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4.5 Travel and Culture
Globalisation, technological advancements and changes to consumer spending habits have resulted in changes to the way that people travel and the way that they plan travel. This is expected to intensify in the future with consumers becoming more informed having been able to conduct their own research prior to contacting a travel agent. It is thought that travel agents will need to diversify their offering to providing a more bespoke offering where individuals can plan holidays to meet their individual needs.
It is projected that tourism will change to become more focussed on different forms which include factors such as heritage, aesthetics, culture and the well-being of residents. Food tourism focussing on different cuisines and rich storytelling will also increase, as will eco-tourism as the demand for it increases from the consumer.
These changes will surely have skills implications, including an increased demand for advanced digital skills including the use of virtual reality, management of data and data analysis. It is thought that skills in the areas of social media, marketing and data protection will continue to be important and therefore it is essential that employees are given regular training in this area to keep in line with advancements.83
83 Next Tourism Generation Alliance – Country Interview Report (April, 2019)
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales
Aspirational Projects and Key Developments