Past, present and future skills in tourism: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose The changing business environment challenges human resources (HR) in tourism, revealing a skills gap between HR competencies and business needs. This article seeks to provide a comprehensive analysis of the essential skills required in the tourism industry over time, identify emerging trends and delve into future challenges that tourism professionals may face. Design/methodology/approach Using bibliometric analysis, authors examine existing scientific knowledge and its evolution, providing valuable insights for the future. Findings A range of specific skills has been pinpointed, each possessing either a well-established value or demonstrating emerging or limited potential in the ever-evolving tourism sector over time. Originality/value The article makes a significant contribution by offering a comprehensive mapping of existing knowledge while also highlighting emerging trends in essential HR skills within the tourism industry.