Building the future of tourism, together: how skills partnerships are closing the gap

The European tourism sector is at a crossroads. The twin digital and green transitions, combined with persistent labour shortages, demand a workforce with new and evolving skills. Yet, with over 90% of tourism businesses being SMEs, the sector struggles to coordinate the large-scale upskilling needed to remain competitive. How can we bridge this gap? The PANTOUR project has championed a powerful answer: National and Regional Skills Partnerships (NRSPs).

An NRSP is a permanent, multi-stakeholder platform that brings together industry, education providers, and public authorities to create a unified strategy for tourism skills development. It is the essential bridge between the high-level goals of the EU Pact for Skills and the real-world needs of businesses on the ground. As we enter the final phase of the PANTOUR project, the report on the sustainability of these partnerships shows that while challenges remain, the model has proven to be both adaptable and effective.

 

Let’s explore two best practices that highlight how these partnerships are making a tangible difference.

 

Best practice 1: The Netherlands: escaping the “Talking Group” trap

One of the greatest risks for any voluntary partnership is becoming a “talking group” where ideas are discussed but never implemented. The Dutch Hospitality Pact, coordinated by the Centre of Expertise Leisure, Tourism & Hospitality (CELTH), has developed a brilliant antidote. Their mission is to deliver one tangible, co-funded pilot project each year. This output-oriented approach creates a “full circle” philosophy: the industry identifies a problem, associations co-fund the research, CELTH executes it, and the findings are implemented. This creates a continuous loop of innovation and ensures that stakeholders remain engaged because they see a clear return on their investment of time. Their annual Hospitality Labour Market Monitor, for example, provides an evidence-based picture of workforce trends that directly informs national strategy. It is a powerful model for turning dialogue into concrete action.

 

Best practice 2: Spain – industry-led validation at scale

To be effective, skills initiatives must have the trust and buy-in of the industry. The Spanish Foro Español por las Competencias Turísticas (FECT), coordinated by the Spanish Confederation of Hotels (CEHAT) and the Hotel Technology Institute (ITH), has achieved this at an impressive scale. As the largest NRSP with over 120 members, FECT maintains a deliberate 50/50 balance between industry and academia, ensuring its work is both market-relevant and academically rigorous. This has made it the most comprehensive validator of PANTOUR project outputs. FECT has organised numerous workshops, round tables, and high-profile events at major trade fairs like FITUR in Madrid to test and disseminate the project’s tools, from new occupational profiles to training courses. This deep industry integration ensures that the solutions developed are not just theoretical but are practical, tested, and ready for adoption by the businesses that need them most.

 

A sustainable legacy

From the institutional powerhouse of Portugal’s CNFT to the newly established, industry driven platform in Moldova, the NRSP model has proven its flexibility. These partnerships are more than just project outputs; they are living ecosystems of collaboration. They are creating the shared skills intelligence and trusted networks needed to build a more resilient, innovative, and competitive European tourism sector for the years to come. The key to their future success will be securing long-term commitment from all stakeholders, particularly public authorities, to ensure this valuable legacy is not lost.