organisations and policies in the youth field;
3. Promote educational mobility of staff in the field of sport, as well as cooperation, quality,
inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of sport organisations and policies.

This international model and the creation of a common space, reinforcing European higher
education, propose a more homogeneous model, whose guidelines are applied to the different
higher education policies in the world (Seixas et al., 2016). The consideration of the teacher–
student relationship, as well as the importance of the excellence of the teaching staff, acquires
greater prominence with the creation of the EHEA.

One of the most important new features of the Bologna Plan was the commitment to a competence
acquisition model. There was a shift “from teaching focused on the teacher and the transmission of
a series of academic subjects that are disconnected, abstract and decontextualised, to teaching
focused on students and their process of acquiring generic and specific competences throughout
their degree” (Lo
pez, 2011). The novelty lies in the adoption of a competences model to the
detriment of a content-centred model (Seixas et al., 2016), so universities must focus on producing
highly qualified students and, therefore, competent workers (Callejas Albin ~ana et al., 2022).

Since the Bologna Plan, higher education institutions have been tasked with preparing students for
the world of work and developing the employability of graduates (Suleman, 2018). The link
between the professional world (companies) and the educational world (training centres) is a crucial
factor in determining students’ future skills and needs (Queiruga et al., 2022). When educational
programmes respond to the needs of industry, the university can gain a competitive advantage (Lo,
2005). Therefore, some authors suggest the need for coordination and regular communication
between business and training centres, thus improving the competitiveness of companies and
reducing the gap that currently exists (Blesia et al., 2021; D’Souza et al., 2022).

In the tourism sector, one of the sectors that has undergone the most changes in recent years, soft
skills have the most direct impact on the customer and their perception of the service received
(Nedry, 2016). In this way, this type of skill has a decisive impact on the results of tourism
companies (Wesley et al., 2017). That is why this study puts the focus on soft skills, which enable
holistic development by enhancing learners’ attitudes, values, beliefs, motivation, desires, feelings,

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PAGE 2 JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES VOL. ▪▪▪ NO. ▪▪▪
willingness to learn, willingness to share and adopt new ideas and inculcate future-oriented
thinking (Pandey and Pandey, 2015).

Focussing on soft skills, the aim of this paper is to compare two leading and culturally similar
countries in the tourism sector, in order to determine the future needs in each country. The study
will test whether these needs are homogeneous or whether training should be adapted country by
country to meet them in the future. As a result of this main objective, this paper poses the following
research questions:
RQ1. What are the main current soft skills in the tourism sector in two leading European tourism
countries? Are they the same for Italy and Spain?

RQ2. What are the future skill needs most valued by tourism companies? Do these skills differ
between Italy and Spain?
RQ3. In view of the future needs of both countries, can soft skills training be homogeneous or
should it incorporate country-specific elements?

2. Literature review
2.1 Soft skills: the tourism sector
As Heckman and Corbin (2016) point out, a distinction is sometimes made between capabilities,
which are more linked to basic education and skills, which have to do with training. Skills are more
generic and can be transferred to different contexts or situations. However, when talking about skills,
the training activities developed in each country take centre stage. In this sense, higher education
providers must adapt and respond to the demands of the labour market (Suleman, 2018).

Also, technical skills were traditionally considered essential for the development of any job.
However, the current environment leads to consider other skills, soft skills, which allow workers to
better perform their tasks (Wesley et al., 2017). These soft skills are defined by Pandey and Pandey
(2015) as “that combination of personal qualities, interpersonal skills and additional knowledge/
skills”. According to these same authors, these soft skills complement academic intelligence or
cognitive abilities, with human understanding of problems (emotional intelligence).

These soft skills will be 22% more in demand by 2030, as pointed out by a McKinsey study (2018).
Moreover, in an increasingly data-driven economy, soft skills such as teamwork and
communication will be in high demand (Claxton et al., 2016).

