Higher Education in Tourism and the Real Needs of the Labour Market: The Case of the City of Guadalajara, Mexico

The purpose of this research is to determine whether there is a gap between higher education in tourism training, and real labour market needs in the tourism sector, specifically applied to the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. After reviewing some literature on the subject in consideration, a primary exploratory and qualitative research was conducted. The results of this research demonstrated that the institutions of higher education in tourism, the tourism industry and the governments are responsible for the lack of qualified professionals in the industry, that due to its generation of income and employment, contribute to sustainable growth in the country. At last, the article gives some recommendations for each of the main identified entities, and provides the continuity of a quantitative research that allows the generalization of the results found to this day, not only in the city of Guadalajara, but across all Mexico.