Descrizione
This work aims to study the skills that characterize today the role of reception manager in hotels. The role of the reception manager and, in general, the front-office roles represent an important driver to offer the customer a memorable experience and a complete delight. After a review of the main literature on the workforce in tourism industry and the evolution of related skills, this paper presents a survey carried out in the Republic of San Marino.
The study was aimed to reception managers and hotel managers and / or owners, in order to: know the respondents’ perception about the activities related to the role of reception manager; identify the respondents’ perceptions about the importance of the skills required to work and their perception of the skills possessed; know the importance attributed and the relative competence about some technological and digital skills related to the role; note any gaps between necessary and owned skills; carry out reflections on training.
The research highlighted a good awareness of the evolution of the role of reception manager, a good level of knowledge possessed, with lack in the second foreign language and in management subjects. It also highlighted good operational skills, but deficiencies in technological and digital skills, as well as data analysis, statistical techniques and tools.
This lack of mastery related to technical and management tools partly reduces the chances of creating true experience, although behavioral skills are very good. The problem of adapting skills to the needs of the application recalls the topic of training and school and academic education: from the collaboration with the operators of the tourism industry, the school and the university must find a greater push towards emerging issues, such as that of experiential tourism.