As Succi and Canovi (2020) rightly point out in their study, many EU and European Commission
documents, as well as human resources experts, highlight that soft skills are closely related to
employability, particularly for young people. Some authors, such as Branine (2008), also point out
that the labour market values and looks for more person-oriented rather than job-oriented skills, i.e.
attitude, personality and transferable skills.

In the tourism sector, these skills come to the forefront as they enable the creation of a positive
customer experience (Wesley et al., 2017). Being unable to interpret the cultural signals of the customer
is often a critical factor in failing to deliver a high level of service (Caruana and Mcpherson, 2015).

In this sector, there are currently different challenges, such as the increasing digitisation of the
industry and the development of sustainable destinations, which raises the possibility of a
significant skills gap between the current workforce and the future needs of the industry (Ferrer-
Roca et al., 2021; Carlisle et al., 2023). As Ring et al. (2009) point out, graduates need to be
prepared for a changing environment because, at the time of training, it is difficult to predict future
industry needs or levels of complexity. This implies that students have to be educated to be
analytical and, at the same time, able to use creative and new ways of thinking to solve problems
and adapt easily to change. This is where these soft skills come into their own today.

VOL. ▪▪▪ NO. ▪▪▪ j j

JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES PAGE 3
 2.2 Influence of national culture on higher education
Some authors identify differences between countries in terms of skills development (Hanushek and
Woessmann, 2008; Breton, 2023). Nevertheless, the EU supports and complements member
states’ actions, in accordance with Articles 165 and 166 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
Whilst fully respecting member states’ responsibility for the content of teaching and the
organisation of education systems, the EEA is based on a shared vision: by 2025, everyone should
have access to quality education and training in a genuine common European learning area. Both
students and teachers should be able to move easily between the education systems of different
member states, whilst a culture of lifelong learning should become the norm (EU, 2023).

Notwithstanding the above, some authors argue that the culture of the country has an important
influence on the development of certain skills (Da’as, 2017). That is, cultural values at the national
level can impact on training and be decisive for graduates of tourism-related studies (Caruana and
Mcpherson, 2015).

Considering that the country can develop and enhance certain skills, the international mobility that
the EHEA launched years ago with the aim of increasing students’ international experiences stands
out. The Erasmus þ programme, created by the European Commission, enables cooperation and

ndez-Sanz et al., 2017). This is why
mobility in higher education by promoting interculturality (Ferna
it can be a key condition for acquiring live experience for the professional and personal
development of graduates, future employees in the tourism and hospitality sector.

3. Method
This study is part of the European Next Tourism Generation (NTG) Project, the first European
partnership to foster a collaborative and productive relationship between the education system
and the tourism industry.

The NTG Project approach, modules and learning methods will be integrated into the current EEA
and the tourism industry itself, providing a benchmark, tools and best practices for green and social
competences to support sustainable development and digital and technological innovation within
the operations of five sub-sectors: Destination management, Food and beverage, Tourist
attractions, Travel agencies and Tour operators, and Accommodation.

Different multidisciplinary partners make up this alliance: 7 industrial partners and representatives
of the tourism sector, 6 universities and Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and
Research (ATLAS). Partners from 8 EU countries (Italy, UK, Spain, Bulgaria, Hungary, the
Netherlands, Germany and Ireland).

In order to answer the RQs, we have focused on one type of skills, soft skills, and on two countries,
Italy and Spain.

3.1 Sample and tools used

Given that the general objective of the study is to find out whether the gap in terms of current and
future skills in the sector can be filled by homogeneous training provided in tourism degrees at the
European level, it was thought appropriate to focus the research on the two leading countries in
terms of tourism activity and with a similar Mediterranean culture. According to the latest data
obtained by the World Tourism Organisation, Italy and Spain occupy second and fourth place
respectively in terms of European tourist arrivals and third and fifth place respectively if we take data
at the world level (WTO, 2021). This shows the importance of focussing on these two major world
powers in this industry. Furthermore, if we compare the dimensions of national culture developed
by Hofstede et al. (2010), both countries present similar values in the different dimensions.

