The recovery of the travel and tourism sector could be put severely at risk if immediate measures aren’t put in place.
Staff shortages are causing havoc for the European travel and tourism sector – and it might be getting worse. Almost 1.2 million jobs will remain unfilled, according to warnings issued by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the European Travel Commission (ETC).
A serious number of vacancies are likely to remain unfilled during the busy summer period, with travel agencies forecasted to be the worst hit by a 30% shortfall in workers. The air transport and accommodation segments are likely to suffer one in five unfilled vacancies, representing a shortfall in staff of 21% and 22% respectively.
A result of this is that the sector’s recovery could be put at severe risk. WTTC has revealed this challenging summer labour shortfall in its latest industry analysis. It calls for urgent action to address this critical issue. Julia Simpson, WTTC President and CEO, said: “Europe showed one of the strongest recoveries in 2021, ahead of the global average. However, current labour shortages could delay this trend and put additional pressure on an already embattled sector. Governments and the private sector need to come together to provide the best opportunities for people looking for the great career opportunities that the travel sector offers”.
WTTC and ETC have identified measures that both governments and the private sector can implement to address this urgent issue. For example, labour mobility should be facilitated both within countries and across borders, with the enabling of flexible and remote working where feasible and the upskilling and reskilling of talent through the offer of comprehensive training.
The two bodies believe that by implementing these measures, tourism businesses will be able to attract and retain more workers.
In 2020, when the pandemic was at its peak, the travel and tourism sector suffered the loss of almost 1.7 million jobs across the EU. In 2021, when governments began to ease travel restrictions, the sector’s direct contribution to the EU’s economy recovered by 30.4 per cent and 571,000 jobs. This year, WTTC projects that the sector’s recovery will continue to accelerate and almost reach pre-pandemic levels, with an expected 32.9% increase in its direct contribution to the EU economy.
