In 2020 an increasing demand for digital workers has been noted, with industries relying on employees to work from home to stop the spread of COVID-19. The tourism industry has been no different, relying on employees being digitally present, showing how working digitally has become invaluable this year.
The COVID-19 pandemic put serious pressure on tourism and hospitality (TH) companies. Hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, visitor attractions, sports facilities, event centres and other companies had to close their premises for several weeks as part of government measures to curb the spread of the virus. Their financial resources were depleted and some went into default.
In spring-like weather, people looking for recreation feel the increasing urge to go outside – what are the possibilities to prevent cyclists and hikers from meeting on the same paths? Key partner DSFT discovers the possibilities to enjoy nature in a corona-proof way.READ MORE
The Communication from the European Commission of May 13 on Tourism and transport in 2020 and beyond represents a small but significant milestone for the Next Tourism Generation project. In an official document of one of the most important institutions of the European Union, a prestigious acknowledgement of the importance and value of the project is formally expressed, through the reference that is made to the work we are carrying out and even to our website www.nexttourismgeneration.eu.READ MORE
In this two series blog, the Next Tourism Generation (NTG) Consortium present their perspective on the impact of Covid-19 in terms of challenges related to skills development, how these may change and what the impacts may be on tourism sub-sectors during and after the crisis. Covid-19 has had a major impact on the tourism and hospitality industry. NTG consulted Consortium partners on the impact of Covid-19 on digital, green and social skills development and employability skills, including the challenges that the sub-sectors in tourism and hospitality are facing.READ MORE
In this two series blog, the Next Tourism Generation (NTG) Consortium present the communication of Impact of Covid-19 on skills development and employability in the tourism sector in terms of challenges related to skills development, how such challenges may change and what the impacts may be on tourism sub-sectors during and after the crisis. In this blog, NTG focuses on the importance of the development of skills and potential impacts on the sub-sectors during and after the Covid-19 crisis.READ MORE
There are thousands of tourist destinations around the world, from small tourist attractions to entire countries, from capitals to remote villages. Arguably, the most important quality of any tourist destination and all of its stakeholders is whether it is successful or not i.e., whether it accumulates more economic benefits than economic costs (Robinson, et.al, 2013). It is a fact that successful destinations are not only marketed in a modern, innovative and creative way, but also managed in the same manner (Morrison, 2013). Nowadays, efficient destination management and marketing requires more diverse skills in order to address the high competition and stand out from the rest. The proper usage and integration of modern technologies are one of the most important tools in this process. Therefore, the development of digital skills becomes crucial for successful destination management organisations (DMOs).READ MORE
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is impacting almost every sector, and tourism is no different. But is the industry ready for it? Last year’s NTG Research found that the sector is already facing a skills gap around AI and data analytics and this gap will only grow as technology continues to develop.
But the term ‘artificial intelligence’ is a very broad one and can mean different things in different contexts. So what will AI mean in practice for the tourism sector? Where will we see it being used, and what does that mean in terms of the types of skills the sector will require?
Organizations in tourism and hospitality have massive databases of personal data nowadays as they ask their consumers to leave their data for better and optimized services. This could be in hotels for example, provide data for loyalty programmes such as preferences of pillows, favourite breakfast and date of birth. However, important information such as e-mail addresses, passport numbers and even creditcard details are being given in order to complete the reservation. Next to that, new technologies also enable guests to check in more efficiently, for example with a mobile application which holds a lot of personal data in order to be able to have a fast check-in. However, according to HotelNewsNow (2018), hackers are often attacking the hospitality industry on the search for secured data. Therefore, managers in tourism and hospitality, but also all other employees in the different departments in the sub-sectors should be aware of the high risks those hacks bring along.
This blog, written by key partner CEHAT, focuses on the importance of cyber security and what skills should be taught to all workers in tourism and hospitality in order to ensure the protection of all the valuable personal data of their guests. In this line, CEHAT collaborates with ITH as the technological arm for the dissemination of this information through international events such as Fiturtech Y, technical conferences throughout Spain and communication through ITH’s newsletter.
Generation Z represents a new generation of youngsters with specific characteristics due to the period of time in which they were born. They offer new opportunities for the tourism sector, mainly from the digital skills point of view, but also because this generation is highly committed to social and green issues. So how does this generation influence different sub-sectors in our industry? Key NTG partner, the University of Alicante, highlights the key characteristics of Gen Z and shares some interesting facts.READ MORE