Digital competence of tourism students: Explanatory power of professional training

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the influence of professional training on the digital competence of tourism students at a Mexican public university. For this, a quantitative methodology was used through the application of a survey amongst 400 students. Moreover, the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and other multivariate techniques were used to test the hypotheses. The results show that the role of teaching, the curriculum proposal, and the student autonomy as part of professional training all have an impact on digital competence in order to generate and effectively use digital knowledge, manage information in support of their activities and use the media in individual and collective channels, as well as emancipate collaborative learning and maintain leadership in the network. It is discussed how the emphasis of curricular programs and the support of teachers play a significant role as cultivators of digital competence, as well as the initiative and independence of students to better exploit digital media for their personal, academic and professional activities.