A mixed research study was conducted with the purpose of development, i.e. with the intention
that the results of one method (qualitative) are used to assist the development of the other method

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(quantitative); and an exploratory sequential design. Therefore, both qualitative and quantitative
methods were used. The two methods are not mutually exclusive, but allow a better approximation
of the phenomenon to be studied, with the use of these methods being common in areas such as
education or health sciences, amongst others (Tar
ı Guillo
et al., 2017). The use of these two
methods together allows for a number of advantages (Truong et al., 2020), in particular, for the
purpose of development the main advantage lies in the fact that one of the methods helps to
improve the subsequent execution of another method. In this case, the integration is carried out
with the construction strategy so that the results of the first qualitative phase were used to develop
the instrument for the second quantitative phase (semi-structured questionnaire). This strategy
allows the questionnaire to be relevant to the specific context in which it is used, especially when
the first qualitative phase is conducted with a sample of participants who also belong to the target
population of the quantitative phase (Creswell and Plano Clark, 2017).

3.1.1 Qualitative study. The first phase focused on the qualitative study. It started with structured
interviews, with the above-mentioned questions, of about 45 min on average. The interviewer was
part of the NTG alliance as a partner and collected relevant information on soft skills from a script
that helped to collect this information. There were 29 interviews with companies located in Italy and
35 interviews with companies located in Spain.

3.1.2 Quantitative study. Regarding the quantitative study, the different organisations responded
to a questionnaire sent online, through the Qualtrics programme, between January and June
2019. This questionnaire was developed in English and subsequently translated into the native
language of each country. Finally, the level of each skill was measured on five-point Likert scales,
from a value of 1 (when the skill is lacking) to a value of 5 (fully developed skill). The use of Likert
scales allows for simplicity in displaying the results, and respondents are not forced to express one
opinion or the other, but this type of question allows the participant to be neutral and concise
(Carlisle et al., 2021; Alhassan et al., 2022). A total of 509 tourism organisations from the 5 sub-
sectors studied participated (370 from Italy and 139 from Spain).

3.2 Procedure
3.2.1 Qualitative phase. The interviews identified key themes regarding current and future levels of soft
skills. The managers were asked about: (1) the current level of competence/skills of their organisation’s
employees with respect to their personal, communication and cultural and diversity skills and (2) the
future level of competence/skills that their employees should have in 2030. Based on the managers’
responses, the teams of the 14 alliance members developed a list of key soft skills. In doing so, the
experts relied on a review of existing literature and the responses from this qualitative study.

3.2.2 Quantitative phase. Several analytical techniques were used in this phase. First, to examine
differences in the level of soft skills attained or possessed by tourism workers in the two countries
analysed, and to determine whether future needs differ, a comparison of means was made using
parametric and non-parametric statistical tests, as appropriate. Second, mean comparisons were
also carried out, this time for paired samples, in order to find the gap between current skills and
future needs, both at a general level and independently by country. The analyses were carried out
with the SPSS v.28 statistical package.

4. Results
4.1 Qualitative results
In the qualitative phase, we can observe the distribution of the 64 interviews carried out in Italy and
Spain for each sub-sector. A large part of these interviews (more than 40% of the total) focused on
staff in the accommodation sub-sector in both Italy and Spain, as it is the most relevant sub-sector
in the field of study. Some descriptive data of the sample analysed in this phase are presented
below (Table 1).

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JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES PAGE 5
 Table 1 Sample description: Qualitative study (interviews)
Country
Sub-sector Italy Spain

Destination management 5 6
Food and beverage 5 7
Tourism attractions 2 3
Travel agents/Tour operators 3 3
Accommodation 14 16
Total 29 35
Source(s): Authors’ own elaboration

Through the interviews with the different managers a list of skills was developed. The answers to
different questions allowed for the development of different items (social skills) grouped under three
groups: personal (8 items), communication and cultural (7 items) and attention to diversity (5 items).
These groups were also identified in previous studies (Succi, 2019; Weber et al., 2019). These
items were subsequently used in the second phase (quantitative study) (Carlisle et al., 2022).

