Human Capital Capabilities for Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Tourism Industry

Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss the main Travel and Tourism competitiveness indicators which take into consideration human capital capabilities as a key factor when determining competitiveness. Human capital competitiveness in the tourism industry will be analyzed based on the internationally accepted methodology Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI). Analysis will focus on the globally most competitive countries in tourism and on countries in the Southern European region. The research shows that even though human capital is not always emphasized when competiveness evaluation is carried out in the tourism industry, human capital capabilities are a key factor taken into account in the competitiveness assessment data. In many countries the competitiveness of human capital in tourism is lower than desired, providing opportunities for additional investment in competitiveness through education and more-efficient labor market practices. Research methods used in the study include the systematic and logical analysis of scientific literature and synthesis.     Keywords: human capital, labor market, travel & tourism competitiveness, tourism industry