Knowledge management and intellectual capital of companies in the tourism sector in the Department of Caldas – Colombia

The purpose of this article is to propose a model for evaluating knowledge management (KM) and intellectual capital (IC) to add value to SMEs in the tourism sector in the department of Caldas, Colombia. The article establishes the status of KM and IC in some of its variables and proposes some application alternatives. The study is based on a QA (Quality Assurance) evaluation model and some of the most important characteristics of IC evaluation and is supported by descriptive and correlational analysis. The main findings show the validation of the assessment model and a highly significant correlation of its variables. There is a need to train employees who have direct contact with tourists, both to incorporate good practices and lessons learned and to personalize services and get to know clients in-depth and thus offer service experiences.