4.2 Quantitative results

Regarding the quantitative phase, we also observed the distribution of the 509 questionnaires
answered in Italy and Spain by sub-sector. Again, around 50% of the responses were received
from the accommodation sub-sector in both Italy and Spain. This is, therefore, the most
represented sub-sector in our sample, as opposed to the Travel Agencies and Tour Operators
sub-sector from which we received only 26 questionnaires, being the least represented in this
study (Table 2). However, taking into account the representativeness of the general tourism
population, this distribution is appropriate.

Based on the survey results, it is also interesting to show the ranking of soft skills present in the
tourism industry, according to the country. In this way, we can observe the soft skills that are
currently developed in tourism companies in Italy and Spain, allowing us to compare and identify
whether they are the same or different. The following table shows the significant differences when
comparing the two countries (Table 3).

To calculate these differences, we first analysed the distribution of respondents’ answers by

examining the kurtosis and asymmetry. Next, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and Levene’s test
were performed for the two samples to see if they were normally distributed and if equal variances
are assumed. With these results, the difference of means for the sample of Italian and Spanish
companies was performed using parametric (Student’s t-test) and non-parametric (Mann–
Whitney U) tests, depending on whether the sample followed normality.

As we observe in Table 3, the social skills most present in Italian tourism companies are ethical
behaviour and respect, willingness to learn and customer orientation; all skills categorised as
personal skills. This same category, personal skills, also turns out to be a priority in the case of
Spain. Specifically, customer orientation, ethical conduct and respect and promoting a positive
work environment stand out. At a general level, the last positions of the ranking are for the social
skills of attention to diversity in both cases, except for the skill related to gender equality, which is in
the 6th position of the ranking only for Spain.

As for the mean differences between the skill levels of the professionals in each country, in all skill
categories we find significant and positive differences. As can be seen, Italian employers perceive a
higher level of social skills in their employees than Spanish employers. The main differences by
category are found in creativity, cultural awareness and expression and attention to the adaptation
of infrastructures for the disabled, where the average level of skills of Italian professionals is
significantly higher than that of Spanish professionals in the tourism sector.

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Table 2 Sample description: Quantitative study (questionnaire)
Country
Sub-sector Italy Spain

Destination management 31 22
Food and beverage 61 15
Tourism attractions 58 27
Travel agents/Tour operators 19 7
Accommodation 201 68
Total 370 139
Source(s): Authors’ own elaboration

Table 3 Ranking and differences found between the current soft skills most pointed out by
companies in the tourism sector (Italy and Spain)
Italy Spain
Ranking Ranking
General by General by
Actual skills Media ranking category Media ranking category Difference

Personal
Problem solving 3.86 14 8 3.74 11 7 0.12
Initiative and 4.08 5 5 3.81 7 5 0.27**
commitment
Customer orientation 4.17 3 3 4.14 1 1 0.03
Ethic conducts and 4.31 1 1 4.07 2 2 0.24**
respect
Willingness to change 4.01 9 7 3.81 7 5 0.20*
Promoting a positive 4.11 4 4 3.96 3 3 0.15*
work environment
Creativity 4.03 8 6 3.68 12 8 0.35***
Willingness to learn 4.19 2 2 3.91 4 4 0.28*
Communication and cultural
Written 3.94 12 5 3.77 9 2 0.17*
communication
Oral communication 4.05 7 2 3.76 10 3 0.29***
Active listening 4.00 10 3 3.55 16 7 0.45***
Cultural awareness 3.76 16 6 3.49 17 6 0.27**
and expression
Awareness of local 4.06 6 1 3.65 14 5 0.41***
customs
Ability to speak 3.52 19 7 3.67 13 4 0.15
foreign languages
Intercultural host- 3.96 11 4 3.87 5 1 0.09
guest understanding
and respect
Diversity
Gender equality 3.87 13 1 3.84 6 1 0.03
Age-related 3.82 15 2 3.63 15 2 0.19*
accessibility
Diets and allergy need 3.64 18 4 3.46 18 3 0.18
Disabilities and 3.76 16 3 3.27 20 5 0.49***
appropriate
infrastructures
Diversity in religious 3.51 20 5 3.35 19 4 0.16
beliefs
Note(s): ***p < 0.001; **p < 0.010; *p < 0.5; ┼ < 0.10
Source(s): Authors’ own elaboration

