EMPLOYMENT AS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF LONG TERM TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Tourism is becoming an increasingly important sector in the economies of many countries. Its impact on economic growth and the balance of payments through GDP growth, employment and investment is evident. According to UNWTO forecasts, it is expected that this impact will be even stronger. Furthermore, it is quite clear that the focus of this labour-intensive activity is on human capital which has a decisive influence on the satisfaction level of the users of tourist services. Considering the complexity and fragmentation of tourism, it is very difficult to determine which jobs are the result of the tourism development as well as the exact number of employees who are directly and indirectly employed in tourism and tourism-related activities. In order to understand the specificity of tourism employment, it is necessary to analyze characteristics of tourism that determine the structure and quality of the workforce, as well as to develop modern systems and concepts of labour and tourism impact measurement.