A Comparative Analysis of the Educational Level in the E.U. Accommodation and Food Services in the Period 2008–2011

This paper tries to highlight the most important changes in the level of education attained by the employed persons in accommodation and food services. We analyzed the European Union countries in the period 2008-2011 and the implication of those who are involved in this field, for tourists, for the quality of the tourist services. Starting from the EUROSTAT data, we verified the link between the educational level and some of the main indicators in tourism. The results indicated a strong relationship between the level of education and total nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments by residents and non- residents, as well as the relation between the level of education and tourist expenditure (holiday trips – 4 nights or more). Consequently, employers should be concerned about their employees’ skills, because the more educated they are the more able they will be to attract and to gain the loyalty of more tourists.