Competency Assessment of Employees Towards People with Disabilities in Cairo, Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Faculty of Tourism & Hotels, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.

2 Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Helwan University

3 English Tourism Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Competency in the tourism supply chain is an important factor in enhancing the performance of the job. However, there is no standard framework for assessing these competences. This study explores the critical role of competency management in advancing inclusive tourism across the tourism supply chain, especially for people with disabilities (PwDs). The goal of these programs is to raise awareness, improve the quality of service and promote inclusive tourism practices. Addressing the lack of a standardized framework for evaluating professional competencies, it introduces a reliable and valid measurement scale to assess the skills of tourism employees, including tour leaders, guides, frontline workers and managers. Focusing on the needs of PwDs, the research highlights the significance of employee attitudes and skill development in delivering inclusive services. Conducted in Cairo, Egypt, in February 2025, the study employed a quantitative approach, surveying 403 tourism employees. The study adopts an analytic descriptive analysis methodology, utilized to analyze the challenges, competencies, skills and attitudes development in delivering inclusive services within the tourism workforce approaches. The results highlight the urgent need for mandatory educational programs to foster awareness and promote inclusive tourism practices. The findings reveal that many factors still prevent efficient operation of the sector and emphasize the need for new strategies. Research highlights significant gaps and intervals in knowledge and negative perceptions among professionals in tourism and emphasizes the immediate requirement for staff training programs for compulsory employees as the main recommendation.

Keywords