Practical Skills for Tour Guides Tourism Service Vocational School Students Face the Dynamics of Labor Demand in the Tourism Industry

Abstract

This qualitative study analyzes the development of practical tour guide skills among vocational high school students based on Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory (Pondok & Nurul, 2021) . Through interviews, observations, and document studies, a significant gap was found between the curriculum, which focuses on guiding techniques, and the industry's need for soft skills such as interpersonal communication, problem solving, and adaptability (Firdausia, 2025) . The implementation of the Kolb cycle, particularly the reflection and active experimentation stages post-work practice, was identified as suboptimal, resulting in graduates' competencies not fully aligning with the rapidly evolving dynamics of the tourism industry.