This paper reviews key themes that impact on the role and management of human resources in tourism (primarily relating to work and
employment) and assesses whether the past 20 years provides evidence of significant change within the sector. The paper considers the
status of work in tourism and reflects upon the impact that key environmental developments have had upon employment—the practice
of human resource management in contemporary tourism; the impact of global and social forces on perceptions of work and careers; the
impact of ICT on work and employment in tourism; changing interpretations of skills within tourism; and the increasingly diverse nature
of the tourism workforce in developed countries. Conclusions are drawn which point to a ‘‘hung jury’’ in considering whether change in
the tourism workplace, over the review timeframe, has been ephemeral or more fundamental.
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