Mapping talent development in tourism and hospitality: a literature review

The purpose of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of the scope of talent development (TD) strategies and practices in tourism and hospitality industry contexts.

Because the literature on talent management and TD in tourism and hospitality is limited and fragmented, an integrative literature review method was used to identify and analyze relevant studies to create a more comprehensive representation of the industry’s talent strategies.

Findings from the literature review showed that by nature, the context of tourism and hospitality is complex and the meaning of talent in this industry is not necessarily comparable to other industry sectors (Baum, 2008). While most industries adopt a more exclusive approach to develop talent, an inclusive approach may be more ideal for tourism and hospitality especially in light of the importance of frontline employees for business success. More robust management structures and human resource systems are needed especially in small and medium tourism enterprises to aid the facilitation of TD. A partnership approach involving strong commitment between education, industry and government should be necessitated to implement and sustain TD considering the importance of the industry to nation’s economic and social advancement.

This study adds to the body of literature on TD in tourism and hospitality. Future research opportunities should explore both qualitative and quantitative methods to provide empirical evidence and to further build on the literature.

Generally, organizations place emphasis on the development of technical skills, however, managers and leaders of tourism organizations should focus on developing both technical and generic competencies especially for frontline employees to ensure that a positive image of the organization is consistently demonstrated. TD can influence employees’ emotional labor; therefore, increased and quality emotional labor training can impact the types of strategies that employees use during guest encounters to promote quality service.

The paper contributes a comprehensive review of the literature on TD in the tourism and hospitality context. The TD map provides more focused direction and will aid in the establishment of TD strategies and practices.