Labor market for tourism graduates: comparisons between 2012 and 2018 data

Abstract There has been much debate about tourism education, including work groups in several events. However, there is little information about the employability of graduates of these programs. Over time there has been an increasing gap between the interests of training providers and employers, the former being more focused on the academic and humanistic formation of undergraduates and the latter focusing on the need for professionals with proper skills acquired during their undergraduate education. Analyzing the data from research on the Professional activity of tourism graduates in 2012 and 2018, this article discusses the labor market of higher education graduates in Brazil, in terms of the main activities, sectors of activity, and remuneration. This study is based on primary and secondary data, with a descriptive character and a qualitative approach in the interpretation of the data. Among the main results it is possible to highlight that tourism jobs are not as diverse as suggested by higher education institutions, since we found most jobs are concentrated in one or few positions. Also, the perception of a small improvement in remuneration, the rise of the participation of teachers in the market, and the growth of respondents linked to the public sector are among the main findings.