Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aims identifying barriers for potential employment for people in Northern Province and it will facilitate people who make efforts to produce human resource requirements in tourism industry in Sri Lanka. The sample size has been determined by using stratified sampling method and convenience sampling method was used to select respondents. Secondary data were collected from Northern Province office. Primary data were collected from job seekers and employees in other industries among divisions of Northern Province. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Friedman test were employed to analyze data. Among the selected sample, there was a few who employed in tourism industry. The results revealed social considerations, recruitment process, skills development, progression pathways, cultural barriers and lack of infrastructure facilities are significant barriers for tourism employment in Northern Province. It is recommended to address the above to make tourism employment attractive for rural job seekers. Furthermore, future research should focus on impacts of tourism employment on quality of life in Northern Province.