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JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES PAGE 7
 Similarly, using the same procedure, we ranked the skills that these two countries consider most
important for the year 2030, i.e. what the future needs in the tourism industry will be, analysing the
differences we found between the two countries (Table 4). This analysis allows us to observe
whether the most in-demand soft skills in the future will differ depending on the country, taking the
2030 horizon as a reference.

We can observe that, once again, future needs are mostly focused on personal skills, both for Italy
and Spain. Amongst the needs that will be most in demand are the willingness to learn, customer
orientation, ethical conduct and respect, as well as promoting a positive working environment, for
Italy. In the case of Spain, the most in demand will be customer orientation, ethical conduct and
respect, promoting a positive work environment and intercultural understanding and respect for
the tourist, the latter a skill related to communication and culture. Once again, the soft skills of
attention to diversity are the least highlighted, although in the case of Spain, the skill related to
gender equality is placed in a very important position, specifically in 6th position. It is a skill that
Spanish workers in the sector already have and, according to employers, will continue to be
essential for the year 2030.

Regarding the mean differences in future soft skills needs between the two countries, positive and
significant differences are also found in many of the soft skills. Willingness to learn, from the
personal skills; knowledge of local customs, from the communication and cultural skills; and
appropriate infrastructure for disabled people, from the diversity skills, show the biggest
differences. These results allow us to observe that there are significant average differences in the
perception of future social skills needs between Spain and Italy. As can be seen, these differences
reveal a greater future importance of these skills for Italian employers compared to Spanish ones.

These results are complemented by the study of the gaps when we compare the existing skills with
the future needs of employers in the sector, i.e. we observe the gap that will exist in the social skills
of future graduates in the tourism sector. As can be seen in Annex 1, there are again differences
between countries. If we focus on personal soft skills (Figure A1), in general terms there are no
significant gaps, i.e. the skills considered most necessary already have a high score. However, if we
analyse these gaps by country, we see that in Italy there is a gap in skills related to creativity and
willingness to change, whilst in Spain the gap is related to promoting a positive work environment.
This means that although these skills are considered necessary for the 2030 horizon, the average
level of current workers is not high enough (it is below the general average level). Training efforts
should be focused on these skills in order to be able to meet the future needs detected by
employers, emphasising the differences that appear between these two European countries.

If we now turn to the communication and cultural soft skills (Figure A2), for the whole sample, it
seems that the skills that will be most in demand are those that are currently most developed,
hence many are located in the upper right quadrant of the figure. In addition, some skills that are
currently highly developed, e.g. written communication skills, seem not to be as important in the
future, or at least less important than other soft skills according to the perception of employers in
the sector (as they are below the general average value, blue line indicated). Again, there is a gap to
be taken into account when separating the sample between the two countries. In the case of Italy,
the skill related to cultural awareness and expression is underdeveloped and will be considered
important in the coming years (its value is above the overall average, blue line). However, in terms of
these communication and cultural skills, no major differences are observed in Spain between
current training and the most important skills for the 2030 horizon. The skills that will be most in
demand in the 2030 horizon are those that already have a level above the general average.

