Around 80% of the 137,000 direct employees in the tourism sector of Quintana Roo have little training for their positions—barely at the high school level. Despite catering to foreign visitors, only one in every ten possesses even basic English proficiency.
In its report on Mexico’s tourism labor market, “DataMex” highlights that this situation is not solely the fault of employees. Large hotel and restaurant chains prefer workers with low educational levels, allowing them to pay salaries ranging from 8,000 to 13,300 pesos per month.
The scarcity of specialized training centers for this sector is also a contributing factor. The Secretariat of Tourism and the Secretariat of Public Education register only 19 centers across the region offering careers in this field, such as the Anáhuac University in Cancún. Here, students can pursue degrees in hotel management, international tourism, restaurant administration, and tourism services.
Common shortcomings identified by Human Resources departments include a lack of English or other language proficiency, as well as unfamiliarity with the area, preventing them from recommending beaches, natural attractions, lagoons, etc.
Moreover, there are issues with proper customer service, handling emergencies, and executing protocols for executive tourists.
The report underscores the need for a shift in mindset, both from candidates and employers.
According to the document, it is crucial to train personnel in the aforementioned areas in order to captivate tourists, extending their stays and thereby increasing the economic impact per visitor.
Furthermore, data from the Federal Secretariat of Tourism indicates that, nationally, the employed population in Mexico’s tourism sector reached 4.678 million individuals in the first quarter of this year.
TYT Newsroom
