The Skill Gap Assessment of Sales and Marketing Personnel in Hotel Business, Phuket, Thailand
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Abstract
Nowadays, information and communication technology (ICT) plays a significant role and has brought about changes in sales and marketing practices, resulting in a heightened demand for digital marketing skills and professionals across all sectors of business. Consequently, it becomes crucial to assess whether there exists a gap in sales and digital marketing skills among hotel sales and marketing personnel, in response to the evolving business landscape. The study employed a quantitative methodology, utilizing a purposive sampling technique. A total of 210 samples were collected, and the data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, including the application of a paired sample T-test. The findings revealed that out of the 39 skill gaps examined, 34 exhibited statistically significant differences between the currently acquired skill levels and the anticipated future skill requirements. Notably, the largest skill gap was observed in the domain of search engine marketing (SEM). As a result, the study indicated that hotel sales and marketing personnel require reskilling and upskilling initiatives to obtain a competitive advantage in the hotel industry within the context of the digital economy.
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