Assessing the Impact of Saudi Arabia’s 'Tourism Trailblazers' Programme in Developing National Expertise for the Tourism Sectors

Abstract

Abstract: This dissertation analyses the efficiency of the Tourism Trailblazers initiative in Saudi Arabia towards sharpening domestic expertise to the tourism industry under the project Vision 2030. Vision 2030 focuses on diversifying the economy and lessening its dependence on oil, making tourism an area of its strategic focus in development. In 2022, the Tourism Trailblazers Programme was announced to educate 100,000 young people in Saudi Arabia with a USD 100 million budget using the existing international facilities. Such attempts are still afforded with concerns on the level of vocational education on par with the labour market, especially in the context of soft skills, employability, and readiness. This dissertation presents the findings of a study that employed a quantitative research design, a structured bilingual questionnaire and sampled 100 participants of this programme. Correlation and regression analysis showed that, organisational experience, relevance, and access to curriculum of technological resources have a significant impact on personal and professional development. Nevertheless, organisational experience was the only predictor that distinctly foretold the employment practice of programme skills. The results show that although the programme advances the development of the skills, employment outcomes and matching results with market needs, gaps remain. The research suggests increasing employer contact, practical training experiences, and gender- responsive strategies to promote effectiveness of vocational training. These findings have significant policy implications on promoting the development of human capital in the Saudi Arabia tourism industry.