Investing in People: A Cornerstone for Sustainable Tourism

• Raven Ruma
• . September 28, 2023
• . Update: September 28, 2023 4:29 pm
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An important topic for the future of the tourism industry was brought up during the recent World Tourism Day summit of the UN World Tourism Organisation in Riyadh. Experts and executives alike stressed the significance of human capital development for a sustainable and vibrant economy as the global tourist sector recovered from the pandemic’s effects.

With almost 62 million jobs lost as a result of the pandemic in 2020, the world saw a significant loss of employment, especially in the tourism and hospitality industries. 80 percent of the workforce in Saudi Arabia, a major player in the tourism sector, were successfully reintegrated. However, worries about their job security still prevent many from fully committing to the industry.

The need for coordinated efforts in the development of human capital, which includes skills, knowledge, capabilities, and entrepreneurship, was emphasized by Rizki Handayani, Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for tourism products and Events. She emphasized that education should go beyond teaching just the basics of hospitality while also teaching students to adapt to their surroundings and have an entrepreneurial mindset.

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The difficulty of attracting talent to the sector was underlined by Christine Böckelmann, Dean of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. There is a need to make tourist professions more appealing because a sizable fraction of people with education in the industry may choose not to pursue careers in it. She said that to establish a strong connection between these three crucial factors, education should be tied inextricably to sustainability and prosperity.

The discussions in Riyadh also highlighted how important it is for governments and the business sector to work together to regain workers’ trust in their capacity to secure employment and a stable financial future. The tourism business must be flexible since job seekers’ expectations for flexibility, work-life balance, and well-being are rising.