Finally, if we delve deeper into the skills of attention to diversity (Figure A3), those related to attention
to adequate infrastructures for the disabled stand out, which has a very low current value and
employers consider that it may be an important and necessary skill in the future. However, when we
analyse the sample by country independently, no significant gaps are observed. One could
highlight the attention to dietary or allergic needs, in the Italian case, or the skills focused on
accessibility by age, in the Spanish case; although in both cases the gap is not very pronounced. In

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 Table 4 Ranking and differences found between the soft skills most in demand by com-
panies in the tourism sector for the year 2030 (Italy and Spain)
Italy Spain
Ranking Ranking
General by General by
Future skills Media ranking category Media ranking category Difference

Personal
Problem solving 4.31 14 8 4.22 9 5 0.09┼
Initiative and 4.41 7 6 4.25 6 4 0.16*
commitment
Customer orientation 4.48 2 2 4.58 1 1 0.10
Ethic conducts and 4.48 2 2 4.51 2 2 0.03
respect
Willingness to change 4.41 7 6 4.14 15 7 0.27**
Promoting a positive 4.46 4 4 4.42 3 3 0.04
work
Creativity 4.45 5 5 4.14 15 7 0.31**
Willingness to learn 4.52 1 1 4.20 11 6 0.32***
Communication and cultural
Written 4.32 13 6 4.20 11 5 0.12
communication
Oral communication 4.38 9 2 4.27 5 2 0.11
Active listening 4.38 9 2 4.24 8 3 0.14
Cultural awareness 4.33 12 5 4.08 17 7 0.25***
and expression
Awareness of local 4.45 5 1 4.18 13 6 0.27***
customs
Ability to speak 4.23 18 7 4.22 9 4 0.01
foreign languages
Intercultural host- 4.38 9 2 4.35 4 1 0.03
guest understanding
and respect
Diversity
Gender equality 4.27 16 2 4.25 6 1 0.02
Age-related 4.29 15 1 4.15 14 2 0.14┼
accessibility
Diets and allergy need 4.16 19 4 4.08 17 3 0.08
Disabilities and 4.26 17 3 3.97 19 4 0.29***
appropriate
infrastructures
Diversity in religious 4.09 20 5 3.86 20 5 0.23*
beliefs
Note(s): ***p < 0.001; **p < 0.010; *p < 0.5; ┼ < 0.10
Source(s): Authors’ own elaboration

both cases the skills are considered necessary in the future (taking a value close to the average) and
the perceived level of ability is also close to the average (3.67 out of 5 points).

5. Discussion and conclusions

One of the ever-present challenges at the economic level is the demand by companies for a better
adjustment of training to business needs. The employability of graduates is therefore one of the
main institutional missions of higher education (Suleman, 2018).
This is also the case in the tourism sector, a sector where the final outcome is highly conditioned by
who serves the tourist and where soft skills are particularly important (Wesley et al., 2017).
Therefore, in this paper we have compared the soft skills developed in the tourism industry, as well

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JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES PAGE 9
 as the perceived needs for the future, of two leading tourism countries in Europe and the world, Italy
and Spain.
For this purpose, two complementary methodologies were used. Firstly, based on a qualitative
study of different leading actors in the sector, key soft skills were identified and divided into three
groups: personal, communication and cultural and attention to diversity. Secondly, with the skills
identified, and using a quantitative methodology, a questionnaire was sent to companies in the
tourism sector in Italy and Spain.
Based on the perceptions of tourism entrepreneurs, the main current soft skills in the tourism
sector in two leading European tourism countries were reflected (R1). There are differences in the
personal social, communication and cultural skills and in the attention to diversity that workers in
the tourism sector currently have. The greatest difference is found in the skills related to attention to
diversity, specifically with infrastructures for the disabled, followed by active listening or knowledge
of local cultures, both communication and cultural skills. All these differences are positive,
indicating that Italian employers perceive that workers in the sector have a higher average level in
these skills. These differences in the key skills of the tourism industry in both countries can be
explained by the delay in the implementation of tourism studies in Spain compared to Italy. It was
not until 1996 that Spain began to offer these studies at university level, despite the importance of
this industry in the country, whilst Italy did so some 70 years earlier (Ceballos Herna
ndez et al.,
2010). Moreover, these results provide insight into employer satisfaction, which would be an
indicator of the quality of higher education, particularly in relation to the “fitness for purpose” of the
training (Suleman, 2018).

