Leadership, Social and Digital Skills in the Tourism Sector in Crete: Digital Transformation and Gender Dimensions

Introduction:
The accelerating digital transformation of the tourism sector, driven by the expansion of digital platforms, data management systems, and artificial intelligence applications, is reshaping labor relations and skill requirements. In this context, the development of leadership, social/communicative, and digital skills has become critical to the sustainability and competitiveness of tourism enterprises. This study examines the role of these skills within the tourism and cultural sectors in Crete, with particular emphasis on the gender dimension.

Methods:
This study is based on quantitative research employing structured questionnaires (including both closed- and open-ended questions) distributed to more than 500 tourism and cultural enterprises across all regional units of Crete. The final sample consisted of 287 enterprises. The analysis focused on employers’ and senior executives’ perceptions of essential leadership competencies, employees’ social/communicative and digital skills, and organizational capacity for adaptation to technological change.

Results:
The findings indicate that effective leadership, combined with the enhancement of digital and communicative skills, constitutes a key factor in strengthening organizational resilience. At the same time, the transition toward increasingly digitalized work environments appears to affect professional opportunities for men and women in distinct ways, potentially reinforcing existing gender disparities.

Conclusions:
Sustainable development in the tourism sector requires empowering leadership models and inclusive strategies for digital skills development. Integrating a gender-sensitive perspective into training policies and organizational development initiatives is essential to prevent the reproduction of inequalities within the broader context of technological transformation.