Bridging the Soft Skills Gap: Do Tourists and Hospitality Managers See Eye to Eye?

Abstract

Soft skills play a critical role in the tourism and hospitality (T&H) sector, shaping service quality, customer satisfaction, and overall competitiveness. While their importance is widely recognized, existing research has largely focused on industry perspectives, leaving a gap in understanding how tourists perceive soft skills – and how their views compare with those of managers. This study addresses that gap by directly comparing the perceived importance of soft skills among 100 tourists and 100 T&H managers. Using a dual-stakeholder survey design, both groups rated the relevance of commonly cited soft skills for frontline employees. Results reveal significant differences that cluster into two broad orientations: tourists emphasize outward-facing interpersonal attributes such as empathy, active listening, and understanding customer needs, whereas managers prioritize inward-facing organizational skills such as adaptability, leadership, and problem-solving. Demographic factors such as age and education further shape these perceptions. The study offers novel insights into employee training priorities and service design, contributing to workforce development strategies that better align internal competencies with evolving guest expectations.