Moreover, a ranking of the future skills most valued by Italian and Spanish companies in the tourism
sector has been drawn up (R2). This will allow students and graduates to know the preference of
employers in the sector in each country, in order to be able to adapt professionally to this reality in
the near future. Different perceptions between Italian and Spanish employers were detected,
especially in the needs related to the skills of willingness to learn or creativity, both personal soft
skills (finding very remarkable and significant differences). Again, although Italian employers
perceive that their employees are more trained in these aspects, they also believe that in the future
they will be of great importance, and therefore, the difference is positive.

At this point, different gaps were highlighted for Italy (willingness to learn, customer orientation,
ethical behaviour and respect, as well as promotion of a positive working environment) and Spain
(customer orientation, ethical behaviour and respect, promotion of a positive working environment
and intercultural understanding and respect for the tourist). In addition, the importance attached by
industry managers to these skills also differed between the two countries. In a sector where the
service is offered at the place where the activity is carried out, it is necessary for employees to offer
and meet the needs demanded at the place where the activity is being developed.
The existence of differences in the gaps identified by the companies of both countries leads us to
reflect on the validity of a homogeneous higher education at the European level or whether there are
aspects that are more specific to the country and therefore entail different training needs (R3). In
this way, given the existence of differences in the needs for certain skills, teachers would have to
complement this more homogeneous higher education with other more specific training in order to
achieve a better future link between company-university at a national level. In agreement with other
authors, this paper emphasises that it is crucial that there be regular communication between
companies and training centres and that representatives of the tourism industry participate in the
process (Regalado Pezu
a and Montoya, 2012; Blesia et al., 2021; D’Souza et al., 2022). Curricula
and delivery methods should be updated, upgraded and refreshed to address the new industry
skills and requirements (Sigala, 2021).
In the search to reduce these differences and achieve a better fit with industry requirements,
adapting to each country, some ideas arise. Firstly, university training could be complemented with
other more specific additional training such as seminars, internships, etc., to achieve a better link
between the business world and future workers. Secondly, the educational institutions should

j j
PAGE 10 JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES VOL. ▪▪▪ NO. ▪▪▪
provide much more incentives for international student mobility (Se
raphin and Mansfield, 2017). Li
and Wang (2023) stated that cross-cultural learning is an essential element of skills formation. In
addition, mobility can be seen as an opportunity for personal growth, acquiring new educational
and professional aspirations (Anschu €tz and Mazzucato, 2023). In this way, cross-cultural training
can be envisaged, so that university programmes should also address and develop intercultural
soft skills before students enter the world of work. The absence of these skills could clearly hinder
the promotion of effective international mobility, which is of great importance in a sector as global as
tourism. Thirdly, the implementation of an innovative social network to benefit academics, students
and tourism companies in the two countries. As Se
raphin and Mansfield (2017) point out, it could
be interesting to create a platform to enable academics to share good practice and resources,
students to share their experience and tourism companies to meet and communicate their needs.
One of the limitations of the study relates to the countries on which it has focused. Limiting the
study to two countries may reduce the generalisability of the results obtained. However, it is also
true that by focussing on needs, it may be more interesting to know what is happening in specific
destinations and to expand the study at a later stage. It could also be interesting to increase the
number of sectors included. Although the tourism sector has been one of the most affected in
recent years, due to the incessant changes that have taken place in the environment, other sectors
have also been affected, so the idea is to continue to expand this study.

