Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills in Tourism: Anything Else?

Introduction

The globalization of the world economy integrates and connects the different economies and labor markets and according to the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System [ESPAS] (2015), it is estimated that, in the forthcoming years, there will be a reduction of the gap between industrialized and emerging economies. This aspect will allow a greater distribution of products and services of high financial value, creating a challenge for the more consolidated economies given the arrival of new market players. The key to maintaining competitiveness is to be innovative and invest in human capital. Skills will determine, to a large extent, competitiveness and the ability to generate innovation in organizations, becoming a factor of attraction and financing, and playing a crucial role in social cohesion. Economic growth and the creation of new jobs intensify the need for continuous improvement of qualifications and competences that correspond to the growing needs of a new labor market inserted in contemporary societies increasingly grounded on knowledge (BM, 2010; EC, 2016; WEM, 2018; WTTC, 2015).

In the next decades, half of the current jobs will be at risk of extinction and will be replaced by new types of jobs that demand better and different qualifications from workers. In 2025, six out of ten young people entering the world’s workforce will perform jobs that do not exist today (WEM, 2018). Therefore, people should be concerned about their skills.

These competencies, abilities or capacities are those characteristics that focus on the individual and can be defined by the set of knowledge, attitudes and personal features, essential for employability, transferable to the work environment and which must be continuously updated throughout life (Athey & Orth, 1999; Jeou-Shyan, Hsuan, Chih-Hsing, Lin & Chang-Yen, 2011; Raybould & Wilkins, 2006).

The literature defines two different types of skills: Soft skills and hard skills (Andrews & Higson, 2008; Awan, Ahmed, & Zulqarnain, 2015; Croes & Visser, 2015; Huang, Lalopa & Adler, 2016; Mitchell, 2008; Ruetzler, Baker, Reynolds, Taylor & Allen, 2014; Tesone & Ricci, 2006). On one hand, soft skills mirror individuals' lifestyles and people's attitude towards work, so companies are starting to give them more importance when choosing their employees. Individual and social skills such as problem-solving ability, flexibility, confidence, creativity and good interpersonal relationships, as well as an interest in contributing positively to society’s development meet the challenges faced by contemporary companies. On the other hand, hard skills are technical skills or represent specific professional knowledge, so they can be easily measured or tested in job interviews, in practice at the workplace, or in other assessment situations. They are fundamental for effective performance and functioning in any field of activity, being directly associated with performance and task fulfillment.

In tourism, the competitiveness of destinations and companies is distinguished by their ability to use, in a sustainable and efficient way, all the resources available, with special emphasis on human capital (OECD, 2013; Sitompul, Kustono, Suhartadi, & Setyaningsih, 2017; Valkonen, Huilaja, & Koikkalainen, 2013). Tourism service providers ensure quality, guaranteeing the best added value for tourists and attracting new market shares. Without highly qualified staff, tourism loses quality, and consequently, competitive capacity. Thus, the qualification or requalification of human resources is the main challenge that tourism destinations face today. As such, the principal objective of this study is to present a systematic literature review about the main dimensions of human resource qualification in the tourism sector: soft skills and hard skills.