Competency-Based Vocational Education and Training in Hospitality and Tourism: A Systematic Review of Workforce Development and Digital Transformation

The hospitality and tourism industry is undergoing rapid transformation, requiring a workforce equipped with digital, sustainable, and competency-based skills. Competency-based vocational education and training (CBT-VET) has become central to preparing graduates for evolving industry demands, yet challenges persist in aligning training with technological innovation and sustainability imperatives. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of 27 peer-reviewed articles published between 2022 and 2024, retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science. The review adheres to the PRISMA protocol to ensure transparency in the identification, screening, and synthesis of relevant studies. The findings are classified into four thematic domains: workforce competency development, digital transformation in training, policy frameworks in vocational education, and sustainability integration. The analysis reveals that while CBT-VET significantly enhances employability and job readiness, the integration of digital tools, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and blockchain, remains uneven. Moreover, sustainability-oriented education is still emerging, and policy inconsistencies across regions limit the standardization of training models. Industry-academic collaboration is also fragmented, affecting the delivery of relevant and adaptable skill sets. This review presents a structured synthesis of recent CBT-VET developments in hospitality and tourism, with a focus on the intersection of digital and sustainability competencies. It offers practical implications for educators, policymakers, and industry leaders to modernize training curricula and institutional strategies. Future research should focus on empirical validation and comparative case studies to assess the real-world impact of digitally enabled, sustainable, and competency-based training approaches.

competency training, workforce development, vocational education, digital training, sustainability education

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