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(The Appendix follows overleaf)

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JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES PAGE 13
 Annex 1

Figure A1 Gaps in personal skills (skills present and needed for the year 2030)

Gap in personal skills-All sample

4.55 Customer orientaƟon
Ethic conduct
4.5 PromoƟng a posiƟve
work environment

FUTURE SKILLS
4.45 IniciaƟve and
Willingness to learn
commitment
4.4 CreaƟvity

4.35
Problem solving
Willingness
4.3
to change
4.25
3.8 3.85 3.9 3.95 4 4.05 4.1 4.15 4.2 4.25 4.3
ACTUAL SKILLS

AbiliƟes

Gap in personal skills-Italy

4.55
PromoƟng a posiƟve work Willigness to learn
4.5 CreaƟvity environment
FUTURE SKILLS

4.45 Customer orientaƟon

Willingness to change Ethic conduct
4.4
IniciaƟve and commitment
4.35
4.3
Problem solving
4.25
3.8 3.9 4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4
ACTUAL SKILLS

Gap in personal skills-Spain

4.7 Customer orientarion
4.6 PromoƟng a posiƟve work Ethic conduct
4.5 environment
FUTURE SKILLS

4.4 Problem IniciaƟve and

solving commitment
4.3 Willingness to learn
CreaƟvity
4.2
Willigness to change
4.1
3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 4 4.1 4.2
ACTUAL SKILLS
Source(s): Own elaboration

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PAGE 14 JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES VOL. ▪▪▪ NO. ▪▪▪
Figure A2 Gaps in communication and cultural skills (skills present and needed for the
year 2030)

Gap in communicaƟon and cultural skills- All sample Awareness

Intercultural of local
4.38 understanding customs
4.36 and respect
4.34 Oral communicaƟon
FUTURE SKILLS

AcƟve listening
4.32
4.30
4.28 WriƩen communicaƟon
Cultural awareness and
4.26
expression
4.24
4.22 Foreign languages
4.20
3.50 3.55 3.60 3.65 3.70 3.75 3.80 3.85 3.90 3.95 4.00
ACTUAL SKILLS

AbiliƟes

Gap in comunnicaƟon and cultural skills- Italy

Awareness of local
4.50 customs
FUTURE SKILLS

4.45 Intercultural
understanding AcƟve listening
4.40 and respect
4.35 Oral
communicaƟon
4.30 Cultural awareness and
Foreign languages WriƩen communicaƟon
4.25 expression
4.20
3.40 3.50 3.60 3.70 3.80 3.90 4.00 4.10
ACTUAL SKILLS

Gap in communicaƟon and cultural skills- Spain Intercultural

understanding
4.40 and respect
4.35
FUTURE SKILLS

Oral communicaƟon
4.30
4.25 Foreign languages
4.20 AcƟve listenign
4.15 Cultural awareness and WriƩen communicaƟon
Awareness of local
4.10 expression
customs
4.05
3.45 3.50 3.55 3.60 3.65 3.70 3.75 3.80 3.85 3.90
ACTUAL SKILLS
Source(s): Own elaboration

VOL. ▪▪▪ NO. ▪▪▪ j j

JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES PAGE 15
 Figure A3 Gaps in diversity skills (skills present and needed for the year 2030)

Gap in diversity skills- All sample

4.30

4.25
DisabiliƟes/ Gender equaly

FUTURE SKILLS
Age-related
4.20 Infraestructures
accesibility
4.15

4.10 Diets and allergy

Religious beliefs needs
4.05

4.00
3.45 3.50 3.55 3.60 3.65 3.70 3.75 3.80 3.85 3.90
ACTUAL SKILLS

AbiliƟes

Gap in diversity skills- Italy

Age-related accesibility
4.30
FUTURE SKILLS

4.25
DisabiliƟes/ Gender equaly
4.20 Infraestructures
4.15 Religious needs
Diets and allergy needs
4.10
4.05
3.45 3.50 3.55 3.60 3.65 3.70 3.75 3.80 3.85 3.90
ACTUAL SKILLS

Gap in diversity skills- Spain

Gender equaly
4.30
FUTURE SKILLS

Age-related accesibility
4.20
4.10 DisabiliƟes/
Infraestructures
4.00 Diets and allergy needs
Religious beliefs
3.90
3.80
3.20 3.30 3.40 3.50 3.60 3.70 3.80 3.90
ACTUAL SKILLS
Source(s): Own elaboration

Corresponding author
Laura Rienda can be contacted at: [email protected]

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