Competency requirements for travel industry professionals: A comparative cross-national perspective

Tourism and travel, taken together, is a major economic activity in the modern world that mainly relies on services of competitive human resources. Since competencies of people have become one of the key elements for organizational success, it seems necessary that travel industry stakeholders keep an active role on examining competencies of human resources for the sustainable management and growth of the industry. This study was therefore intended to identify the generic competency requirements for UK and US travel industries. Derived from a sample of job postings using a comparative analysis, it was shown that employers look for competencies of both soft and hard nature. However, much emphasis was laid on competencies related to interpersonal, human, and behavioral qualities of the candidates. The study has also revealed a strong coherence between the two countries on skills in terms of ranking, while little harmony on knowledge, abilities, and other characteristics. The findings of this study may overall contribute to the development of staff recruitment process and training programs, employee performance appraisals, daily organizational operations, and hospitality and travel education.