What kind of professionals do hospitality and tourism need today, how are the expectations of employees and employers changing, and what opens the door to a successful career for young people? These were the questions discussed by the participants of the round table From Profession to Career: What Opens the Door to a Successful Career in Tourism Today?, jointly organised by the Vocational College of Hospitality and Tourism Maribor (VSGT Maribor) and the Faculty of Tourism Studies – Turistica, University of Primorska, in Maribor on Monday, 24 August 2026.
The discussion, moderated by Assist. Prof. Žana Čivre, PhD, brought together Jure Struc, Director of the Maribor Tourist Board; Janja Viher, Vice-President of the Hospitality and Tourism Section at the Maribor Regional Chamber of Craft and Small Business; Assoc. Prof. Emil Juvan, PhD, Dean of UP FTŠ Turistica; Mojca Polak, MA, Director of VSGT Maribor; and Jure Golež, Turistica alumnus and founder of MarTur.
Staff shortages call for new approaches
Staffing challenges in hospitality and tourism were among the central topics of the discussion, with participants highlighting the increasing difficulty of recruiting and retaining suitably qualified employees. Employees’ expectations are also changing, particularly regarding working hours and work-life balance. Janja Viher therefore emphasised the importance of more flexible working conditions, further training and closer cooperation between the industry and educational institutions. Jure Struc highlighted the changing nature of tourism and, consequently, the growing need for new skills and professional profiles. Tourism today extends far beyond its traditional boundaries, making career paths in the sector increasingly diverse.
Professional knowledge remains the foundation
Digitalisation and artificial intelligence are transforming tourism, but the participants stressed that alongside technological skills, professional expertise, creativity, communication and the ability to build genuine relationships with guests and create unique stories remain essential.
Dean of Turistica Assoc. Prof. Emil Juvan, PhD, emphasised the importance of professional expertise and high-quality education for the development of the sector. Tourism and hospitality are creative fields that offer young people numerous opportunities to develop their knowledge and talents and build long-term careers. The importance of connecting and advancing knowledge is also reflected in the cooperation between Turistica and VSGT Maribor in the field of education. The two institutions also cooperate in delivering the part-time study programme Tourism Enterprise Management in Maribor. The programme is intended for graduates of higher vocational programmes in hospitality, tourism and wellness who wish to expand their knowledge and continue their academic and professional development in tourism.
Director of VSGT Maribor Mojca Polak, MA, went on to highlight the importance of personal and communication skills as an essential complement to professional expertise. She particularly emphasised the ability to establish genuine contact with guests and ambition as important components of a successful career. The importance of the human factor was also highlighted by entrepreneur and Turistica alumnus Jure Golež, who stressed that despite technological advances, personal interaction with guests remains one of the key elements of a high-quality tourism experience. He also highlighted how he was able to build on the knowledge acquired as a graduate of the Vocational College of Hospitality and Tourism Maribor (VSGT Maribor) by continuing his education in Turistica’s part-time study programme delivered in Maribor. In particular, he emphasised the transition from practical and operational knowledge and competencies towards more strategic, managerial and leadership-oriented skills.
Successful tourism starts with people
An important part of the discussion also focused on cooperation between education and the tourism industry. Closer links between the two environments enable a faster transfer of knowledge and experience while providing young people with more opportunities for a successful transition from education into professional life.
The participants also addressed the broader question of what constitutes successful tourism development. In addition to visitor numbers, the quality of the tourism offer, the authenticity of tourism experiences and a positive relationship between tourism and the environment in which it develops are particularly important. Achieving such results requires professionally qualified staff. While certain skills can be acquired through experience, a significant part requires appropriate formal education. This also provides an important foundation for further developing the experience gained through work and contributing to both individual professional development and the development of tourism as a whole.
The round table thus confirmed a shared message among the participants: the future of Slovenian tourism will depend above all on people, their knowledge and creativity, and close cooperation between education and the industry.
The event concluded with informal networking and socialising over culinary delights prepared by Restaurant Sevem, which operates under the auspices of VSGT Maribor and has been awarded a Michelin Plate and is featured in the Gault&Millau guide.
