Are competences important for travel agents? An exploratory study in agencies of Porto Alegre

Abstract

The focus of this study is to understand the main competences necessary for sales professionals of travel agencies in Porto Alegre, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. A quantitative study was conducted, using a survey to gather data. Of the surveys sent out to the hundred and eighty travel agencies that exist in the city, sixty-nine questionnaires were filled out and returned. The following methods were used to analyze the data: descriptive statistics, factorial analysis, correlation, T-test and Anova, depending on the nature of the data. Even though the research model indicates three dimensions to analyze competences - Knowledge, Ability and Attitudes - this study identified five categories: Ability, Technical Qualification, Tacit Knowledge, Attitude and Connectivity. The results showed that although professional training is based on education, their personal experiences make each professional unique. The results also showed that the factor Ability is considered the most important, in the managers’ view