A Five-factor Structure of Soft and Hard Skills for Tourism Professionals

This study analyzed the Paraná tourism industry’s perception of the soft and hard skills required for the education of tourism professionals. The authors assessed the importance of 37 skills for tourism organizations in Paraná state. Subsequently, exploratory factor analysis resulted in a five-factor structure of skills. The results showed that the tourism industry perceived soft skills as the most important. Moreover, the hard skills factors followed a structure similar to the National Curricular Guidelines, not indicating significant changes in the curriculum. Considering the industry’s inputs, educators could start developing essential skills in curricula design, improving the industry/academia relation.