Habilidades blandas y experiencia turística en el Jardín Botánico Atocha - La Liria

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the staff's soft skills and their influence on visitors' tourism experience at the Jardín Botánico Atocha - La Liria, as the quality of human interaction is a determining factor for public satisfaction. A poor tourist experience reduces the likelihood of the tourist returning to the site and, therefore, makes it a less competitive destination. A quantitative approach is used; a checklist is applied to the staff for the independent variable, while a survey is used for the dependent variable, directed at the visitors, both utilizing a Likert scale. The results showed that the staff's soft skills significantly influence the tourism experience, and their performance improves when they know they are being evaluated, which aligns with the Hawthorne Effect. It was found that skills related to technical compliance are more consistent, while others like initiative, motivation, empathy and non-verbal communication require strengthening. Additionally, it was observed that all positions that interacted with the public had an impact on the overall perception of the experience. In conclusion, the Jardín Botánico Atocha - La Liria has staff with the potential to provide quality service, but its application is inconsistent without supervision. Therefore, a "Soft Skills Manual" was created. Implementing this proposal is essential to standardizing the service and ensuring a more positive and memorable tourism experience