RESKILLING AND UPSKILLING FOR SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYABILITY IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW AND RESEARCH AGENDA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/t2hgy417Keywords:
skills, employability, training, industry 4.0, employeeAbstract
The rapid transformation of the global tourism and hospitality industry, accelerated by Industry 4.0 technologies, digitalization, and post-pandemic workforce disruptions, has intensified the need for reskilling and upskilling to ensure sustainable employability. This study systematically reviews the existing literature on reskilling and upskilling within the tourism and hospitality sector to examine their role in workforce sustainability, future employability, and organizational adaptability. Using the PRISMA framework, 113 peer-reviewed studies published between 2009 and 2023 were identified and analyzed from major academic databases including Scopus, Emerald, EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar.
The findings reveal that reskilling and upskilling significantly contribute to employee adaptability, career resilience, workforce productivity, and sustainable organizational performance. The review further highlights that the emergence of Industry 4.0 technologies, automation, artificial intelligence, and digital tourism ecosystems has widened the skill gap between existing workforce competencies and evolving industry requirements. The study identifies experiential learning, industry-academia collaboration, vocational training, soft-skill enhancement, and technology-oriented learning as critical drivers of future employability in tourism and hospitality.
The review also demonstrates a substantial increase in scholarly attention toward workforce reskilling and employability after the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the growing importance of sustainable human capital development in service-intensive industries. Drawing upon Human Capital Theory, the study proposes that continuous skill development serves as a strategic mechanism for improving organizational resilience, employee retention, and long-term industry competitiveness.
The paper contributes to the literature by synthesizing fragmented knowledge on sustainable employability within tourism and hospitality and by proposing a future research agenda focusing on AI-driven workforce transformation, green skills, digital competencies, and sustainable human resource development. The findings provide practical implications for policymakers, educational institutions, tourism enterprises, and human resource managers seeking to build a future-ready and sustainable workforce.
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