Analysis of tourism education and training in Cienfuegos

Abstract

The relevance of tourism training for the management and competitiveness of the Cienfuegos destination was analyzed. The research aimed to analyze tourism training in Cienfuegos through the proposal of a procedure that went beyond traditional analyses focused solely on curricula. The methodology employed included the analysis of the professional training model in tourism, and the information obtained from documentary review was triangulated with the application of questionnaires to employees, employers, and client opinions regarding the quality of tourism services. Among the most notable results, the existence of a comprehensive training model in the territory, ranging from Technical Professional Education to postgraduate studies, was identified. However, the weighted evaluation of the training placed it at a level that indicated the existence of programs important to the sector, but whose promotion and implementation were insufficient. A strategic discrepancy in perceived quality was identified, where employees showed high satisfaction, while employers, when evaluating job performance, were more reserved, suggesting deficiencies in the practical relevance of the content. As a main conclusion, it was confirmed that the human factor constituted the main productive resource and a key element in competitive potential. A curricular adjustment was recommended to focus training on fostering innovation, creativity, and the design of authentic tourism products to diversify the offerings and meet the demands of the contemporary traveller.