“Human resources are the lifeblood of any organization or industry, and it is essential
that human resources are managed to ensure that the human resources sector is sustainable.”
The human resource for Africa’s tourism sector is the missing link to sustainable economic
growth in the continent. This was the key message from experts gathered in Abidjan, Côte
d’Ivoire, at the final session of a project funded by the European Union and implemented by the
African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) and the World Heritage Centre.
Sustainable Human Resources is an approach that monitors and improves how organizations
attract, develop, and retain people to achieve competitive advantage. Human resource
development (HRD) in the tourism sector refers to the actions taken by tourism enterprises to
improve their employee’s skills, abilities, knowledge, and motivation.
What is the role of human resources in Africa’s tourism?
Tourism is a core sector of the economy in Africa. It contributes up to 30 percent to the
continent’s GDP. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that more than 11
million Africans work in the tourism industry. This is evidence that it plays an essential role in the
region’s development. Human resources are the ones who make the company’s goal possible,
and they are the ones who make the services and products to be the best in the market. It is the
people who make the company to be successful and make it grow. That is why it is essential to
ensure that human resource management is well done in the company to achieve its goal.
What are the challenges of human resource development in Africa’s tourism?
Africa is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, but there are still many
challenges hindering the development of sustainable human resources in the continent. The
main challenges include a lack of infrastructure, inadequate funding, and a lack of trained
human resources.
1. Lack of trained human resources
The lack of trained human resources in the tourism sector is a significant challenge that has
affected the growth of tourism in Africa. The United Nations World Tourism Organization
(UNWTO) acknowledges that the lack of trained staff, particularly in the local community, is a
significant constraint to the development of the tourism sector in Africa. Several initiatives have
been taken to address this issue, including developing training and education in the tourism
sector.
2. Lack of funding
Human resource development in Africa’s tourism is now becoming a concern among the
governments of these countries. This is because most governments have realized that the
development of the tourism industry can lead to the creation of jobs and the development of the
economy. However, this requires a lot of capital and human resources, which many African
countries lack.
How to develop sustainable human Resources for Africa’s Tourism
Africa is heading towards a period of rapid development. It will therefore be essential to build up
the skills of the tourism workforce to ensure that the industry can meet the needs of a growing
population and that the right skills and training are available to meet the demands of the
industry. This can be done in several ways:
1. Improving the skills of human resources in the tourism industry
The skills of human resources in the tourism industry are essential to a company’s success. An
organization’s ability to assess, develop, and retain talent is critical in determining its success.
Education is the key to building human resources for the tourism industry. Tourism education is
a sector of education that focuses on tourism. It is a relatively new discipline that has emerged
in response to the growing need for the training and development of tourism professionals.
2. Encourage the development of the tourism sector.
The tourism sector has massive potential in Africa. However, the industry’s development still
needs to be faster, and this is due to several reasons. One of the reasons is the need for a
comprehensive policy that encourages the development of the tourism sector. The government
should also support the private sector in the tourism sector and provide a favourable
environment for developing the tourism sector.
3. Promote the sustainability of the tourism industry
Sustainable human resource development is the most critical aspect of the tourism industry that
many African nations need to pay attention to. It ensures that the tourism industry hires,
promotes and remunerates people fairly and equitably. It also involves the creation of an
environment that allows the tourism sector to continue to develop and to provide the maximum
number of people with opportunities to improve their quality of life.
4. Ensure there are quality human resources in the industry
Human resources management is critical to the success of any business. It is a process that
ensures a proper balance between the supply and demand of human resources in the industry.
It is crucial to ensure that the quality of human resources is maintained to ensure a steady
supply of qualified and competent human resources. To conserve quality human resources, it is
necessary to ensure that the employment conditions are attractive and competitive. This will
ensure that the best talent is attracted to the human resources sector. It is also necessary to
ensure that human resources are adequately trained to do their work. Ensuring the quality of
human resources is essential to ensure that the supply of human resources is adequate.
Human resources are the lifeblood of any organization or industry, and it is essential that human
resources are managed to ensure that the human resources sector is sustainable. The
development of the human resource is a continuous process. It is carried out to increase
employee’s effectiveness, improve business processes and make the company competitive in the market.
