Brussels “lagging behind” on tourism – report

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 Brussels is said to be “lagging behind” when it comes to changes in the tourism sector, according to a new study.

A team of researchers from Université libre de Bruxelles (Isabelle Cloquet, Cécile van de Leemput, Catherine Hellemans and Roxane Toumia), Haute École Charlemagne (Olivier Patris) and Université Catholique de Lille (Pierre Flandrin) have conducted a study on this subject and present some underlying trends in the 199th issue of Brussels Studies.

They say the tourism experience has changed considerably with the emergence of new booking methods and the diversification of accommodation possibilities.

These changes have been driven by the increase in the digitalisation of the tourism sector and have had repercussions on the employment associated with this sector, which represents approximately 3 % of regional employment, including low-skilled jobs.

The researchers interviewed 63 tourism service providers, members of public and private trade associations, tourism education providers, union representatives and chatbot developers.

Several observations were made: firstly, for reasons of competitiveness, stakeholders in the Brussels tourism sector adhere to the standards set by the dominant digital stakeholders at international level, particularly in the hotel sector.

Secondly, customer demand is an important factor in technology adoption.

Thirdly, technology has an impact on jobs, accentuating trends towards rationalisation and diversification. In particular, receptionists require more and more cross-disciplinary skills, both human and technological, and at the same time suffer from increasingly flexible working conditions.

 Lastly, there is a shared concern regarding the ability of educational structures to keep up with the rapid evolution of the new tools and skills required, and about whether the profile of students interested in tourism careers matches the new demands imposed by the sector.

Furthermore, the comments received show that Brussels is “lagging behind” other European capitals, it is claimed.

This “delay”, said the team, “echoes the rhetoric of technology providers and lobby groups, which often use this argument to encourage technology adoption and infrastructure development.”

The team conclude, “The media and politicians often put forth this idea as well.

“Believing themselves to be lagging behind others, stakeholders in the sector feel under pressure to switch to digital and follow the example of other destinations, without necessarily considering all of the consequences of this transition.

“However, in addition to the impact on jobs, several of the stakeholders interviewed asked for a better assessment of the influence of digitalisation on the sustainability of the tourism sector, which is already a major emitter of greenhouse gases.”

The authors feel that this issue – which they say is still poorly documented – should be a research priority.